How do I use Turbotax Premier to not get taxed on IHSS income?

[rinke222]

I'm not getting taxed on IHSS income.  How should I enter it in Turbotax Premier so it is not counted toward taxable income?  

[Loretta P]

Per IRS Notice 2014-7, payments from a state Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services program are considered "difficulty of care" payments and are specifically excluded from gross income for income tax purposes. Please see this IRS article for more information.

If you did not receive a W-2 or other tax form, you do not need to report payments from a state Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services program.

However, you can choose to include Medicaid Waiver Payments as Wages on line 1 of Form 1040 (even if not reported on a W-2) in order to claim a credit. In a recent court case, it was ruled that Medicaid Waiver Payments are considered "earned income" for purposes of calculating the earned income tax credit. Please see instructions below for how to enter Medicaid Waiver Payments in TurboTax.

If you received a W-2 form, please follow the steps below to enter it on your tax return. You will enter it as wages and then enter an adjustment on Schedule 1, line 8 so the payments are not included in taxable income. Please see the instructions below:

1. Log into TurboTax and click on any topic to continue
2. Click on Federal from the menu on the left-hand side and then click on Wages & Income at the top
3. Click Edit/Add next to Job (W-2) and then click on Add a W-2
4. If you received a W-2 for your Medicaid Waiver Payments, enter the information as reported on your W-2. Enter the amount you received for Medicaid Waiver Payments in Box 1 (even if this amount is not reported in box 1 of your W-2.) If you did not receive a W-2, per IRS Form 1040 Instructions, you may still enter the amount of Medicaid Waiver Payments in Box 1 for the purpose of claiming the credit.
5. Continue through the screens until you get back to "Wages and Income" section and then scroll down to Less Common Income and click on Show More
6. Click on Start or Revisit next to Miscellaneous Income and then click on Start next to Other Reportable Income and select "Yes"
7. In the "Description" section, enter "IRS Notice 2014-7 excludable income" and in the "Amount" section, enter the W-2 box 1 amount (or amount of Medicaid Waiver Payments) as a negative (-) number

NOTE: This will both show the W-2 on your return and explain why it is not taxable.