Quoted from Whysnow:On topic... Can i take the loss/theft on my 2015 taxes?
That depends on whether it can legally meet the definition of theft. I'm not a tax expert so I don't know if negligence and/or fraud legally constitutes theft. From a tax guidance document:
Theft Losses - A theft is the taking and removal of money or property with the intent to deprive the owner of it. The taking must be illegal under the law of the state where it occurred and must have been done with criminal intent.
The amount of your theft loss is generally the adjusted basis of your property because the fair market value of your property immediately after the theft is considered to be zero
Best of luck everyone affected by this BS...
Jaz