Private Health Care Plan premiums paid by way of Taxable Benefit by my employer. Can I deduct this?

[stillness-speaks]

BC resident 

[TurboTaxKim · Accepted solution]

You can claim the premiums paid for Private or Extended Health Care if you paid them yourself or your employer has paid them and includes them in your income as a taxable benefit. You will likely have an amount in Box 85 of your T4 which you can directly enter on the T4 screen in TurboTax and these premiums will post to the correct section of the tax return.

If you do not have an amount in Box 85 of your T4:

Go to:

• Deductions Tab
• Medical Expenses Profile
• Check the top box - Medical receipts - 2018 (or the last box Private medical plans and Québec Prescription Drug Insurance plan premiums for 2017)
• Enter New Medical Expense, using the dropdown for Premiums paid to a Private Health Plan (or navigate to the page titled Private Medical Plans) 

NOTE: Do not enter amounts already reported from Box 85 -T4 or Box 135 T4A in the Medical Expense Profile.

https://turbotax.intuit.ca/tips/deducting-premiums-paid-for-a-private-health-insurance-plan-366 

[stillness-speaks]

Awesome! So glad for TurboTax-

[br709]

Hi, I know this was a while ago but a quick follow up on this item since I believe it's exactly the same context for what I'm trying to figure out. I'm completing my 2019 Return for my wife and I. She has expenses shown in Box 85 for her 2019 T4. She also had them last year but they went unclaimed so I wanted to claim them this year. Can I simply add them by checking the box next to "Private medical plans and Québec Prescription Drug Insurance plan premiums for 2018" and then entering the amount on the Private Medical Plans screen? If that is correct, do I need to adjust the 12 month claim window? Or is that only for individual expenses? Thank you!

[TurboTaxHeba]

If you are a non-QC resident > You can't do this claim.

Both spouses have to claim the same 12 months window. Box 85 on the T4, is a 12-month window usually from Jan 1st to Dec 31st. So, if you claim one year in one return, you cannot claim the other year in another return. You can start the expenses claim at any month in 2018, but the last month has to end in 2019.

The software claims whether your medical expenses are high enough to claim or not. Your total expenses for 2019 need to be more than 3% of your net income or more than $2352 whichever is less. 

If you are a QC resident:

You can claim the 2018 premium in the Federal return and end the medical period in the taxation year, and claim the 2019 premium in the Quebec return.

I hope this was helpful