Do I show cataract surgery in a sum on the doctor services page or on the eye care expenses page? No way to separate the actual services from the cost of the surgery.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

Enter it in either section.  The cost will total up with all your other medical expenses and only be reported on one line of Schedule A for itemized deductions.

[xmasbaby0]

When you enter medical expenses in TurboTax, it asks you a whole lot of questions to help you include everything that can be entered.  Really what matters in the end is the total of all of it; that is what will go on your tax form, so don't get too frazzled trying to make sure everything is in the "right" category as long as you enter it all, and do not enter anything twice. 

MEDICAL EXPENSES

The medical expense deduction has to meet a rather large threshold before it can affect your return. The amount of medical 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 2017—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

[lnmci]

Do the worksheets get submitted when I submit my taxes?  My cataract surgery is listed as eye glasses and contact lenses on line 7 of the medical expenses worksheet.  The expense would seem excessive for eye glasses.  If the worksheet get submitted it seems that could raise a red flag.

Should that expense actually be listed as a doctor expense?

thanks

[xmasbaby0]

@lnmci

When you enter medical expenses in TurboTax, it asks you a whole lot of questions to help you include everything that can be entered.  Really what matters in the end is the total of all of it; that is what will go on your tax form, so don't get too frazzled trying to make sure everything is in the "right" category as long as you enter it all, and do not enter anything twice.