QUESTION
If I cannot claim as dependent, can I still deduct medical rehab expenses (I provided more than 1/2 total living expenses)?
Asked on Jan 13th, 2014 on Taxation - Alabama
More details to this question:
Adult child not living home, age 32 entered drug rehab last April 2013. I paid all rehab/medical (90 day period) and covered other expenses through Nov. 2013. He may have earned over $3800 this year.
1 ANSWER
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If an adult child does not live with you, then you can not claim them as a dependent. There are separate rules which allow you to claim medical expenses paid for someone else as a deduction, but those rules also require that the person has lived with you for the entire year. Thus, if your adult child does not live with you, then you can not deduct medical expenses that you've paid on their behalf. You can find this and more information relating to deducting medical expenses in the I.R.S.'s Publication 502.
Answered on Jan 16th, 2014 at 9:06 AM