23 Ridiculous Tax Loopholes
kate_sept2004 / Getty Images
kate_sept2004 / Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service allows tax deductions to promote certain behaviors, like saving for retirement or to make the tax code fair to all taxpayers. Because these deductions can save you money, you'll want to take all the ones you are entitled to.

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Many people think that loopholes are only for the rich, but there are tax loopholes for the poor, tax loopholes for married couples and tax loopholes for single people. Some will allow you to take a deduction that lowers the amount of money you have to pay taxes on; others are tax credits that reduce the amount of tax you have to pay, but they are all tax loopholes you might not be aware of.

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Shutterstock.com

1. Yacht Deduction

A yacht deduction certainly seems like one of those tax loopholes for the rich, but it's actually a creative use of the mortgage interest deduction anyone can take. You can deduct the interest you pay on up to $750,000 in mortgage debt. In order to be eligible, a "home" has to have sleeping, cooking and toilet facilities, which can be a mobile home, trailer or boat. If your primary home is paid off, you could deduct the mortgage interest on that yacht instead.

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Shutterstock.com

2. 15 Days of Free Rental Income

The IRS allows you to rent out your home for up to 15 days without having to pay taxes on the income you earn from that rental. This might not sound like much for the average house, but some homes that are located near annual events, like the Masters Golf Tournament or big college football games, can earn a big chunk of change during those big weeks. It doesn't matter how much you charge to rent your home -- you won't pay taxes on that money, as long as it's for 15 days or fewer.

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Shutterstock.com

3. HSA Pays Medical Bills Past, Present and Future

Your medical expenses need to exceed 7.5% of your income to be deductible. But, thanks to the health savings account, you can effectively deduct your medical expenses from the first dollar as long as you have a high-deductible insurance plan.

An HSA works like an IRA: You don't have to pay taxes on the money you save and invest to pay for your future medical expenses. But funds in your HSA can be used to pay for any medical expenses that occur after you open the account, regardless of when contributions were made. You can save up to $7,200 for a family or $3,600 for a single person. People ages 55 and older can add a catch-up contribution of $1,000.