Are medical expenses deductible on an Alabama return? Turbo Tax won't let me enter anything...

[Ange23]

I am not given the option to enter medical/dental expenses on the Alabama portion of the return.

[BMcCalpin · Accepted solution]

Medical expenses are sometimes deductible in Alabama, even if you take the Standard Deduction on the federal return.

You should enter medical expenses on the federal return (Federal->Deductions & Credits->Medical) even if you won't get a deduction on the federal return, because they will carry down to Alabama and, if deductible, will reduce your Alabama tax due or increase your Alabama refund.

Also, if you enter the medical expenses are entered this way (on the federal return), then the correct limits in Alabama are applied. If you entered the medical expenses on the state return as a deduction on the "Let's Check for any Alabama Deductions" screen (at the bottom under the subheading "Other Deductions"), you would be responsible for calculating the correct amount that can be deducted.

[gwh64063]

I'd like to see Turbo Tax Federal be smart enough to recognize that those of us also filing an Alabama tax return may have Alabama-deductible medical expenses and ask the federal medical expenses question in a more intelligent manner.