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posted Jun 1, 2019 1:21:36 PM

I'm a psyc grad student. School requires 40 hrs of personal therapy. Can I dudct the req. part for school, & the rest as a medical expense? & the miles to get there too?

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Level 15
Jun 1, 2019 1:21:38 PM

This gets tricky.  As a medical expense only, the cost of therapy and the mileage are deductlible as a medical expense, but there are high barriers to actually getting a tax benefit (the 7.5% rule and you must itemize your deductions.  If you are a student, you probably don't have enough income or deductions to benefit from itemizing.)

If the expense, or part of the expense, is required for your schooling, you can list it in the 1098-T higher education interview.  There are separate places to enter tuition you paid, other required expenses paid directly to the school, and other required expenses paid to someone else.  Enter this as a "paid to someone else" expense.  This type of expense qualifies for the American Opportunity Credit but not the Lifetime Learning credit.  Depending on the amount of expenses you already claim and which credit you qualify for, the extra expense of required therapy may not actually increase your tuition credit.  There is also no provision to deduct mileage in that case.