
Your costs must fit the IRS definition of qualifying medical expenses.The main rules for deducting medical expenses are: Deductions reduce your income, and therefore the amount of tax you owe. Depending on your situation, you might be able to claim a tax deduction for a portion of your family's medical expenses. However, unlike many other tax breaks, this one doesn't have an upper income limit however, those with higher-income may get a smaller credit than those who earn a lower-income with the same expenses, but they still get something.Ĭaring for someone with a disability often means significant ongoing costs, such as for doctor visits, medication, therapy or mobility equipment, or modifications to your home, like a wheelchair ramp. The amount of your tax credit depends on several factors, including your total earned income, how much you paid for care, and whether you are also paying for child care or care for another dependent. You had earned income from an employer or self-employment.You paid someone to care for your spouse so that you could work, look for work, were a full-time student, or are unable to care for yourself.Your spouse lived with you for at least half of the year.Your spouse is physically or mentally incapable of caring for themself.Though you cannot actually claim your spouse as a dependent on your tax return, you can treat them like one to claim this credit if your situation meets the following conditions: This is the same credit that working parents claim when they pay for child care. If you pay someone to provide care for your disabled spouse, such as a nurse or aide, you might be eligible for the tax credit for Child and Dependent Care Credit. Benefits from a disability insurance policy that you paid the premiums using after-tax money.Social Security disability income, depending on the amount of ‘other’ income an individual earns.When the cost of a disability policy's premiums is split between an employer and an employee, benefits attributable to the employer's portion of the premiums or paid using pre-tax dollars.Benefits from a disability insurance policy that was paid for by an employer.Disability benefits from an employer, much like wages from that employer.Some examples of taxable and non-taxable benefits include:

If your spouse is receiving disability payments, it's important for tax planning purposes to understand the source of the payments to help determine whether those benefits are taxable.
