Medical Tax deductions- Facial and Buttock wasting reconstruction

[Guest guest]

I know there are some tax savvy people on this list. Can anyone tell me if money spent in and out of the US to get treatments for facial wasting or buttock wasting be added to total medical costs for tax purposes? Thanks

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[Guest guest]

"I know there are some tax savvy people on this list. Can anyone tell me if money spent in and out of the US to get treatments for facial wasting or buttock wasting be added to total medical costs for tax purposes? ",I fully deducted the costs of facial lipodystrophy treatments that were done by licenced physicians in the US. I deducted treatment, and travel to LA when I saw . My accountant is quite conservative, and he felt that was fine. I have not been audited, touch wood.Now, when I went to Rio, and got PMMA in my butt, I did not deduct that. I felt that it would be harder to justify, but it might pass.Good luckJB

[Guest guest]

"I know there are some tax savvy people on this list. Can anyone tell me if money spent in and out of the US to get treatments for facial wasting or buttock wasting be added to total medical costs for tax purposes? ",I fully deducted the costs of facial lipodystrophy treatments that were done by licenced physicians in the US. I deducted treatment, and travel to LA when I saw . My accountant is quite conservative, and he felt that was fine. I have not been audited, touch wood.Now, when I went to Rio, and got PMMA in my butt, I did not deduct that. I felt that it would be harder to justify, but it might pass.Good luckJB

[Guest guest]

i am not an accountant, only a guy with a part time biz (sched C), and a rental property (sched E), and enuf crap to use Sched A, and a great accountant since 1976. My accountant is a guy who tends to push the system, not fraid to try things.

i would deduct it anyway. you most likely will sail under the radar, and if they audit you, you have a letter from your doc sayin it will cause great depression if your butt is saggin, or you look like death warmed over (like befo my sculptra, which sailed right thru). the worst they can do is disallow it, there is no way they would go after you for fraud.

close friend of mine went to his accountant yesterday with a quicken printout of all med stuff, accnt ran with just the std deduct then with all the med stuff on sched A, saved $300 by filing the A, and only added $60 to his invoice.

good luck

anonymous in sf (heh-heh)It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money Finance.

[Guest guest]

i am not an accountant, only a guy with a part time biz (sched C), and a rental property (sched E), and enuf crap to use Sched A, and a great accountant since 1976. My accountant is a guy who tends to push the system, not fraid to try things.

i would deduct it anyway. you most likely will sail under the radar, and if they audit you, you have a letter from your doc sayin it will cause great depression if your butt is saggin, or you look like death warmed over (like befo my sculptra, which sailed right thru). the worst they can do is disallow it, there is no way they would go after you for fraud.

close friend of mine went to his accountant yesterday with a quicken printout of all med stuff, accnt ran with just the std deduct then with all the med stuff on sched A, saved $300 by filing the A, and only added $60 to his invoice.

good luck

anonymous in sf (heh-heh)It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money Finance.

[Guest guest]

> "I know there are some tax savvy people on this list. Can anyone tell > me if> money spent in and out of the US to get treatments for facial wasting or> buttock wasting be added to total medical costs for tax purposes? "> > ,,This isn't exactly the question you asked, but for the benefit of any others who might have wondered--- I submitted for reimbursement to my employer-run Flexible Spending Account back when I was wasting money on Sculptra treatments. The expense was allowed and they reimbursed me. Of course, it was my tax deferred money anyway. But Sculptra was not approved yet, even.My opinion is the same as someone else has already given-- go ahead and take it. Odds of you being audited are REALLY slim. (especially if you use Turbo Tax or some other tax prep software). If they do audit you, they' have to prove you were intentionally defrauding for you to get penalized. Worst case is having to pay the tax you avoided. You'd be none the worse off.If they DID audit me, I'd just bring in a couple of full-color "before" photographs and freak out the auditor with something like "I have AIDS (even if you technically don't) , and this was my face before, or my butt before, I couldn't sit down". Just think how fast that auditor would try to make you go away! I'd definitely go for it.

[Guest guest]

Here is the most appropriate answer for the tax deduction:

The IRS doesnt say WHERE that you need to incur the expense.

see below:

I verified it with the IRS only foreign meds imported from outside

the US are specifically prohibited not any treatment.

QuestionShow me another »

Tax Deductions for medical expenses incurred in foreign country?

If I travel abroad for medical care, can I deduct the cost of travel

and the medical care on my federal income tax?

1 month ago

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I don't see why you couldn't. Various IRS publications (e.g, 17, 502)

don't say that you can't.

They define medical expenses --> Medical expenses are the costs of

diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and

the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body.

They include the costs of equipment, supplies, and diagnostic devices

needed for these purposes. They also include dental expenses.

Medical care expenses must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a

physical or mental defect or illness. They do not include expenses

that are merely beneficial to general health, such as vitamins or a

vacation.

They discuss what you can claim --> You can include only the medical

and dental expenses you paid this year, regardless of when the

services were provided.

They briefly mention taking trips --> You can include in medical

expenses amounts you pay for transportation to another city if the

trip is primarily for, and essential to, receiving medical services.

You may be able to include up to $50 per night for lodging.

You cannot include in medical expenses a trip or vacation taken

merely for a change in environment, improvement of morale, or general

improvement of health, even if the trip is made on the advice of a

doctor.

The only time they mention a restriction for foreign countries is in

regards to Medicines and Drugs From Other Countries --> In general,

you cannot include in your medical expenses the cost of a prescribed

drug brought in (or ordered shipped) from another country, because

you can only include the cost of a drug that was imported legally.

(You can include the cost of a prescribed drug the Food and Drug

Administration announces can be legally imported by individuals.)

However, you can include the cost of a prescribed drug you purchase

and consume in another country if the drug is legal in both the other

country and the United States.

You may want to read those IRS publications (and others they

reference) for yourself.

1 month ago

Source(s):

IRS Publication 17

IRS Publication 502

Report It Asker's Rating: Asker's Comment: Very thorough and sources

listed are a great help. Thank you!

>

>

> i am not an accountant, only a guy with a part time biz (sched

C), and a

> rental property (sched E), and enuf crap to use Sched A, and a

great

> accountant since 1976. My accountant is a guy who tends to push

the system, not

> fraid to try things.

> i would deduct it anyway. you most likely will sail under the

radar, and

> if they audit you, you have a letter from your doc sayin it will

cause great

> depression if your butt is saggin, or you look like death warmed

over (like

> befo my sculptra, which sailed right thru). the worst they can do

is disallow

> it, there is no way they would go after you for fraud.

> close friend of mine went to his accountant yesterday with a

quicken

> printout of all med stuff, accnt ran with just the std deduct then

with all the

> med stuff on sched A, saved $300 by filing the A, and only added

$60 to his

> invoice.

> good luck

> anonymous in sf (heh-heh)

>

>

>

> **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL

Money &

> Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850)

>