When it comes to determining when to get breast augmentation surgery, tax deductions and health insurance coverage are often cited as motivating factors.
Patients often inquire about whether or not their cosmetic surgery is tax deductible, and the answer is that it is dependent on the circumstances surrounding your cosmetic surgery.
How do you know if your breast augmentation is tax deductible?
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What Plastic Surgery Procedure Is Tax Deductible?
In order for your breast augmentation surgery to be covered by health insurance and to be eligible for a tax deduction, you will need to provide extensive paperwork demonstrating that your treatment was medically necessary. In addition to enhancing your looks, there are other cosmetic surgery operations that might be deemed medically required.
Some of the cosmetic operations that may be eligible for tax deductions are as follows:
- Breast reduction which is a procedure that reduces the size of the breasts.
- Reconstruction surgery of the breast.
- Blepharoplasty which is a procedure that removes skin from the upper and lower lids of the eyes.
- Rhinoplasty.
- Surgery for female genital feminization.
Breast cancer survivors who have had a mastectomy are often treated with breast reconstruction or breast implants. It’s considered required by many insurance companies, which means it’s deducted on your tax return. Breast augmentation for women who have unequal breasts may also be categorized as a medical expenditure.
Patients who have blepharoplasty to repair visual difficulties caused by drooping eyelids as well as nose surgery to fix a deviated septum are covered by this policy. Surgery to change one’s gender identity and hormone treatment are both eligible for tax deductions.
While these are very general surgeries that may be covered, it’s always best to speak with a plastic surgeon to find out whether your cosmetic operation qualifies for a tax deduction before moving further.
What Is Not Considered To Be Tax Deductible?
Cosmetic surgery is not deductible, according to IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses. In general, you cannot deduct the amount you spend on plastic surgery. This includes any surgery that is performed only for the purpose of enhancing the patient’s appearance and does not significantly improve the correct function of the body or prevent or treat sickness or disease.
The following procedures are not normally deductible on your tax return:
- Facelifts
- Liposuction
- Electrolysis
- Hair transplants
Though the majority of taxpayers are unable to deduct medical expenditures for cosmetic surgery does not mean that this is the case for everyone. The medical expenses paid for plastic surgery can be deducted by taxpayers in certain circumstances, such as when the surgery is medically necessary to correct a deformity that resulted from, or is directly related to, a disfiguring disease, a personal injury accident, trauma, or a congenital abnormality.
A woman who has surgery to remove all or part of her breast in order to treat cancer and then requires breast reconstruction may be able to deduct the cost of her surgery since it would be considered a tax-deductible operation.
Can I Deduct Simply For Cosmetic Reasons?
As previously stated, a breast reconstruction after a mastectomy may be deducted from your tax liability as a medical cost. Breast reductions and scar correction are two examples of procedures that may be deducted from your tax liability.
If you’re simply looking for a cosmetic procedure to change your appearance or enhance the look of your body, unfortunately, such expenses are not tax deductible, despite the fact that many patients wish they were.
Is It Possible To Deduct Breast Augmentation From My Taxes?
Your cosmetic surgery may usually be deducted from your medical expenses when it is necessary to treat your health problems, such as back discomfort caused by your breast size, and you’ve seen a doctor about it. Because of congenital flaws, accidents, traumas, or disfiguring illnesses, you may be entitled to claim a deduction for the cost of cosmetic surgery to correct or repair deformities. In summary, if the surgery is really necessary for your health, you may be able to claim a tax deduction.
The correct channels must be followed in order to guarantee that your surgery will be covered if you have a medical ailment with a significant negative impact on your quality of life. Meeting with a medical expert or board-certified surgeon will guarantee that you have the most up-to-date information possible as you go through the process.
