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I'm retired but have income from part-time self employment. Can I deduct any of my health insurance premum as business expense?

I am employed part-time and recieve a W-2. I also am self-employed part-time. I have medicare and gasp insurance. can I deducet any of my health insurance as a business expense


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4 Replies
AnnetteB
Intuit Alumni

I'm retired but have income from part-time self employment. Can I deduct any of my health insurance premum as business expense?

Yes, you may deduct 100% of health insurance premiums for Medicare B and Medicare D as a self-employed business expense if your business has a net profit.

When you are entering your self-employed business information using TurboTax Home and Business, you will find the input screen for entering your premiums in the Business Expenses > Other Common Business Expenses > Insurance Payments section.

Take a look at the following information taken from the TurboTax help content for more details about deductible health insurance:

Health Insurance Coverage

You can deduct up to 100% of health insurance premiums for you, your spouse and your dependents if you are self-employed and have a net profit from the business for which you created the plan.

This amount can include health insurance premiums you made for your children who were under age 27 at the end of 2017 even if the child was not your dependent.

Medicare B and Medicare D premiums should be entered here instead of in the Social Security Benefits section.

Do not include:
- long-term care premiums - this information should be entered on the next Interview screen
- any amounts paid from retirement plan distributions that were nontaxable because you are a retired public safety office
- Any amounts included on Form 8885, Health Coverage Tax Credit, line 4
- Any advance monthly payments shown on Form 1099-H, Advance Payments for the Health Coverage Tax Credit
- Any payments for months you received the benefits of advance payments for the Health Coverage Tax Credit (Form 8885)
 These deductions are figured as part of your Form 1040, not as part of Schedule C.

Do not include health insurance purchased through a Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as an exchange). These premiums are entered on Form 1095-A in the program. Also, do not include any amounts from line 4 of the Health Coverage Tax Credit (Form 8885).

If you or your spouse could participate (even if you declined coverage) in an employer's health plan at any time during a given month, you cannot take the deduction for that month. However, payments for those months are deductible on Schedule A if you itemize deductions.

The deduction may be limited if the business has low net earnings. This means that you may not be able to deduct 100% of your premiums.

 This entry should be reduced by any reimbursement received.

Note: These deductions are figured as part of your Form 1040, not as part of Schedule C.






I'm retired but have income from part-time self employment. Can I deduct any of my health insurance premum as business expense?

Net income $900 Health insurance $6000.  Can I deduct !00% of health insurance premiums?

I'm retired but have income from part-time self employment. Can I deduct any of my health insurance premum as business expense?

Against self employment income?  

Self-employed health insurance deduction goes on Form 1040 Schedule 1 line 17 then to 1040 line 10, as long as the expense is not greater than your net self-employment income. If it does exceed your net self-employment income it gets split automatically. An amount equal to your net self-employment income goes on Form 1040 Schedule 1 line 17 and the remainder gets added in to medical expenses on Schedule A.

I'm retired but have income from part-time self employment. Can I deduct any of my health insurance premum as business expense?


@mbogdanoff wrote:

Net income $900 Health insurance $6000.  Can I deduct !00% of health insurance premiums?


No. You would deduct $900 against your schedule C income (resulting in zero net income) and the remaining $5100 has to be deducted as an itemized deduction on schedule A, subject to the 7.5% rule.

 

Also note that if health coverage is available to you as an employee benefit at your part-time job, you can't take the small business health insurance deduction, even if you choose not to enroll in the employer-sponsored insurance. 

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