“My husband and I will be paying all the medical expenses for my mother who just moved into an assisted living facility. She doesn’t live with us and will not be considered a dependent of ours, per se, on our individual tax return. I would hope that we would be able to deduct some of these medical expenses that we will be paying on her behalf. Please advise.”
Answer: Taxpayers can deduct medicare expenses paid for some individuals who don’t qualify for the dependency exemption, such as a parent for whom the taxpayer provides over half the support.
Medicare expenses in excess of 7.5% of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) are deductible as itemized deductions on Schedule A.
Phillip G. Sanders, MBA, MSHA, CPA
Founder, ElderCare Matters
877-379-4500
ElderCareMatters.com