HOLY. COW. I did not know until today that all of your receipts for bariatric supplements, vitamins, meal replacements, protein, etc. are ALL TAX DEDUCTIBLE because it is a physician prescribed diet. This is the best news ever! I am saving those receipts!!!

Does that include protein bars as well???? LOL!!!!

YES!!! Keep those receipts!! We're getting so old, and paying everything off, that we need all the deductions we can get! HA!

Oh, and disregard my ticker....I just figured out how to add one, but I don't have a date yet

I've read online in various places that some nutritional supplement businesses drum up WLS customers for their products, mail the items to their customers, and directly bill the patients' Medicare / Medicaid / Insurance accounts for the supplements.

It seems iffy to me, but I really don't know if it's an actual scam.

I have a child with multiple food allergies and his specialized foods are also tax deductible under medical expenses. The caveat is only the cost above what a normal version of the item would cost is deductible. For example, my son has to drink rice milk at a cost of $5.98 per gallon. Regular milk is on average $3.28 a gallon. $2.70 is deductible for us for every gallon of rice milk we purchase ($5.98- $3.28= $2.70). I suggest double checking to make sure the same stipulation is or isn't applied to bariatric foods. Also, double check about deducting the mileage also to purchase bariatric foods! I suggest working with a good accountant if you want to use these deductions to make sure everything is done correctly.

Thanks for sharing a wonderful tip!

Just a quick note that medical expenses of any kind are not "deductible" like many other expenses (subtracted from taxable income).

However, deductible medical expenses must exceed a certain percentage of your taxable income.

* I am not a CPA.

@@VSGAnn2014 This is true.... what you said above. Only a percentage, and an accountant could tell you for sure.

Does that include Protein bars as well

@@BryBro63

:D :D :lol: :lol:

the way i love and eat Protein Bars..........

what a write off i would have had

good try

kathy

@@BryBro63 I was told that if your Protein bar is a physician approved Meal Replacement then yes, you can include it.

My insurance didn't cover my sleeve surgery at all, so it was self-pay. Can I use that cost as a write-off?

Yes, you can -- in accordance with the IRS rules found at:

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Deducting-Medical-and-Dental-Expenses

Edited December 2, 201411 yr by VSGAnn2014

Your write off is only what exceeds your agi of a certain percent which I think is 7.5%. I certainly hope supplements never exceed 7.5% to be able to claim. Self pay on a surgery definitely could though

It's now 10%. Thank you obama

HOLY. COW. I did not know until today that all of your receipts for bariatric supplements, vitamins, meal replacements, protein, etc. are ALL TAX DEDUCTIBLE because it is a physician prescribed diet. This is the best news ever! I am saving those receipts!!!

Good to know! I'll be sure to keep my receipts going forward.

The deductible is ONLY for what exceeds the cost of a normal meal and the total of all these deductibles must exceed 10% of your AGI if you were born after 1949. Before 1949, it's 7.5%. And it's only what is over the cost of regular meals.

The IRS national standard for food is $315 a month or $3,780 a year.

If your AGI is 50,000K, you need to exceed $5,000 less the $3,780 standard for food. Unless I'm missing something, that means you would have needed to have spent $8,781 ($168.87 per week) on protein shakes and protein bars for one person per year to qualify for a $1 deduction. Vitamins are out unless you have a severe deficiency because they fall under general health.

Just how much do these protein bars cost?