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New Member
posted Jun 1, 2019 8:40:15 AM

The Turbo Tax software I purchased is not allowing me to input medical expenses. Why?

The Turbo Tax software is Turbo Tax Home and Business, purchased at Target.

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21 Replies
Intuit Alumni
Jun 1, 2019 8:40:16 AM

Please keep in mind the following about deducting your medical expenses, including health insurance:

  • You don't get the benefit if you are taking the standard deduction.
  • If you itemize deductions, you will only be able to take total medical expenses that are greater than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

To enter your medical expenses in TurboTax, please follow these steps:

  1. Click on Personal > Deductions & Credits > I'll choose what I work on
  2. In the Medical section, click on the Start/Revisit box next to Medical Expenses
  3. If you haven't yet entered any medical expenses, TurboTax will ask you if your total medical expenses exceed a certain number.  [That's the 7.5% AGI mentioned above.]      
  4. If you think your total medical expenses will exceed that number, click the blue Yes box and continue through the interview, entering the requested information on your medical expenses.

If you are still having difficulty entering medical expenses, please put in the comments section exactly what you are experiencing.


Level 2
Apr 18, 2020 12:36:15 PM

I am using Turbo Tax Premier. I just completed entering my 2019 donations and moved to entering my medical expenses. The program will not let me enter any number is the various medical expense field.

Level 2
Apr 18, 2020 12:57:39 PM

Update to my comment: I was not able to enter data in the Prescription box or the Professional fees box.

I entered the data in the other medical expenses  box

 

New Member
Mar 18, 2021 6:23:18 PM

Has anyone solved this yet?

i recall having this issue last year and now it's happening again.

 

It is not a matter of whether i qualify, it's a glitch in the software that won't allow any amount to be added to:

   prescription

   anything spent on medical professionals

after those 2 it will allow me to input expenses for hospitals and other medical expenses.

   

Intuit Alumni
Mar 19, 2021 1:32:22 PM

You may need to log out and restart your computer, then log back in, or try another browser. You may also need to clear your cache and cookies if you are using TurboTax Online.

 

To clear your cache use this TurboTax FAQ

To delete your cookies use this TurboTax FAQ

 

If you are using TurboTax Desktop please make sure the software is updated. You may also need to perform a manual update: Manually Update TurboTax for Windows Software (Basic, Deluxe, Premier, Home & Business)

@StephanieP

Level 1
May 9, 2021 11:26:15 AM

now of these work... wtf am I suppose to do if the **bleep** isn't working right

 

Level 15
May 9, 2021 2:11:03 PM

@intwtf    (and anyone else still struggling with this)

____________________________________

IF you are using the Windows Desktop software......

...and IF you transferred in a tax file from last year's taxes.

...........and IF a field in the interview shows a $0 that doesn't seem to let you make an entry.

....THEN.....

.....................there is an empty Supporting Details worksheet attached to that field.

 

Double-click on the field and the SD worksheet will pop up for you to make detailed entries ...or delete the worksheet entirely after it pops up and make an entry in the normal place once the SD worksheet is deleted.

Level 2
Feb 6, 2022 3:17:31 PM

Thank you so much!  I was having the same problem when working now on my 2021 taxes - a couple of the medical expense categories had a pre-filled $0 in the box that I could not change - was getting very frustrated until I found your reply to the poster's prior question.  Your fix of double clicking to open supporting documentation sheet worked -- I just edited the supporting documentation sheet as I saw fit and then the correct number showed in the box for that medical expense category.  Seems like this is something that TurboTax should fix as it certainly is not intuitive as to what you need to do.  Thanks again!

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 7:55:09 PM

Thank you so much! I was having the same problem when working on my 2021 taxes - a couple of the medical expense categories had a pre-filled $0 in the box that I could not change - was getting very frustrated until I found your reply to the poster's prior question. Your fix of double clicking to open supporting documentation sheet worked -- I just edited the supporting documentation sheet as I saw fit and then the correct number showed in the box for that medical expense category. Seems like this is something that TurboTax should fix as it certainly is not intuitive as to what you need to do. Thanks again! This saved me NOT having countless nights of NOT getting any sleep due to stress and worry!! 

Please ensure that this fix is maybe put into the software help so that others can move on and not drink themselves to sleep.  LOL

New Member
Feb 1, 2023 1:29:58 PM

Keeps taking me back to the Medical Expenses, says Needs Review. Since they won't affect my taxes anyway, i've tried not inputting anything, inputting 0s, adding a few expenses I did have - nothing works. Been trying for two days.

Level 8
Feb 1, 2023 2:01:29 PM

As Irene previously reported earlier keep this information in mind. Before you do that though, I would delete all the input you originally had reported in this Medical section input and start this section over again. 

 

Please keep in mind the following about deducting your medical expenses, including health insurance:

  • You don't get the benefit if you are taking the standard deduction.
  • If you itemize deductions, you will only be able to take total medical expenses that are greater than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

To enter your medical expenses in TurboTax, please follow these steps:

  1. Click on Personal > Deductions & Credits > I'll choose what I work on
     
  2. In the Medical section, click on the Start/Revisit box next to Medical Expenses
  3. If you haven't yet entered any medical expenses, TurboTax will ask you if your total medical expenses exceed a certain number.  [That's the 7.5% AGI mentioned above.]      
  4. If you think your total medical expenses will exceed that number, click the blue Yes box and continue through the interview, entering the requested information on your medical expenses.

If that still doesn't work, I would recommend you clear cache and cookies, restart your computer and try it over. It may be a browser issue or some other internal technical problem with your computer.

 

Good luck.

 


 

Level 1
Feb 8, 2023 10:16:33 AM

I am still having trouble trying to enter Medical Professional fees.  The box is there, but when I try to enter an amount, it is not allowing that entry.  What's up?

Level 15
Feb 8, 2023 10:20:42 AM

@greglovelace 

 

Are you using the downloaded program ?   And did you transfer in the prior year information ?

 

 

Level 1
Feb 8, 2023 10:25:29 AM

Yes, and I just figured out what was wrong...  I had split the expenses in the worksheet, and had to go there to change the amounts.  Thanks for reading!

New Member
Mar 28, 2023 10:50:13 AM

i have listed my medical expenses and the tax break page still says "needs review" after completing numerous times.

Level 8
Mar 28, 2023 11:52:20 AM

I just tested it out on my end and it flows through seamlessly to the Medical Expenses worksheet  forms without any error message. Just to clarify, can you identify precisely which tax break page you are referring to? 

New Member
Apr 12, 2023 11:03:27 AM

Working on Medical Expenses for 2022. Visit Medical Expenses. When I attempt to make these entries, I cannot enter them. It will not let me key the entries. 

Intuit Alumni
Apr 12, 2023 12:48:07 PM

Are you receiving an error message?

 

If you are using TurboTax Online, you may want to try a different browser or try clearing out your browser's cache and cookies. Please see How do I delete cookies? and How to clear your cache for more information.    


Please feel free to contact Customer Support if you would like to speak with someone who can assist you.

@hblawless 

 

Level 15
Apr 12, 2023 2:25:55 PM

@hblawless 

 

IF...if you are using the desktop software, try a double-click on the field that doesn't allow an entry (usually shows a "$0" and is not simply a blank field).

 

There may be a Supporting Details sheet that you used las year and transferred into this year...empty.

New Member
Apr 4, 2025 10:28:46 AM

I have a number in Turbo Taxes for Medical Expenses...........but it's $15K too much. Its 15K greater than the sum of the medical inputs.  I corrected all of the inputs to that number, but the total on the summary page will not change. How can I correct it and reduce it? 

Level 15
Apr 4, 2025 10:31:04 AM

Did you enter any self employed health insurance under schedule C?  If you couldn't use it all there then the difference goes to schedule A.  If your health ins exceeds your net self-employment income it gets split. An amount equal to your net self-employment income goes on Form 1040 Schedule 1 line 16 and the remainder gets added in to medical expenses on Schedule A.

 

Medical can come from other places, even from a W2 or 1099R.

 

Did you buy health insurance from the Marketplace exchange?  Or have to pay back the subsidy?  If you went to an exchange for Health Insurance, and had to pay back some of the subsidy, part of the adjustment will flow to Schedule A.

 

If you get Social Security benefits the medicare deduction on your SSA-1099 will flow to Schedule A.

 

Or are you seeing the amount listed for the 7.5% of AGI?