It depends. If they are prescribed by a doctor and not able to be bought without a prescription, then yes, they are tax deductible if you are itemizing your return. If you are simply buying something off the store shelf, then no, Over the counter drugs are not deductible as a medical expense.
If you are itemizing, your medications and all medical expenses are only deductible for the amount that is over 7.5% of your AGI. This means if your AGI is $50,000, then the amount that is over $3,750 is deductible.
Itemized expenses include mortgage interest, gambling losses up to winnings, charitable contributions, state and local taxes up to $10,000, medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of your AGI and casualty and losses in excess of 10% of you AGI with the first $100 not counting towards the loss.
Then your total itemized expenses would need to be greater than your standard deduction below in order to benefit from your expenses.
The 2024 Standard Deductions are as follows:
- Married Filing Joint (MFJ) $29,200
- Married Filing Separate (MFS) $14,600
- Head of Household (HOH) $21,900
- Single $14,600
Blind or over 65 and MFJ or MFS add $1,550
Single or HOH if blind or over 65 add $1,950
Standard versus Itemized Deduction
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