Can I write off medical expenses?

Medical expenses can be deducted if they are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the tax year. This means if your AGI is $50,000, you can deduct the portion of your medical expenses that exceed $3,750. However, you must itemize your deductions to claim this. The expenses can include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and 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. However, you cannot deduct medical expenses that were paid by insurance or employers. Also, over-the-counter medicines, most cosmetic surgery, gym memberships, and other non-prescription treatments are not deductible.