Submitted By: someone
Answered: March 4, 2014 8:30 am

My 85-year old spouse has Alzheimer’s disease, and we have a caregiver who spends 5 hours a day 5 days a week bathing, dressing, feeding, and otherwise attending to her. I pay $3,300 a month for this service. Is it tax deductible?

While Medicare does not cover the cost of long-term care services, they may qualify as a deductible medical expense. Since your spouse is chronically ill and requires personal care services, the cost is deductible provided they are pursuant to a plan of care prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. As children in school are told: Get a doctor’s note.

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Tax Glossary

Appreciation in value

Increase in value of property due to market conditions. When you sell appreciated property, you pay tax on the appreciation since the date of purchase. When you donate appreciated property held long term, you may generally deduct the appreciated value.

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