Question: After Ally’s Social Security disability benefits finally kicked in during 2020, she repaid the $33,000 of disability she previously received in 2019 from a third-party disability insurance provider. Because Ally previously paid tax on the disability income she received in 2019, how is the 2020 repayment reported on her tax return?

Answer: The repayment is reported in 2020, the year of the repayment, not on an amended 2019 tax return. Since the repayment exceeds $3,000, Ally can deduct the full amount on Schedule A, Line 16 or apply the §1341 claim of right doctrine. The idea is to put Ally in the same position that she would have been in had the income never been received and the repayment never been made. Under the §1341 claim of right doctrine, Ally’s repayment results in a tax reduction in the form of a 2020 “payment” equivalent to the tax paid in 2019, attributable to the $33,000 of disability received. This tax difference is reported as a payment on 2020 Schedule 3 (Form 1040), Line 12d, with “IRC 1341” entered in the space next to the line.