Deductions and Credits Is Your Weight Loss Tax Deductible? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Published Dec 19, 2010 - [Updated Jul 11, 2019] 1 min read We all know that this is the time of year when everyone makes resolutions to lose weight, but did you know that if you itemize your tax returns (as 40% of us do), you can monetize your weight loss? Here’s the skinny: Weight loss programs ARE deductible All programs – whether a big commercial program like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or a physician or hospital-based weight loss program – can be deducted, providing your doctor has confirmed that your current weight is a threat to your health, and has therefore ordered you to enroll in a program to treat a specific disease, whether obesity (a designated disease as of 2002), hypertension, heart disease, or high cholesterol, for example. You must have this in writing. Expenses must be legitimate While you cannot deduct the obvious – such as the cost of diet foods (considered a personal expense), home exercise equipment, health club/gym/spa dues, nutritional supplements or any costs that are covered by insurance – legitimate program expenses include everything from initial fees to meeting fees to behavioral counseling, to appointments with physicians, dieticians, and nutritionists. Consider costs To get a deduction, costs must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If you make $45,000, for example, you can deduct weight loss expenses above $3375; if you make $50,000, you can deduct expenses exceeding $3,750. Vanity doesn’t count Thinking about getting liposuction to suck away those extra five pounds you’re carrying on your hips? Considering joining a gym just because you want to look – and feel – better? Expenses, as such, that are merely beneficial to general health, do not count, but things like Bariatric surgery, FDA-approved weight loss drugs and other medical expenses – providing they relate to alleviating or preventing a physical or mental defect or illness – do. Previous Post How to Save a Bundle for Your New Bundle of… Next Post What is an HSA? Written by More from 6 responses to “Is Your Weight Loss Tax Deductible?” Thank You for your information. Reply My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you personally? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on some of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome blog! Reply If the doctor said in so many words, “I’d like you to lose some weight,” and I decide on my own to use Weight Watchers, is that tax deductible since he did not specifically say to join a diet plan? Reply good post Reply If the dr gives you a prescription than your weight loss plan might be deductible if you meet the I.R.S guild lines. Reply Will pass this on to my personal training clients ,great post thanks for sharing Reply Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Tax Planning TurboTax Offers Refund Advance to Taxpayers Investments Tax Benefits of Real Estate Investing Self-Employed Business Tax Checklist: What You’ll Need When Filing Uncategorized What Is Deferred Compensation & How Is It Taxed? Investments How Does an Inherited IRA Work? Work Choosing Your Business Structure: 5 Types of Businesses… Tax Deductions and Credits Are HOA Fees Tax Deductible? What You Need to Know Crypto Understanding Crypto and Capital Gains Work 7 Things You Need to Know About the New Business Report… Work Using Form 8829 to Write-Off Business Use of Your Home
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you personally? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on some of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome blog! Reply
If the doctor said in so many words, “I’d like you to lose some weight,” and I decide on my own to use Weight Watchers, is that tax deductible since he did not specifically say to join a diet plan? Reply
If the dr gives you a prescription than your weight loss plan might be deductible if you meet the I.R.S guild lines. Reply