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New Member
posted Oct 30, 2019 6:22:56 AM

Medical Expenses Optimizer Glitch?

It is most advantageous for the lower income to claim our combined medical expenses.  Every time I open the 'optimizer' page, the program recomends claiming on my spouse's return (correct, she has the lower income). When I move on in the return it automatically changes it to my claim, resulting in a lower refund. Even when I go back and select the option of my spouse's return, it changes it to my return.  The expenses are more than 3% of my spouse's income but less than 3% of mine. How do I get it to claim the medical expenses to my spouse's return not mine?

0 5 2819
5 Replies
Level 6
Oct 30, 2019 6:22:57 AM

Medical expense must exceed the lower of $2268 or 3% of Net Income for the 2017 year for any Medical credit.

If you are doing Pension Splitting, or assigning other credits, and doing Joint Preparation of spousal retruns, then

software may assign Medical credit differently from your intent. The way to avoid this, as I do each year, is to do

separate ( ie not Joint) preparation of my return and my spouses return, which needs a little more confidence.

Note as always there is no such thing as a 'Spousal Return' with CRA. Each person is responsible for their own return, regardless of how it is genererated.

Or there could be a glitch...but I would be surprised.

Level 1
Oct 30, 2019 6:22:58 AM

TT automatically assigns the med deduction on my spouses return (lower income).  And same when i run the optimizer.  However, when i take the med deduction, i get a greater return.  Optimize = Greater Return.  To me, this feature is not working properly.  Also, i keep having to re-claim this deduction as TT keeps putting back on to my spouses return.  I say "glitch" needs to be addressed.

New Member
Oct 30, 2019 6:23:00 AM

With the tax deadline on the horizon, Intuit’s lack of response and my concern that there are other glitches in their software have resulted in me purchasing a competitor’s product. This will be the first time since 1992 (when it was WINTAX) that I have used something other than an Intuit product to file my taxes.

New Member
Oct 30, 2019 6:23:01 AM

With the tax deadline on the horizon, Intuit’s lack of response and my concern that there are other glitches in their software have resulted in me purchasing a competitor’s product. This will be the first time since 1992 (when it was WINTAX) that I have used something other than an Intuit product to file my taxes.

Level 6
Oct 30, 2019 6:23:03 AM

Since Medical Expense is a non-refundable credit, it may not be assigned in some situations, ie where the lower income partner already has sufficient credits to reduce tax owing to zero.