Figuring out which tax deductions actually apply to you usually means either knowing the tax code already or reading through dozens of articles hoping one matches your situation. The AI Deduction Finder is built to skip that step: you describe your life in plain English, and it matches you to the deduction categories that are likely relevant.
What You Actually Do
Instead of filling out a traditional form, you describe your situation the way you’d explain it to a friend: your work, your home, your health, and any major expenses from the year. There’s no account required, it’s free to use, and it takes about two minutes.
A Worked Example
Say you type something like: “I’m a freelance graphic designer in New Jersey. I work from a spare bedroom, drove about 3,000 miles to client meetings this year, and pay for my own health insurance.” The tool would surface categories like the home office deduction, business mileage, self-employed health insurance premiums, and the QBI deduction — along with NJ-specific items like the state’s property tax deduction if you mentioned owning a home. It won’t tell you the exact dollar amount you can claim; it tells you which categories are worth researching or running through our calculators.
How the Matching Works
The tool reads your plain-English description and compares the details you mention — your employment type, whether you work from home, your state, homeownership status, medical costs, vehicle use, and health insurance situation — against a defined set of deduction categories. Based on what you describe, it surfaces the categories that are likely to apply to you, rather than making you guess which ones to search for first.
What It Covers
- Business deductions — home office, mileage, cell phone, internet, equipment, software, health insurance, retirement contributions, and the QBI deduction
- Medical deductions — medical expenses, medical travel (mileage, parking, lodging), dental, vision, and mental health costs
- Home and property deductions — mortgage interest, property taxes, and the SALT deduction
- State-specific deductions — including NJ property tax and pension exclusions, the ANCHOR program, PA Schedule UE, PA 529 plans, PA’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program, and more
How to Get the Best Results
The more specific your description, the better the match. Mention your employment type (W-2, 1099, or self-employed), whether you work from home, your state of residence, whether you own or rent, any major medical expenses, whether you use a vehicle for work, and whether you pay for your own health insurance. A one-line description (“I’m self-employed”) gets a broader, less useful result than a few sentences covering your actual work and household situation.
What It Isn’t
The Deduction Finder points you toward categories worth looking into based on what you describe — it’s a starting point for research, not a substitute for filing software or a tax professional. It doesn’t calculate dollar amounts (use our dedicated calculators for that once you know which category applies), and it doesn’t know your income, filing status, or the fine-print eligibility rules that determine whether you actually qualify. Use the matched categories as a checklist to dig into further, and confirm eligibility details before claiming anything on your return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create an account to use it?
No — it’s free to use and doesn’t require signing up.
Does it file my taxes for me?
No, it only helps identify which deduction categories are worth researching further based on your description; you’d still file through your own tax software or preparer.
What happens to what I type in?
The description you enter is used only to generate your matched categories for that session — you don’t need to enter any identifying information like your name or Social Security number to use the tool, and none is requested.
What if none of the matched categories seem right?
Try adding more detail to your description — the match quality depends heavily on how much you share about your work, home, and health situation. If you’re still not seeing relevant results, browse our full calculator directory or the complete guide library directly instead.
For educational purposes only. The Deduction Finder is a research starting point, not tax advice. Consult a licensed CPA to confirm eligibility before claiming any deduction.