I was a self pay and would like to know what kind of documentation other self pays used for a tax deduction.......:help:

Hello, I'm an accountant, although I don't do taxes (I try and avoid it), I am a CPA and here is some info from the IRS website: Publication 502 (2007), Medical and Dental Expenses

How Much of the Expenses Can You Deduct?

You can deduct only the amount of your medical and dental expenses that is more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 38).

In this publication, the term “7.5% limit” is used to refer to 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. The phrase “subject to the 7.5% limit” is also used. This phrase means that you must subtract 7.5% (.075) of your adjusted gross income from your medical expenses to figure your medical expense deduction.

Example.

Your adjusted gross income is $40,000, 7.5% of which is $3,000. You paid medical expenses of $2,500. You cannot deduct any of your medical expenses because they are not more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

Whose Medical Expenses Can You Include?

You can generally include medical expenses you pay for yourself, as well as those you pay for someone who was your spouse or your dependent either when the services were provided or when you paid for them. There are different rules for decedents and for individuals who are the subject of multiple support agreements.

Great info. I was self pay also and between my lap band and some co-pays for a emergency room run for my son, we might be able to write off some of this.

Thanks, that helps alot! However, I am concerned about what paper docs are needed!

Hey Sunshine, 81 pounds in a year, not bad woman!

Save your receipts, also, you might get your medical records. You would have to have a BMI of 40+ and that is considered Obese, the IRS recognizes obesity as a disease.

I would just keep all this information in a file with your tax return in case you are ever audited. They will want to see proof of what you paid, then they will want to make sure it was medically necessary (and you can show that you were obese), so the medical records from your doctor should be sufficient. You won't need all of them, just your first visit, which will show your weight, your bmi etc.

PS - thanks for the compliment! Still working hard to get rid of the last 20+ pounds. The past 6 months have been the hardest!

I will be using this deduction myself!!

Absolutely! Two years ago. Without going into any long explination,

my tax guy said anything that improves your health so that you can do your job better is absolutely deductible.

I write mine off completely. You can get a statement from your doctor.

I'm Canadian and I will be claiming my surgery. Revenue Canada will ask to see the receipts. As long as we have the receipts it is fine.

You have to have proof that your surgery was your treatment for a specific disease. Below is an excerpt from the IRS code:

Weight-Loss Program

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease).

Since the word OBESITY is in their code, they recognize that as a disease, so I am covered. I had no other problens, HBP, Diabetes, etc...

Looks like the proof for obesity would be easily obtained from the surgeon, as someone stated already...

Hi everyone. BC/BS covered my surgery but I'm still giving a receipt for every penny I put out in relation to the surgery to my tax guy in case he can count it from prescriptions to all my co-pays to the pre-op protein diet. I figure it's worth a try when added to other deductions.