Sorting the pieces

Weekend Assignment #55: The IRS, in its infinite wisdom, is allowing you to deduct one thing from your taxes that you haven't been able to deduct before -- anything you'd like. What do you deduct and why? Yes, anything. And your reason for deducting it doesn't even have to be good -- this isn't an audit, you know. I'm just curious as to what you'd pick.
     The answer to this one came to me quickly.  I'd like to deduct travel expenses involved with medical care.  My dentist is 18 miles away.  My family physician is 25 miles away.  One of the specialists my daughter has seen is about 160 miles away, and he was the closest in that particular field.  Another is 85 in the opposite direction.  They were also the closest provider of that type of service.  Sometimes living in the sticks really bites.  I'm estimating 11 trips last year to the farthest specialist.  That would be 3520 miles (round trip).  For the dentist, six checkups between the three of us, two additional trips for problems and six visits for orthodontic work.  That would be 252 miles.  He's the closest dentist under our insurance coverage as well as being a real sweetheart who's certified in orthodontic work.  I'm estimating at least 20 visits to the family physician between the three of us last year, and that's being conservative.  We've seen him for over 15 years since we lived in the same town as his practice and saw no reason to change since our insurance covered him as well.  That's an additional 1000 miles.  For the other specialist, there was one stretch where we went three times a week for three months coming to 6120 round trip miles. I didn't want to figure in the mileage to the other local specialists like the bone and joint doctor, the neurologist and the chiropractor,  the MRI center, etc. who are all roughly the same distance as the family physician or the occasional visit to the local ER.  I don't do my own taxes, so I'm basing this on the last business mileage deduction I remember which was 34 cents a mile.  With the mileage I can track, 10, 892 miles, my deduction would be $3703. 28.  I did all the figures in my head, so they may be off, but I'd take that deduction...gladly.

Extra Credit: Do you wait until the last minute to do your taxes? Or did you havethem done ages ago?
Last minute.  You mean there's another way.

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• #6 Comment from plieck30 
  4/16/05 8:25 PM | Permalink

  I deduct mileage as I have quite a bit too, living in a small town and going to the city for some appointments. Of course we do have a nice new hospital and all types of doctors but when you have one you can communicate with you hate to change. I always get my income tax in the mail in March. Kind of broke even this year. Paula
• #5 Comment from joandcecil 
  4/16/05 2:34 PM | Permalink

  i should have read the comments first.  look at irs pub 17 chap 23.  "transportation for medical expenses"  as stated .14 per mile or actual cost.
• #4 Comment from courlog 
  4/16/05 9:31 AM | Permalink

  ooooh, glad I came to read this one....the response of $0.14 a gallon is helpful to me!  You rock!!
  
  http://journals.aol.com/courlog/ThoughtsFearsHopesDreams---Reali/
• #3 Comment from mumma4evr 
  4/16/05 9:02 AM | Permalink

  well, thei things you learn reading other's comments...I had no idea that mileage was deductable!  wow!!!
  and We file the second allt he papers are in our hands...give me my money!!!
  Becky
• #2 Comment from csandhollow 
  4/16/05 7:04 AM | Permalink

  Nanner nanner boo boo. I did mine in January I did not want them to have my money any longet than neccessary!