QP2008-R6: Missing Tax Line Item for Medical Ins Premiums?

Hi Margaret!

I see the same as you. I think it is due to the Tax Form being very simple on Schedule A (most people can not exceed the 7.5% AGI Limit. You should probably (no tax expert here) Medicine and Drugs which seems to be the catch all. There is an Other Category on the tax form, but not available in Quicken.

I personally set-up my "tax" categories so that I can easily run a report (and validate). I do not use an import function. Nor do I use Turbo Tax.

For the Medical Mileage - you could just accrue and entry for every appointment. For example, when I record the Co-Pay for my Doctor - 3 miles and $0.20 (or what ever is the correct rate) and back that out of your Fuel Cost.

I kept very detailed records of my Medical last year - but I didn't exceed the 7.5% AGI calculation. Guess I was not sick enough...(and thank God for good insurance!!!!!!)

Hi Margaret. I know Quicken does an awful lot but I have for several years now used a Works Data Base I set up. Really answers all questions including inputting mileage when we make doctor, pharmacy visits. End of year I run off report and it's a snap to put in Schedule A. I should add I use Tax Act for several years after the "root" fiasco with turbo tax and it's cheaper and meets my and the peoples returns I do.

Have been using QW/TTax for years for tax prep. Do not recall ever seeing the tax line items you are looking for in my versions - Basic and now Deluxe.

Seems [to me] QW/TTax is taking a "short cut" here. Following the flow of data from QW to TTax, the medical items flow to a medical expense worksheet where they roll up to a total which then flows to Sched A in TTax [Box 1]. If the user uses tax line item "Sched A:Doctors, dentists, hospitals", these items get combined on the respective line of the worksheet and the worksheet total is correct - just the deatil of the worksheet is not distributed properly.

I maintain separate categories [e.g., Insurance premiums, doctor visits, etc - each with the same tax line assignment. I then create a customized report for medical expenses, subtotaled by category which then gives me the detail for manual entry in the TTax worksheet. Have also tinkered with importing and then editing the worksheet to distribute the items per the worksheet breakdown.

Do wish QW/TTax would provide separate tax line items for each category - and save the user the hassel of a work-around and/or editing. Would also make my QW historical records better match the tax files

Guess the good news is that, with the present situation, if one does choose to import the info to TTax, the numbers seem to come out right.

Unfortunately as my insurance co-pays have increased (and my health has declined), I now am able to take a deduction for medical expenses. I have some special reports that I use to track expenses and do my taxes, but the now missing "medical insurance premiums" tax line item affects the usefulness of the Tax Schedule report, which both acted as a double-check for comparison to my own reports and meant that I didn't need to have quite so many special reports.

I don't use an import function, and I don't use TurboTax either.

Thx for your input here. I guess I wasn't clear when I asked my question. I have my own method for tracking mileage. If I'm understanding you correctly, however, the method you propose could be thrown off and result in editing of many transactions if, for example, the IRS would to change the per mile amt with little notice.

I just asked the question, because it seems to me having a tax line item for medical mileage is nearly useless, when one for medical insurance premiums is quite useful. Not only does the Sched A worksheet want to know about medical insurance premiums, it wants them broken out by what gets paid as Medicare premiums, and what gets paid to other ins companies.

Maybe I'm missing something dunno....

Anyway, I guess I'll be tweaking my Q reports and making some more! :-)

Thx and Regards,

Margaret

I've been using TaxAct since the "root" fiasco too. I always order the next year's TaxAct package when I e-file my taxes. This year, however, I happened to get a free copy of TTax Premium, so I intend to do my taxes with both products and compare the two side-by-side.

Your Works db sounds fantastic. You wouldn't by any chance be willing to share it, would you? ;-)

Thx and Regards,

Margaret

Certainly would. I'm somewhat of a novice on this and I assume you have Works. Be glad to send you an abbreviated file of my data but need to know your email address etc.. Don