Help with Tax question .....

[theprofessor]

I spent $26,000.00 out of pocket to send my 21-year old son to an out-of-state 6 month drug treatment program. $3,000.00 of this money was spent on a drug interventionist who was recommended by the Program in San Diego. I know I can claim the $23,000.00 as a tax write off but I'm not sure if I can claim the $3,000.00 for the interventionist? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Also, I paid for airline tickets for him to fly down to San Diego and back to Seattle two seperate times for this program. Can I deduct those expenses?

 

Does it matter that my son is over 19 and not in school?

Edited March 11, 2007 by theprofessor

[Pope Flick]

I wish I had advice, but I'd like to say that despite having butted heads with you several times, this is a ballsy thing to post, and I hope it works out for the best. Good luck with everything you need!

[BYoder]

I spent $26,000.00 out of pocket to send my 21-year old son to an out-of-state 6 month drug treatment program. $3,000.00 of this money was spent on a drug interventionist who was recommended by the Program in San Diego. I know I can claim the $23,000.00 as a tax write off but I'm not sure if I can claim the $3,000.00 for the interventionist? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Also, I paid for airline tickets for him to fly down to San Diego and back to Seattle two seperate times for this program. Can I deduct those expenses?

 

Does it matter that my son is over 19 and not in school?

 

His age and the fact that he isn't in school doesn't matter, but it is my understanding that he has to be your dependant to be able to take the deduction.

Here is a link to some information that should be useful. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html#d0e237

 

Drug Addiction

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for an inpatient's treatment at a therapeutic center for drug addiction. This includes meals and lodging at the center during treatment.

 

Transportation

You can include in medical expenses amounts paid for transportation primarily for, and essential to, medical care.

 

You can include:

Bus, taxi, train, or plane fares or ambulance service,

 

Transportation expenses of a parent who must go with a child who needs medical care,

 

Transportation expenses of a nurse or other person who can give injections, medications, or other treatment required by a patient who is traveling to get medical care and is unable to travel alone, and

 

Transportation expenses for regular visits to see a mentally ill dependent, if these visits are recommended as a part of treatment.

 

Trips

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for transportation to another city if the trip is primarily for, and essential to, receiving medical services. You may be able to include up to $50 per night for lodging. See Lodging, earlier.

 

You cannot include in medical expenses a trip or vacation taken merely for a change in environment, improvement of morale, or general improvement of health, even if the trip is made on the advice of a doctor. However, see Medical Conferences, earlier.

 

All of the information above is from the irs website that I linked. I thought this was some of the more useful information for your situation.

I really don't know about the drug interventionist. Depending on what services he provided it may be deductible. I would reccomend hiring a CPA to prepare your tax return this year and get his opinion.

Edited March 11, 2007 by BYoder

[theprofessor]

I wish I had advice, but I'd like to say that despite having butted heads with you several times, this is a ballsy thing to post, and I hope it works out for the best. Good luck with everything you need!

 

 

Not usually one to throw my personal life out there but sometimes help is needed. Don't get too wrapped up in the disagreements we sometimes share on these forums. I'm sure most of us are good guys, some of us are just a little too passionate about our opinions at times. And a few (Sarge, G&S, etc.) just enjoy getting under people's skins a little more than most.

 

Thanks for the "Good Luck" message.

[theprofessor]

His age and the fact that he isn't in school doesn't matter, but it is my understanding that he has to be your dependant to be able to take the deduction.

Here is a link to some information that should be useful. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html#d0e237

All of the information above is from the irs website that I linked. I thought this was some of the more useful information for your situation.

I really don't know about the drug interventionist. Depending on what services he provided it may be deductible. I would reccomend hiring a CPA to prepare your tax return this year and get his opinion.

 

 

Thanks BY for taking the time to do this for me. Regarding your comment above about his age and school .... If he is over 19 and not in school he can't be my dependent, right? If this is true it looks like I can't claim any of this?

[BYoder]

Thanks BY for taking the time to do this for me. Regarding your comment above about his age and school .... If he is over 19 and not in school he can't be my dependent, right? If this is true it looks like I can't claim any of this?

 

No, I don't think I was very clear in my other post because the dependant requirements are slightly different for the medical deduction than to use the individual as an exemption. Here is what I found from the link above.

 

Dependent

You can include medical expenses you paid for your dependent. For you to include these expenses, the person must have been your dependent either at the time the medical services were provided or at the time you paid the expenses. A person generally qualifies as your dependent for purposes of the medical expense deduction if both of the following requirements are met.

 

The person was a qualifying child or a qualifying relative, and

 

The person was a U.S. citizen or national or a resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico. If your qualifying child was adopted, see Exception for adopted child, next.

 

Qualifying Relative

A qualifying relative is a person:

 

1. Who is your:

 

Son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild),

 

Brother, sister, or a son or daughter of either of them,

 

Father, mother, or an ancestor or sibling of either of them (for example, your grandmother, grandfather, aunt, or uncle),

 

Stepbrother, stepsister, stepfather, stepmother, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, or

 

Any other person (other than your spouse) who lived with you all year as a member of your household if your relationship did not violate local law,

 

2. Who was not a qualifying child (see Qualifying child above) of any taxpayer for 2006, and

 

3. For whom you provided over half of the support in 2006. But see Children of divorced or separated parents, earlier, Support claimed under a multiple support agreement, next, and Kidnapped child in Publication 501.

Unlike the requirements for the dependancy exemption he does not have to meet the gross income limitation. So it looks to me like you have to have provided 50% or more of his support for the year and you should be able to use the deduction.

Edited March 11, 2007 by BYoder

[isleseeya]

Sorry that I have no info to help you with your tax question though

 

But I wish you the best of luck with your son ...I am sure its real hard and my prayers are with you

[theprofessor]

Sorry that I have no info to help you with your tax question though

 

But I wish you the best of luck with your son ...I am sure its real hard and my prayers are with you

 

 

I appreciate that. Thanks.

[Pope Flick]

Not usually one to throw my personal life out there but sometimes help is needed. Don't get too wrapped up in the disagreements we sometimes share on these forums. I'm sure most of us are good guys, some of us are just a little too passionate about our opinions at times. And a few (Sarge, G&S, etc.) just enjoy getting under people's skins a little more than most.

 

Thanks for the "Good Luck" message.

 

 

 

I'm not wrapped up in disagreements over college football, and wanted to let you know that when I saw this. Saying so in a college football thread wouldn't be the same, would it?

 

In fact with the cross section here, it's one of the best places to come for advice about a lot of stuff.

[Puddy]

BYoder nailed it with the dependent rules. You can definitely take the qualified expensed if you paid more than half of his support during the year. I would assume that the interventionist is part of the qualified expenses but I'd look into that a little more just to be safe.

 

 

I admire what sacrifices you've made to help your son. I hope it works our for both of you.