Don't want to go thru time and effort of breaking down ALL medical expenses, only to find it's better to take the standard deduction, as has been the case for many years

[pjcrandall1]

this year, turbo tax asking question I've never encountered re: a specific number of medical expenses.  did the deduction % change for 2016?

[Howard1948 · Accepted solution]

The various breakdowns of medical expenses in the TT interview are just TT's way of helping you organize your information.  Only the total of medical expenses is included in your final tax return.  So if you want to just put the total of all your medical expenses into any one of the interview boxes, that's fine.  There is one exception.  Any amount you claim for long-term medical care insurance premiums needs to be in the specific box for those premiums.  The deductibility of these premiums is based on your age so it needs special attention which TT gives it when you put it in its proper place.

[pjcrandall1]

Thank you! I thought I HAD to break each category down, i.e. drug, labs, doc visits, premiums, etc.