Taxpayers whose papers were lost in a flood, fire or storm can rebuild them from old bank statements, photos on a phone, videos and county property records, the Internal Revenue Service says. The agency lays out the steps in its guidance on reconstructing records after a disaster or casualty loss. Those records are what back a casualty-loss deduction on a tax return, and they also help with an insurance claim.
The guidance matters most to people who never expected to need it. A casualty is “the damage, destruction or loss of property resulting from an identifiable event,” the IRS says. Losses to a home, its contents or a car may be deductible, and the IRS says the deduction depends on proof. The papers that prove it are often the first thing a disaster takes.
The IRS does not ask for perfect files. It asks for the best evidence that can be rebuilt, and it names where to find each kind. Anyone who has been through a disaster, or lives where one could hit, now has a question: which papers can be replaced, and from whom? The answers below come from the agency’s own list.
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Proof for the house and the land
For a home, the IRS says to take photos or videos soon after the disaster to show how much damage was done. Then it points to the paper trail of the purchase. The title company, escrow company or bank that handled the sale may hold copies, and real estate brokers can often help.
County records come next. The IRS says the current property tax statement shows the split between land and building. If that statement is gone, the county assessor’s office can supply copies, and it may also hold older records of the property’s value.
Other sources the IRS lists for a home include:
- Comparable sales in the neighborhood, an appraisal company or a home valuation website, to set a value.
- The mortgage company, for appraisals or other cost or value information.
- Insurance policies, which usually list the building’s value. The state insurance department can help find insurer details.
- Contractors, for written statements of the work done and what it cost.
- Friends and relatives who saw the home before and after improvements, plus photos from family gatherings.
- The lender on any home improvement loan, since the loan amount may help show what the work cost.
For an inherited home, the IRS says to check court records for probate values. If a trust or estate was involved, the attorney who handled it may have them.
Rebuilding what was inside
Belongings are harder to prove. The IRS says to start with a mobile phone, because pictures of other things often show damaged items in the background from before the disaster. Photos, videos, canceled checks and receipts all count as support for a value.
Items bought with a credit or debit card leave a trail. The IRS says past statements are available from the card company or bank, often online. That is where old bank statements earn their place in a claim.
When there are no photos or videos at all, the agency says to sketch each affected room. The sketch should show furniture, drawers, dressers and shelves, plus memorabilia, garages, attics, closets, basements and wall items. The IRS says the sketches need only be functional, not professional.
Vehicles follow the same pattern. The IRS points to Kelley Blue Book, the National Automobile Dealers Association and Edmunds for current value. It says to call the dealer for a copy of the purchase contract, or the lienholder if payments are still being made.
Free copies of lost tax returns
Tax papers can be replaced without a fee. The IRS says free return transcripts are available right away through its Get Transcript tool, or by phone at 800-908-9946. Copies of past returns by mail take Form 4506, and prior-year transcripts by mail take Form 4506-T.
One small step speeds things up. The IRS says to write the disaster designation, such as the name of the storm, in red across the top of Form 4506 or 4506-T. That speeds processing and waives the normal user fee. The agency also runs a Disaster Assistance Hotline at 866-562-5227, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.
Business owners get their own list. The IRS says supplier invoices covering at least a calendar year help rebuild lost inventory, and bank statements can show income because deposits should closely track sales. Last year’s federal, state and local returns, sales tax reports, payroll tax returns and business licenses show gross sales for a period.
How the loss gets counted
Proof is only half the job. The IRS says the loss is the smaller of two numbers: the drop in the property’s fair market value, or its adjusted basis, which is generally what was paid. Insurance or other reimbursement comes off that figure, subject to limits.
The limits are steep for personal property. IRS Publication 547 says personal casualty losses are deductible only when tied to a federally declared disaster. Each loss is cut by $100, or $500 for qualified disaster losses, and total losses from federally declared disasters are reduced by 10% of adjusted gross income. The publication also says a loss is not allowed to the extent insurance reimburses it.
The IRS says a casualty loss is generally deducted for the year it happened. For a federally declared disaster, taxpayers may instead elect to take it on the return for the year before, by filing Form 1040-X, the amended return. IRS Publication 584, the Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook, walks through room-by-room schedules, and totals go on Form 4684. Business filers use Publication 584-B.
Without an appraisal, the IRS says repair and cleanup costs can serve as evidence of the drop in value. The repairs must have actually been made, not be excessive, restore the property to its condition before the disaster, and not add value. The agency also lists Publication 3067, IRS Disaster Assistance, which repeats that these losses cannot be covered by insurance or other reimbursement.
The free route starts at the IRS itself. Its tax relief in disaster situations page lists current deadline postponements and links to the records guidance.
Which papers can be rebuilt after a loss
Almost every paper on the IRS list can be requested from someone else: the bank, the county, the title company, the card issuer, the dealer. The ones that cannot be rebuilt are the photos and videos from before a disaster, which is why the IRS stresses checking phones first. Insurance policies sit on both lists, since the policy itself is evidence of value.
The open question for anyone living in a place with storm or fire risk is simple. If the house were gone tomorrow, where would the policy numbers, account details and legal papers be found, and by whom?
Papers in one place before the next storm?
After a disaster, the hardest part is often finding the insurance policy number, the bank details and the legal papers while a family is in shock. Anyone who has to ask a county office, a bank and a title company for copies one at a time loses weeks.
The Family Emergency Binder is a fill-in binder with 14 fill-in sections, one at a time, covering insurance policies, legal papers and your wishes, doctors, bills, and where digital passwords are kept. It takes one afternoon to fill in, and it includes a yearly review date so the information stays current.
Fill in the Family Emergency Binder before the next disaster →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
