AboutCarole Dunton Expertise Preparation of individual income tax returns including social security, pensions, lump sum distributions, sale of personal residence, stock and mutual fund sales, distributions from individual retirement accounts, moving expenses and itemized deductions.
General knowledge of schedule C for small sole proprietorships.
No experience in corporate, estate, partnership or large business returns.
Experience 8 years as tax preparer for major national firm.
Question I have a son that has Asperger's which is a condition that falls on the Autism Spectrum (high end of the autism spectrum). As a result we have to take him to therapists and we also have to hire an advocate to represent him at the school to make sure that he gets all of the interventions and accomodations that he needs and is entitled to. My question, which I have had a hard time finding answers to, is wouldn't these expenses be deductable since he is our dependent? These are not expenses we would have unless we absolutley had to have them and it is hard to believe that some if not all of them are not deductable. Can you give me a bit of advise on this?
Answer Hi,
Certainly some of the expenses (such as therapists) are deductible as medical expenses to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. I don't know that the IRS would consider the expense of an advocate as a deductible medical expense but I would claim the expense. The worst case would be that the IRS would disallow it.
