Consulting assistance on medical bills as a medical deduction?

I don't think so. See IRS publication 502, somewhere about page 9, under legal fees. In short, these are not medical expenses. ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

"AES" wrote

If that's your plan.......

But I see it as a personal accounting expense, not a payment for a qualified medical service or product.

-- Paul A. Thomas, CPA Athens, Georgia

This expense is clearly not a medical expense, however, I would agree with deducting as a Misc Itemized Deduction subject to 2% of AGI. These expenses are clearly related to preservation of income producing property (i.e., preserving investable assets by preventing unnecessary overpayment of medical expenses). Depending in level of income, expenses in question, AMT issues and the like, the taxpayer will probably get no real tax benefit, but I think this is the most appropriate treatment.

Unless your out of pocket medical expenses were high enough to exceed 7.5% of your AGI, a medical deduction would be meaningless as well as inappropriate. If your miscellaneous itemized deductions exceed 2% of your AGI, put it there.

It is NOT a medical expense, but you can argue it is a medical-related expense. See if your health care spending account will cover it.

Dick

So you're saying that the "income producing property" is the body of the taxpayer? Not even a judge in a court of law would agree to such an extension of terms. Why not a deduction for loss of utility as we become older, then? ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

If I mail a check to my doctor, is the stamp a medical expense?

Seth

Others have said or suggested her fee is not a deductible expense. But tax preparation expenses are deductible, aren't they? Is an accountant not a deductible expense? Whether this is a deductible *medical* expense ... I'm not sure. It is an area where case law applies, and I don't have access to the literature. You could get a Private Letter Ruling from the IRS; the fee for one of those depends on your income but it would exceed $495. But if you can count it as an ordinary deductible expense, you have nothing to gain by treating it as a medical expense. I just finished my own family's tax return for 2006, including deductions for enormous unreimbursed medical expenses. I didn't think to count the postage on all the medical bills I paid by mail, but I did claim mileage for every trip in a private vehicle for medical care, plus tolls, parking, public transit, and for all long distance phone calls and cell phone minutes in excess of plan relating to medical care. I don't know for a fact these are allowed, but I felt comfortable enough about it to claim them. I wish *I* could have found someone to sort out the piles of bills and insurance EOB forms for me for just $500. Maybe with what I learned in the past year, I should start a small consulting business doing this for others. Once I figured out how to do it, I kind of enjoyed making order out of chaos. Pologirl

Accounting fees are not deductible JUST because they are paid to us. What makes some fees (not all) deductible is permission by congress as codified in the tax code. In this case the law specifically mentions tax preparation and tax determination.

Remember, not every deduction is or has been the subject of 'case law'.

Good thing you didn't include the postage; it's not deductible, nor are phone charges. Get a copy of IRS publication 50.... 2 I think, the one relating to what is deductible. Remember, any amount must be for the treatment of the body (or mind in some cases! lol). (snipped....)

ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA