Can we use uber ride fare amounts, personal loans, medical bills, and cable/internet service documents for tax breaks?

[taxwoman1234]

I'm trying to gather as many documentations as possible to maximize my tax breaks. Is it possible to use cable/internet service bills, gas and electric bills, completed personal loans, or uber ride fares that I took from 2025?

[Vanessa A]

No to most of them.  

Personal loans are not deductible for tax purposes.  If you purchased a new car in 2025, you may qualify for the New Car loan interest deduction.

Cable TV/Internet, gas and electric bills for your personal use are not deductible for tax purposes.  These are living expenses.

Uber rides for personal trips (not counting medical) are not deductible.

Medical bills, and transportation to medical appointments are deductible as itemized expenses.  However, medical expenses are only deductible for the amount that is over 7.5% of your AGI.  This means, that if your AGI is $50,000 only the amount of your medical that is above $3,750 would be deductible.   Itemized expenses include mortgage interest, gambling losses up to 90% or up to winnings (whichever is less),  charitable contributions, state and local taxes up to $40,000, medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of your AGI and federally declared casualty and losses in excess of 10% of you AGI with the first $100 not counting towards the loss.  

Then your total itemized expenses would need to be greater than your standard deduction below in order to benefit from your expenses. 

The 2025 Standard Deductions are as follows:

• Married Filing Joint (MFJ)              $31,500
• Married Filing Separate (MFS)      $15,750
• Head of Household (HOH)             $23,625 
• Single                                                 $15,750                                

Blind or over 65 and MFJ or MFS add $1,600

Single or HOH if blind or over 65 add $2.000

Standard Deduction vs. Itemized Deductions: Which Is Better?

The best thing to do is to walk through all of the questions in TurboTax to see if you qualify for any credits or deductions.  Everyone's tax situation is different.  

[xmasbaby0]

Unless you are self-employed and are using Uber during your work day to travel between jobs or clients, you cannot enter anything about uber rides.   If you are self-employed, and have a home office, your utility bills and internet service may factor in to your business expenses.

W-2 employees cannot enter anything at all for job-related expenses such as uber rides to go to work, utility bills, nor an you enter anything about utility bills, cable service, internet, etc.  Personal loans are not deductible.

If you are itemizing deductions you can enter your out of pocket medical expenses.  But it is very difficult to actually use medical expenses as a deduction.

MEDICAL EXPENSES

The medical expense deduction has to meet a rather large threshold before it can affect your return. The amount of medical (including dental, vision, etc.)  expenses that will count toward itemization is the amount that is OVER 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. You should only enter the amount that you paid in 2025—do not include any amounts that were covered by insurance or that are still outstanding.  Of course, your medical expenses plus your other itemized deductions still have to exceed your standard deduction before you will see a difference in your tax due or refund.

To enter your medical expenses go to Federal>Deductions and Credits>Medical>Medical Expenses

2025 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

SINGLE $15,750  (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $15,750  (65 or older/legally blind +1600)

MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $31,500  (65 or older/legally blind + $1600)

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD $23,625 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)