Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted Oct 30, 2019 2:19:48 PM

Can my wife claim health insurance premiums payments on her business even though I have a job

I work for an entity which has company subsidized health insurance. My wife

and kids technically could be covered under this, but living in Japan, she opted to get Japanese Health insurance for her and the kids.  She also is self -employed with her own business.  Is it possible for her to claim the insurance premiums and possible any medial expenses as a business expense?

Note: I just got employer-subsidized health insurance for myself.

I found in TT, there is a a section under Business Items: 

As a self-employed person, you may be eligible to deduct health insurance premiums for yourself,your spouse and your dependents. This write-off for health insurance s entered on page 1 of Form 1040.

Keep in mind that you're only eligible for claiming the write-off for health insurance premiums during the months when you are not eligible to participate in any employer-subsidized health plan. This is known as the month-by-month eligibility rule. 

If we file Jointly, and she is technically eligible to join my health plan, would that mean she isn't able to claim this deduction?  Or is it that, since it is her sole proprietorship, the "you" is really from her perspective, and that she doesn't participate in any employer-subsidized health plan (since she runs her own business).  Or is the "you" really "us" and that she technically was eligible to participate in my health plan as we are married, but she opted out (doesn't matter the reason why).

0 1 1236
1 Replies
New Member
Oct 30, 2019 2:19:49 PM

Yes, your wife is eligible to claim her insurance premium under her self-employed business as an expense.