Form 4684 - Casualties And Thefts

Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts, is used to report losses from casualties and thefts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A casualty is an event that is sudden, unexpected, and unusual, such as a natural disaster, accident, or vandalism. A theft is the taking and carrying away of property with the intent to deprive the owner of it.

You would use Form 4684 to report losses from the following types of events:

Casualties: Such as damage to property from fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.
Thefts: Such as burglary, larceny, embezzlement, and robbery.
You would complete Form 4684 to claim a deduction for the loss on your tax return. The form is used to calculate the amount of the loss and to determine the amount of the deduction you can claim.

You would report the loss on Form 4684 and attach it to your tax return (Form 1040) if you are an individual, or to your business tax return (Form 1120, Form 1120S, or Form 1065) if the loss is related to a business.