Re: Surgery tax deductible?

[Guest guest]

Well after I went and asked you all about tax deductions for surgery,

I found the info below. It seems the IRS goes by your adjusted gross

income. I'm going to call my tax lady and find out if the IRS does

carry overs on this as I already itemize a lot of other stuff.

Kem

To claim the weight-loss tax deduction adopted two years ago, taxpayers

must itemize uncompensated expenses that have been recommended

specifically to lose weight after a doctor's formal diagnosis.

" This diagnosis can be either for the condition of obesity or for any

other medical condition to which weight loss would play a role in

alleviating it, such as hypertension, " Lamishaw tells WebMD. " You

should have some written record of that diagnosis for your files, but

you don't need to submit it with your tax forms. "

The expenses must be itemized, and (with other allowed medical

deductions) must exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income.

For someone with an adjusted gross income of $50,000, weight loss and

other medical expenses would have to exceed $3,750; for a household

earning $80,000 after adjustments, it translates to $6,000 in annual

costs.

In practical terms, this translates to a slim chance that most

Americans trying to trim down can also trim their taxes with only diet

and exercise. However, many people getting gastric-bypass surgery

could get the deduction, since some insurance plans don't cover this

$25,000 " stomach-stapling " operation.

SOURCES: Lamishaw, spokeswoman, Internal Revenue Service,

Washington, D.C. Walter J. Pories, MD, professor of surgery and

biochemistry, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville,

N.C.; past president, American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Viteri, spokeswoman, American Obesity Association,

Washington, D.C. Internal Revenue Service.

© 2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

On Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 02:50 PM,

Gastric_Bypass_Family wrote:

> Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 11:53:13 -0700 (PDT)

>

> Subject: Re: Surgery tax deductable?

>

> YES--IT IS. I AM SAVING ALL MY RECEIPTS FROM GAS TO HOTEL STAY IN

> MOLEAGE IN MY CAR FOR THE ITEMIZED SECTION BUT THE AMOUNT MUST BE

> GREATER THAN $3000.00, I BELIEVE...MIMI

>

> wrote:I heard somewhere that if you pay

> out of pocket it can be deducted. I'm not

> sure though. Your local H & R block, or if you have your own accountant,

> should be able to answer that question.

>

> -- Surgery tax deductable?

>

> I'm wondering if anyone here knows if lap band/gastric by pass can be

> deductable

> from taxes?

>

> Thank you,

> Kem

Kem

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