Originally posted by: anno
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
3) Unless the books are built into the tutition charges; you are SOL.
Now if you yourself itemize and those books are assisting you in education (understanding her courses), then those could go under Misc Expenses on the Schedule A.
that's what I thought.
I can claim both of them as dependents this year, and will definitely claim the younger one but won't decide on the older one until both sets of taxes are done each way and we figure out which results in the lowest total bill.
usually I itemize deductions but last year it didn't pay to do so.. the balance on my mortgage decreases each year and the cars get older so the property tax goes down and it was a near thing last year.. it might work out that we're better off doing so again this year. you're saying somehow I can claim the kids textbooks as deductions on my taxes? that's interesting. is it ethical? can I stretch that to include their expenses in film and developing and printing costs for photography classes? heh.. how 'bout that new digital camera body my daughter had to have for her photojournalism class this semester? reaching too far there, I guess.
how about grad school application fees and required tests and portfolio printing expenses.. did someone ask that already? deductable in any way for anybody?
I have one more question regarding medical expenses. specifically health insurance costs. I took the kids and I off my husband's company "provided" health insurance plan in april when the cost for remaining in the group went up to 570 every 2 weeks, and went out and bought my own. the company still pays for his health insurance but that's a benefit, there's no cost to us. when we were in that group the premiums came out of his salary pre-tax but now they're coming out of my bank account after tax. Can I include those health insurance premiums in my medical expenses?
anno