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patricemq
New Member

Can I deducted Uber Transportation costs to see mental health providers on weekly basis? Also Airfare and Hotel stay to get to an out of state inpatient facility?

 
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1 Best answer

Accepted Solutions
JulieCo
New Member

Can I deducted Uber Transportation costs to see mental health providers on weekly basis? Also Airfare and Hotel stay to get to an out of state inpatient facility?

It depends, but more than likely, yes, you can include those transportation costs as medical expenses, as medical expenses that are deductible are expenses used to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental disability or illness.  See the guidelines below from the IRS.  TurboTax will also help guide you through what is and is not allowed as a medical expense.

Note, though, the medical expenses are only included on Schedule A (Itemized Deductions) if they total more that 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income.  Also, the standard deduction is higher for 2018, so the total of Itemized Deductions will need to be over the Standard Deduction amount to have an impact on your tax return.


Here are the IRS guidelines (from IRS Publication 502 for 2018) for recording transportation expenses as a medical expense.  This list includes what is permitted as well as identifies some transportation scenarios that are not permitted:


Transportation

You can include in medical expenses amounts paid for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care.

You can include:

 

  • Bus, taxi, train, or plane fares or ambulance service;

  • Transportation expenses of a parent who must go with a child who needs medical care;

  • Transportation expenses of a nurse or other person who can give injections, medications, or other treatment required by a patient who is traveling to get medical care and is unable to travel alone; and

  • Transportation expenses for regular visits to see a mentally ill dependent, if these visits are recommended as a part of treatment.

 

Car expenses.

You can include out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, when you use a car for medical reasons. You can't include depreciation, insurance, general repair, or maintenance expenses.

If you don't want to use your actual expenses for 2018, you can use the standard medical mileage rate of 18 cents a mile.

You can also include parking fees and tolls. You can add these fees and tolls to your medical expenses whether you use actual expenses or the standard mileage rate.

Example.

In 2018, Bill Jones drove 2,800 miles for medical reasons. He spent $400 for gas, $30 for oil, and $100 for tolls and parking. He wants to figure the amount he can include in medical expenses both ways to see which gives him the greater deduction.

He figures the actual expenses first. He adds the $400 for gas, the $30 for oil, and the $100 for tolls and parking for a total of $530.

He then figures the standard mileage amount. He multiplies 2,800 miles by 18 cents a mile for a total of $504. He then adds the $100 tolls and parking for a total of $604.

Bill includes the $604 of car expenses with his other medical expenses for the year because the $604 is more than the $530 he figured using actual expenses.

Transportation expenses you can't include.

You can't include in medical expenses the cost of transportation in the following situations.

  • Going to and from work, even if your condition requires an unusual means of transportation.

  • Travel for purely personal reasons to another city for an operation or other medical care.

  • Travel that is merely for the general improvement of one's health.

  • The costs of operating a specially equipped car for other than medical reasons.

 

 
Trips

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for transportation to another city if the trip is primarily for, and essential to, receiving medical services. You may be able to include up to $50 for each night for each person. You can include lodging for a person traveling with the person receiving the medical care. For example, if a parent is traveling with a sick child, up to $100 per night can be included as a medical expense for lodging. Meals aren't included. See Lodging , earlier.

You can't include in medical expenses a trip or vacation taken merely for a change in environment, improvement of morale, or general improvement of health, even if the trip is made on the advice of a doctor. However, see Medical Conferences , earlier.



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1 Reply
JulieCo
New Member

Can I deducted Uber Transportation costs to see mental health providers on weekly basis? Also Airfare and Hotel stay to get to an out of state inpatient facility?

It depends, but more than likely, yes, you can include those transportation costs as medical expenses, as medical expenses that are deductible are expenses used to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental disability or illness.  See the guidelines below from the IRS.  TurboTax will also help guide you through what is and is not allowed as a medical expense.

Note, though, the medical expenses are only included on Schedule A (Itemized Deductions) if they total more that 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income.  Also, the standard deduction is higher for 2018, so the total of Itemized Deductions will need to be over the Standard Deduction amount to have an impact on your tax return.


Here are the IRS guidelines (from IRS Publication 502 for 2018) for recording transportation expenses as a medical expense.  This list includes what is permitted as well as identifies some transportation scenarios that are not permitted:


Transportation

You can include in medical expenses amounts paid for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care.

You can include:

 

  • Bus, taxi, train, or plane fares or ambulance service;

  • Transportation expenses of a parent who must go with a child who needs medical care;

  • Transportation expenses of a nurse or other person who can give injections, medications, or other treatment required by a patient who is traveling to get medical care and is unable to travel alone; and

  • Transportation expenses for regular visits to see a mentally ill dependent, if these visits are recommended as a part of treatment.

 

Car expenses.

You can include out-of-pocket expenses, such as the cost of gas and oil, when you use a car for medical reasons. You can't include depreciation, insurance, general repair, or maintenance expenses.

If you don't want to use your actual expenses for 2018, you can use the standard medical mileage rate of 18 cents a mile.

You can also include parking fees and tolls. You can add these fees and tolls to your medical expenses whether you use actual expenses or the standard mileage rate.

Example.

In 2018, Bill Jones drove 2,800 miles for medical reasons. He spent $400 for gas, $30 for oil, and $100 for tolls and parking. He wants to figure the amount he can include in medical expenses both ways to see which gives him the greater deduction.

He figures the actual expenses first. He adds the $400 for gas, the $30 for oil, and the $100 for tolls and parking for a total of $530.

He then figures the standard mileage amount. He multiplies 2,800 miles by 18 cents a mile for a total of $504. He then adds the $100 tolls and parking for a total of $604.

Bill includes the $604 of car expenses with his other medical expenses for the year because the $604 is more than the $530 he figured using actual expenses.

Transportation expenses you can't include.

You can't include in medical expenses the cost of transportation in the following situations.

  • Going to and from work, even if your condition requires an unusual means of transportation.

  • Travel for purely personal reasons to another city for an operation or other medical care.

  • Travel that is merely for the general improvement of one's health.

  • The costs of operating a specially equipped car for other than medical reasons.

 

 
Trips

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for transportation to another city if the trip is primarily for, and essential to, receiving medical services. You may be able to include up to $50 for each night for each person. You can include lodging for a person traveling with the person receiving the medical care. For example, if a parent is traveling with a sick child, up to $100 per night can be included as a medical expense for lodging. Meals aren't included. See Lodging , earlier.

You can't include in medical expenses a trip or vacation taken merely for a change in environment, improvement of morale, or general improvement of health, even if the trip is made on the advice of a doctor. However, see Medical Conferences , earlier.



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