{"id":2695,"date":"2020-02-27T11:32:31","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T19:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.turbotax.intuit.com\/es\/?p=2695"},"modified":"2020-04-08T14:29:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T21:29:13","slug":"is-this-tax-deductible-medical-expenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.turbotax.intuit.com\/es\/deducciones-y-creditos-de-impuestos\/is-this-tax-deductible-medical-expenses-2695\/","title":{"rendered":"Is This Tax Deductible? Medical Expenses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you spend a lot of money on your medical care last year?\u00a0 If so, you may be eligible for the medical expense deduction<\/a>.\u00a0 In total, you must spend more than 10% (7.5% if you are age 65 or older) of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on medical expenses in order to possibly benefit from the tax break.\u00a0 For some people, that\u2019s a lot of dough, but if you qualify, the tax deduction can be significant.\u00a0 So take a few minutes to consider your possible medical expense deduction before skipping ahead to the next potential write-off.<\/p>\n

Whose Medical Expenses Can You Deduct?<\/h3>\n

Your medical expenses, those of your spouse, and expenses for anyone who was your dependent at the time the expenses were incurred are deductible.<\/p>\n

What About Reimbursed Medical Expenses?<\/h3>\n

To be tax deductible, medical expenses must not be reimbursed. In other words, if your insurance company pays for your expense (or reimburses you for an expense that you initially laid out), such expenses are not deductible.\u00a0 It must be genuinely \u201cout of pocket\u201d in order for you to have a tax deductible medical expense.\u00a0 If you pay part and your insurer pays part, the portion you pay is deductible.<\/p>\n

When Can I Deduct a Medical Expense I Charged?<\/h3>\n

Credit card charges made to pay medical expenses in one year but the credit card bill is not paid until the following year are deductible in the year they were charged.<\/p>\n

What Type of Medical Expenses Qualify?<\/h3>\n

Deductible medical expenses include payments necessary in order to diagnose, prevent, or treat illness.\u00a0 Obvious deductible expenses include visits to the doctor, dental exams, and X-rays.\u00a0 Also deductible are birth control pills prescribed by a doctor.\u00a0\u00a0 On the other hand, you can\u2019t deduct cosmetic surgery, unless the cosmetic surgery results from some sort of abnormality, perhaps from an accident or disease.\u00a0 If the cosmetic surgery is performed solely to improve one\u2019s appearance, it is not deductible. On the same theory, teeth whitening is out too – sorry.<\/p>\n

Psychological and psychiatric expenses qualify, as do rehabilitation costs related to drug and alcohol addiction recovery.\u00a0 Expenses for special schools for disabled individuals are eligible for the medical expense write-off as well.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget to include the cost of insulin and prescription drugs \u2013 but note that over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are not deductible.\u00a0 Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, OTC equipment<\/i> and supplies<\/i> can be deductible, however.<\/p>\n

Other deductible medical expenses include:<\/p>\n