I'm self-employed and I am on the health insurance plan from my ex-employer through COBRA. Can I still deduct the premiums as business expense?

[tk94110]

I resigned from a company in June 2016. I started working as independent contractor for another company in August. I kept the health and dental insurance plans using COBRA. The monthly premiums are very high. TT tells me self-employed persons can claim the health plan premiums as expenses. Can I claim the health (and dental?) plan premiums from August to December as expenses even though it is through COBRA? How about the premiums paid in July where I did not have a project?

[Phillip1 · Accepted solution]

No.

COBRA premiums are not deductible as part of the self-employed health insurance deduction. COBRA premiums are considered employer provided health insurance premiums. For premiums to qualify for the self-employed health insurance deduction, the plan needs to be set up as follows:

• For self-employed individuals filing a Schedule C, C-EZ, or F, a policy can be either in the name of the business or in the name of the individual.
  

[danielpmchugh]

Does this conflict with the answer here - <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3842749-i-received-a-1099-misc-for-self-employment-and-paid-cobra-...> ?

[testmonger]

This contradicts <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4219782-are-unsubsidized-cobra-health-and-dental-premiums-deductib...>