"Pologirl" <pologirl[at]att.net> wrote:

- quote -

Assuming all requirements for deductibility are met (see IRS
Publication 502 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf), the
deductible lodging will be the lesser of $50 per day per
person or actual. While the lodging for both you, your
husband and your other minor child will be deductible, that
gives you $150 per day capacity but you cannot simply
deducte $4500 for a month if your actual costs were less
than that.

DH & child 1 travel expense (e.g., airfare)- yes

Be sure to keep good records of both the expenses and the
medical condition/treatment, etc. to support the deductions
taken.

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >

In 2006 I gave birth to my second child. She was diagnosed
in utero with a tumor. To obtain adequate medical care for
me and the baby, we traveled very far from home by
commercial airline to Boston, where we rented a temporary
apartment for a month. It was a small 2br apartment in an
ordinary Boston apartment building, nothing fancy. Child #1
(a 2yo) and I traveled together; DH traveled alone. All
four of us returned home together.

Unreimbursed hospital bills (all paid in 2006, whew!) are
far in excess of 7.5% of AGI plus the standard deduction
(married, filing jointly), so we should itemize our US
federal tax return. So what exactly can we claim, of our
travel and lodging?

I think we can claim $50/night lodging for each adult (DH
and I) because I was the "patient". And we can claim
$50/night for child #2 after her discharge from the
hospital. But...

Can we claim $50/night for child #1?
Can we claim DH's travel (rental car, airfare) to Boston, a
trip he made alone?
Can we claim child #1's airfare?

(Note Followup-to: misc.taxes.moderated)

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >