Quote:
Originally Posted by annapurna
I believe it's 7.5% of your adjusted gross income that is the threshold to deduct medical. You also have to watch what you can deduct. Hotels are $50 per night if I remember correctly, regardless of what you spent. Travel for a companion wasn't deductible unless that person had medical training and was necessary for your care. Basically, save every receipt and sit down towards the end of the year to figure out what you can deduct. Also, a huge deduction makes an audit more likely so be careful to document everything, including the benefits of traveling to see your chosen surgeon.
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It *was* 7.5%. Beginning with this calendar year (2013), that amount went up to 10%, so I didn't bother posting that 7.5% number, as, from this point on, anyone reading this will be subject to the 10% tax rate.
In America, just to clarify, the tax year is the calendar year. As far as hotels and such go, I'm a lot less concerned about that than the cost of the surgery itself. Our tax guy estimated that our tax refund next year would exceed my husband's income! But that's because I am doing so many freaking levels at once. The likelihood of this kind of money being spent again on this forum is low, but just in case. PLUS, our accountant deals with the IRS for us if we do get audited. Gotta love H&R Block! I tell ya, man, $35.00 is a small price to pay for someone else to deal with the IRS if they dispute your 80k tax deduction (and that's just for the surgery alone, not any of the extra things like food and flights).
Also, my husband may not have medical training (actually he *does*, but it is Alternative Healing stuff), but I challenge anyone to tell someone getting SIX levels of their spine replaced that they don't need a support person on the trip. Of course, it is the government, so who knows. I will also be getting letters of medical necessity from all of my various doctors, so that should help too.
Oh, and, even 50 bucks a night for the hotel would be great to get back!