tax-deduction-finder

name: tax-deduction-finderdescription: "Surface the personal tax deductions and credits you might be missing — so you can research them or raise them with your tax preparer before you file. Use when asked what tax deductions can I claim, am I missing any tax breaks, deductions for [job/situation], or help me lower my tax bill. Produces a tailored list of commonly-missed deductions/credits for your situation, what records each needs, the ones worth digging into, and clear flags to verify against current rules or a professional. Educational — not tax advice, and rules vary by country and year."

Tax Deduction Finder

People overpay tax every year by missing deductions and credits they qualify for — for work expenses, education, home office, dependents, charitable giving, or life events. This surfaces the commonly-missed ones relevant to your situation so you can research them or bring them to your preparer — while being explicit that tax rules vary by country and year and this isn't tax advice.

What This Skill Produces

• A tailored list — commonly-overlooked deductions/credits that may fit your job, family, and life events
• What each needs — the records/receipts required to actually claim it
• Priority to investigate — the higher-value or most-likely-applicable ones to dig into first
• Questions for your preparer — specific things to ask so nothing's left on the table
• Clear verify flags — that eligibility, limits, and existence of each break depend on your jurisdiction and the current tax year

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• Your situation — employment type (employed/self-employed/freelance), income sources
• Life factors — dependents, education, home ownership, home office, medical, moving, charity
• Region & year — country/state and tax year (rules change annually)
• How you file — yourself or with a preparer
• Known claims — what you already claim, to avoid repeats

Framework: Match Situation To Breaks, Then Verify

1. Map deductions to the person's life. Self-employment, education, dependents, home office, medical, charitable giving, and major life events each unlock different breaks — target theirs.
2. Separate deductions from credits. Credits (reduce tax directly) are often more valuable than deductions (reduce taxable income) — flag the high-value ones.
3. Name the records needed. A deduction you can't document is a deduction you'll lose in an audit — list what to keep.
4. Prioritize by value and likelihood. Point to the ones most worth researching first, not an exhaustive dump.
5. Insist on verification. Every item is jurisdiction- and year-specific with thresholds — mark all as "confirm current rules / ask a professional," never asserted as guaranteed.

Output Format

Deduction finder: [situation] · [region] · tax year [x]

Possibly missing (verify eligibility)

Dig into first: [highest-value / most-likely items]. Ask your preparer: [specific questions].

Educational only — not tax advice. Eligibility, limits, and whether a break exists depend on your country/state and the tax year. Confirm current rules or consult a tax professional before claiming.

Quality Checks

• Deductions/credits are matched to the person's actual situation
• Distinguishes higher-value credits from deductions
• Lists the records needed to claim each
• Prioritizes what to investigate first
• Flags everything as jurisdiction/year-specific — verify or ask a pro
• States it isn't tax advice

Anti-Patterns

• Asserting a deduction exists as fact — rules vary by place and year.
• A generic dump ignoring the person's situation.
• Ignoring documentation needed to actually claim it.
• Confusing credits and deductions.
• Posing as tax advice rather than prompts to verify/ask a pro.

Example Trigger Phrases

• "What tax deductions am I missing as a freelancer?"
• "Are there tax breaks for having a home office?"
• "Help me find deductions I can claim before I file."
• "What credits might I qualify for with two kids and student loans?"
• "Questions to ask my accountant so I don't overpay tax."