Under pre-Act law, individual taxpayers were generally allowed to claim an itemized deduction for uncompensated personal casualty losses, including those arising from fire, storm, shipwreck, or other casualty, or from theft.

New law. For tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017 and before Jan. 1, 2026, the personal casualty and theft loss deduction is suspended, except for personal casualty losses incurred in a Federally-declared disaster. However, where a taxpayer has personal casualty gains, the loss suspension doesn't apply to the extent that such loss doesn't exceed the gain.