LTC Insurance and Your Taxes

How does long-term care insurance affect my taxes?

If you’re already covered by long-term care (LTC) insurance, you may be eligible to deduct some or even all of your LTC premiums. Or, if you’re receiving payments from a LTC insurance plan, you could exclude from your taxable income any payments made to you.

How do I deduct premiums for LTC insurance?

You may deduct LTC insurance premiums as a medical expense. As with all deductible medical expenses, you’ll need to meet the percentage of AGI floor requirement first. See Deducting Medical Expenses.

You can deduct premiums up to a certain limit based on your age. Here are the 2020 age requirements and allowed deductions for each person:

• Age 40 or under: $430
• Age 41 to 50: $810
• Age 51 to 60: $1,630
• Age 61 to 70: $4,350
• Age 71 and over: $5,430

But: If you pay your premiums with money from an HSA, you cannot deduct the premiums. That’s because HSA contributions are already tax-advantaged.

Do payments from a LTC plan count as taxable income?

Payments from a LTC insurance plan are considered taxable income, but you may be able to exclude that income from your return.

But: If your employer makes any contributions toward your LTC premiums, the contributions must be reported as income on your return.

To exclude payments from your taxable income, your plan must meet a few requirements:

• You, your spouse, or dependent receiving care must be considered chronically ill by a licensed health care practitioner.
• Your plan must only provide coverage for long-term care and must be renewable.
• Your plan must not provide cash or have a surrender value or money that is pledged, assigned, or borrowed.

Check with your HR department or LTC provider to make sure your plan meets these requirements.

How much can I exclude if I’m eligible?

Generally, payments for actual paid expenses can be fully excluded. However, if payments are made regardless of expenses paid, then there’s a limit. If you’re receiving payments on a periodic or per diem basis, the limit is $380 for each day for the 2020 tax year. If you receive more than $380 for each day of long-term care, you may be eligible to deduct the excess. You can deduct any excess over $380 as a medical expense if you meet the AGI floor requirement for medical deductions.

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Getting your taxes done with 1040.com is simple, even when you have to report things like LTC insurance—and with our flat $25 rate for everyone, you won’t have to worry about the price going up as you add extra forms. Be sure to sign up or log in today to get started, and we’ll see you on the other side!

Also see The Ins and Outs of Long-Term Care Insurance.