Questions to Ask Your CPA About Senior Care

The hour you spend with a CPA is much more valuable when you walk in knowing what to ask. Here is a printable list — organized by situation — that families have told us made a real difference. Feel free to print it, cross out what does not apply, and add your own.

About the current year's medical expenses

• What portion of what we paid this year may qualify as a medical expense on our return?
• What is the current threshold for medical expenses to become itemizable?
• Which of our other costs — physicians, medications, medical equipment, transportation to care — count toward that total?
• What documentation do you need us to keep for next year?

About chronic-illness certification

• Would our loved one meet the current definition of "chronically ill" for tax purposes?
• What kind of physician certification do you need, and how often does it have to be renewed?
• How does that change what portion of the care cost is treated as medical?

About paying for a parent

• Can any of us claim our parent as a dependent this year?
• If more than one adult child contributes, is there a way to allocate deductions?
• What documentation do we need to show who paid what?
• Does gifting money to our parent to pay themselves change anything?

About selling a home to pay for care

• How is the sale of my parent's home treated for tax purposes?
• Does the primary residence exclusion still apply?
• Are there timing considerations we should think about before listing?
• How does the sale interact with any state benefit programs we are considering?

About long-term care insurance and VA benefits

• How are long-term care insurance reimbursements treated?
• How are VA Aid & Attendance payments treated?
• Do these change the deductibility of what we pay out of pocket?

About the year ahead

• Given what our next 12 months are likely to look like, what should we do differently in our record-keeping?
• Should we plan quarterly check-ins, or is one meeting a year enough?
• Are there any deadlines coming up we should not miss?
• What is your fee structure if we bring specific questions between now and next filing?

Sweetwater Groves does not provide tax advice and does not have a referral relationship with any CPA firm. What we can do is provide clear, written statements of what a resident paid us — which makes your CPA's job significantly easier.