Can I get a deductible for paying someone else's bills?

[drosenberg517]

I paid for part of my mother's dental surgery - $5000 out of pocket. Additionally, I paid $3000 out of pocket for her property taxes. Are either of these two items eligible for deductibles?

[KatrinaB · Accepted solution]

There is no deduction for the medical bills, unless you can claim your mother as a dependent. However, there is an exception that would allow you to claim the expenses without claiming her as an exemption.

You may claim her as a medical dependent, if you would have qualified to claim her as a dependent but couldn't only because:

• She had more then $4050 in income in 2016
• She filed a joint tax return.

Either way, you must also have enough expenses to itemize deductions. In order to claim a deduction for her property taxes, you must be the person responsible for paying them. They would also go onto schedule a as an itemized deduction. Please view the Turbo Tax FAQ below for more information on claiming itemized deductions.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/Tax-Deduction-Wisdom---Sho...

Please view the Turbo tax FAQ below to determine if you qualify to claim your mother as a dependent.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Rules-for-Claiming-a-Dependent-on-Your-Tax-Ret...

[edited 04/08/17]

[KatrinaB]

I have edited the answer above.