Are medical expenses deductible in Virginia (VA)? TT transferred them from Fed worksheet over to VA deductions.

[Judith46]

Are medical expenses deductible in Virginia (VA)? While I know that med expenses are no longer federally deductible, I entered them on TT worksheet for record keeping. When I checked my completed VA return,discovered that TT had transferred them over to VA deductions. I don't think they are deductible in VA, but cannot find a specific, clear answer. Are there any VA experts who can help? TIA.

[Ashby · Accepted solution]

Medical expenses are still deductible in the post tax reform era.

You do have to meet a threshold of 7.5% of AGI before you can write off a penny. 

So, in easy math, if your income is $100k, your first $7,500 of medical expenses are not deductible. Anything above that is fully deductible if you are itemizing.

Standard Deductions - If you claimed the standard deduction on your federal return, you must also claim the standard deduction on your Virginia return.

The same is true for itemizing deductions. Virginia makes you itemize if you are itemizing on your federal return.

Line 12 of Page 1 on your Virginia 760 will tell you if you are itemizing or taking standard deduction. If standard, that line will be $3,000 filing single/$6,000 married filing jointly. If you are itemizing, it will be a larger number. That number is calculated by taking your Schedule A total from federal return and subtracting the state and local income taxes.

I don't claim to be a Virginia tax expert, but I've prepared taxes here for 10 years and lived here for 43. 🙂