Our mother went into memory care this January. I'm told that all or a portion of the monthly nursing home/memory care living fee is deductible from annual income taxes. Can anyone shed light on how that is handled in the US? For instance, if the 2019 statement only reports what she paid for the year, what portion might be deductible? Her taxes and income are not otherwise complicated.
My Mom is an AL she is able to write off monthly room and board but not the telephone or cable also any out of pocket prescription co pays, dental or medical also supplies like diapers also if you transport her to any medical appointments you can receive a gas mileage also her Medicare supplement is also a write off hope this helps. Since we pay half of her expenses we can claim her as a dependent
If her medical expenses exceed a certain percentage of her AGI, she can deduct them, I believe.
You should search the IRS website for deductibility of medical expenses for the rules.
"The Tax Reform and Jobs Act of 2017, enacted on December 22, 2017, changed the AGI threshold for medical expenses from 10% to 7.5% for 2017 (and 2018). "
This means that to start with, medical expenses may only be deducted to the extent that they exceed a percentage of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income. That amount is 7.5% for 2018, but we don't know what it will be for 2019, which is what you seem to be asking.
Specifically with respect to nursing home care, the IRS website says this:
"Deductible medical expenses may include but aren't limited to the following:
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Payments for inpatient hospital care or residential nursing home care, if the availability of medical care is the principal reason for being in the nursing home, including the cost of meals and lodging charged by the hospital or nursing home. If the availability of medical care isn't the principal reason for residence in the nursing home, the deduction is limited to that part of the cost that's for medical care."
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So you need to figure it out based on your mother's circumstances, with assistance from the nursing home administrative staff if necessary.