Do holistic practitioner expenses count towards medical expenses?

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TurboTax Online

MindyB

Level 13

It depends. To be deductible, the expense must be to "diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent" a specific disease or to affect a structure or function of the body. Some expenses like acupuncture and chiropractic care are explicitly listed as deductible medical expenses by the IRS.

Many other holistic treatments, such as Naturopathy, Homeopathy, or Nutritional Counseling, etc. usually require a doctor’s note. This letter must state that the treatment is necessary to treat a specific diagnosed medical condition (like diabetes or chronic back pain).

You must itemize your deductions to claim medical expenses. Also, medical expenses are only deductible for the amount in excess of 7.5% of your AGI. ‌For example, if your AGI is $50,000, only your medical expenses over $3,750 can be claimed as an itemized deduction.‌

Refer to IRS Publication 502 for more information.