Joint custody and claiming dependent medical expenses

[oscarmeyerwiener]

My ex and I have joint custody of our 17 year old son, and he lives with me about 50% of the time.  My ex- is claiming him as a dependent on schedule 5, line 30400.  I pay for his medical expenses---can I claim those on my tax return?

[oscarmeyerwiener]

Thanks DenseffGeorge.  To confirm, am I right in interpreting your message as I can claim his medical expenses UNLESS he is a non-dependent?

[TurboTaxSusan]

Yes, you can claim medical expenses for your 17-year-old son, as long as someone else (the other parent, the son, etc…) is not claiming those same expenses.