My elderly parents are living with me(in TX)& they don't have any insurance.I need to pay for their insurance premiums & everything.Can i get any tax benefits due to this

[ashu-sharma-indi]

Essentially do i get any tax benefits if i 100% contribute to my senior parents health insurance premiums and anything else? I am US Citizen and i petitioned them to come here with me(they are on Green card)

[SweetieJean]

Don't they have Medicare?

[ashu-sharma-indi]

No. After becoming US Citizen I petitioned them via I-130 process. They came to USA on green card. They need to be at least US Citizen(after staying in USA for 5 years) to get medicare etc....prior to that I or somebody else has to have the health insurance for them.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

You may be able to claim your parents as dependents on your tax return under the Qualifying Relative rules if they meet all the requirements.  When claiming them as dependents you can claim the health insurance premiums you pay for them on your tax return as an itemized medical deduction on Form 1040 Schedule A.

To be a Qualifying Relative -

1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer. A child is not the qualifying child of any other taxpayer if the child's parent (or any other person for whom the child is defined as a qualifying child) is not required to file an income tax return or files an income tax return only to get a refund on income tax withheld.

2. The person either (a) must be related to you or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household. 

3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,050 (social security does not count) in 2016

4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.

5. The person must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S., Canada, or Mexico resident for some part of the year.

6. The person must not file a joint return with their spouse.

[ashu-sharma-indi]

#2 - does the parent has to live all the 12 months in that year? Can they just live for 6 months per year? My parents are from India - they worked prior to getting retirement from India. They want to stay 6 months in USA and 6 months in India.

[DoninGA]

The parent, being related to you, does not have to live in your home at all under the QR rules.

[ashu-sharma-indi]

@DoninGA - thanks a lot for your prompt responses.