can I claim my monthly premium for Medicare if I'm a aretired teacher and do not receive social security?

Yes, the Medicare Part B premiums paid with out of pocket funds and which were not reimbursed is a valid medical expense to be entered as an itemized deduction on Schedule A.

Health care insurance premiums, including dental and vision insurance premiums, and other medical expenses that you paid with out of pocket funds and were not reimbursed are an eligible medical expense that you can deduct using Schedule A for itemized deductions. However, only your total medical expenses that are greater than 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) can be deducted. Your total itemized deductions reported on Form 1040 Schedule A must be greater than the standard deduction for your filing status to have any tax benefit.

Standard deductions for 2024

Single - $14,600 add $1,850 if age 65 or older
Married Filing Separately - $14,600 add $1,550 if age 65 or older
Married Filing Jointly - $29,200 add $1,550 for each spouse age 65 or older
Head of Household - $21,900 add $1,950 if age 65 or older

To enter your medical expenses -

Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
Click on Deductions and Credits
Click on I'll choose what I work on (if shown)
Scroll down to Medical
On Medical Expenses, click the start or update button

Or enter medical expenses in the Search box located in the upper right of the program screen. Click on Jump to medical expenses

Yes.

The Medicare premium is a health insurance premium and can be claimed as Medical expenses.

You can claim all medical and dental bills, prescription drugs and health insurance premiums paid out-of-pocket as Medical Expenses in Schedule A - Itemized Deductions.

The IRS has an extensive list of what you can and can’t deduct.

For tax year 2024, Medical Expenses are subject to the 7.5% rule and you can only claim the excess over 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income.

Please note that Itemized Deductions will only benefit your taxes when they exceed your standard deduction.

For tax year 2024, standard deductions are:

• $29,200 for married couples whose filing status is “married filing jointly” and surviving spouses;
• $14,600 for singles and married couples whose filing status is “married filing separately”; and
• $21,900 for taxpayers whose filing status is “head of household.”

The additional standard deduction for a blind taxpayer—i.e. a taxpayer whose vision is less than 20/200— and for a taxpayer who is age 65 or older at the end of the year is for each instance:

• $1,550 for married individuals; and
• $1,950 for singles and heads of household.

Here's how to enter your medical expenses in TurboTax:

1. Open or continue your return.
2. Navigate to the Schedule A section:

• TurboTax Online/Mobile: Go to Schedule A.
• TurboTax Desktop: Search for Schedule A and then select the Jump to link.