HOMEOWNERS
25. Couples can exclude up to $500,000 of capital gains on the sale of their principal home; single taxpayers can shelter $250,000.
26. A variety of expenses associated with a home office.
27. Commissions and closing costs paid on sales of property.
28. Points on home mortgages; certain refinancings; and mortgage prepayment penalties and late fees.
INVESTING
29. The cost of computer software and online services used to track your investments, as well as the cost of publications and newsletters you buy for investment advice.
30. Fees to a financial adviser focused on general investment advice.
31. Fees for safe-deposit box to hold stock certificates and other investment-related documents.
32. Margin interest on stock transactions, including a cashless exercise of stock options.
33. Interest on a bond purchased between interest payment dates.
34. IRA trustee's administrative fees paid separately, rather than from the account itself.
35. Penalties for early-withdrawal of savings.
36. Capital losses up to $3,000, including worthless stock.
37. Foreign taxes paid (although you might do better claiming the credit on Form 1040, line 46, instead).
38. Investors may exclude half of the gain from the sale or exchange of stock in certain small companies if you have held it at least five years.
MEDICAL
39. Medical aids such as contact lenses, glasses, false teeth, hearing devices and orthopedic shoes.
40. Costs of a weight-loss program for treatment of a specific disease, such as hypertension or obesity.
41. Fees paid for some childbirth-preparation classes.
42. Sterilization, legal abortions and contraceptives bought with a prescription.
43. Unreimbursed expenses for programs to help you quit smoking, and prescribed drugs to help with nicotine withdrawal.
44. Cost to remove lead-based paint that is within reach of a child who has suffered from lead poisoning.
45. Sending a mentally or physically handicapped person to a special school.
46. Expenses to accommodate a handicapped person in your home, including building ramps, widening doors, installing railings and grading the grounds. Also, costs of a wheelchair lift and its installation in a van.
47. The supplemental portion of Medicare insurance.
