Can you claim medical expenses for a parent that you paid?

You can claim medical expenses that you paid for your parent only if you can also claim that parent as a dependent.

In order to qualify as a dependent, your parent must meet the rules for a Qualifying Dependent; they must meet ALL of these tests:

1. Relationship test: if they are your parent, they definitely meet the relationship test.

2. Gross Income Test: they must have made less than $3,650 of gross income for the year.

3. Support test: You must have provided more than half of their total financial support for the year.

4. Dependency Test: they must not qualify as a Qualifying Child. It's probably safe to assume that your parent is older than 24, so they are not a qualifying child for anyone.