Helping ill elderly father (emergency situation)

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
October 9, 2024
2 replies
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My elderly father (84 and frail) suffered a series of strokes and other problems in November and December of 2023. This resulted in two hospital stays, and eventually entering a nursing home at the end of the year.

He lived about 80 miles away in another town. I stayed at his house most of the last six weeks of the year while visiting him in the hospital, staying with him between the hospital stays, and then after he went into the nursing home. I spent a lot of money on household groceries and supplies and fast food. I also drove back and forth a lot during this time.

I am self-employed and am accustomed to deducting travel expenses and mileage for my business. Can I deduct these unusual expenses and mileage for such a situation?

Not A Product Question

Gamze

Level 3

Not an answer to your question because I can barely figure out my own taxes. Just wanted to say I am sorry what you're going through. Elderly parent care is difficult and I wish you luck.

Opus 17

Level 15

You can deduct medical expenses for your self, your spouse, your dependents, and someone who qualifies a your dependent except for the income test. The details are in publication 502, but the short answer is that you can deduct medical expenses for your parent if you pay more than half your parent's support costs (housing, food, travel, medical expenses, etc.). It doesn't matter what your parent's own income is or where they live, but you must pay more than half their overall cost of living.

Then, medical expenses you can deduct include travel for the sick person plus one caregiver who accompanies them, if it is necessary to travel to obtain medical care. Unfortunately, your own disrupted daily living expenses are not a deductible medical expense.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf