Is a visit to a nutritionist deductible?

[leebee]

It wasn't formally prescribed by my doctor but I did get an informal recommendation to see one. 

[Abhijith]

Hello. You want to know if a nutritionist office visit qualifies as a medical expense?  To answer your question, it would depend. I have the needed information below for you to review.

If you and your spouse are both under age 65, on your 2014 tax return that you will file in 2015, you can deduct on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions (Form 1040) only the amount of your unreimbursed allowable medical and dental expenses that is more than 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) from  Form 1040, line 37.

If you or your spouse is 65 or over, you are temporarily exempt from the increase. The exemption applies to any tax year beginning after December 31, 2012, and ending before January 1, 2017, if you or your spouse attained age 65 during or before the tax year. (IRS link information taken from: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Questions-and-Answers:-2013-Changes-to-the-Itemized-Deduction-for-Med...

Here are the basic IRS guidelines of what you will need to file the expense:

• Filing status
• Type and amount of expenses paid
• The year in which the expenses were paid
• Your adjusted gross income
• If you were reimbursed or if expenses were paid out of a Health Savings Account or an Archer Medical Savings Account

IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses review. This publication explains the itemized deduction for medical and dental expenses that you claim on Schedule A (Form 1040).

• It discusses what expenses, and whose expenses, you can and cannot include in figuring the deduction.
• Explains how to treat reimbursements and how to figure the deduction.
• Tells you how to report the deduction on your tax return and what to do if you sell medical property or receive damages for a personal injury.
• Explains how to treat impairment-related work expenses, health insurance premiums if you are self-employed, and the health coverage tax credit that is available to certain individuals.

Here is the link this information came from: http://www.irs.gov/uac/About-Publication-502

Hope this helps!

[thuyvuong]

Nutritionist charges are tax deductible if the services were recommended by a doctor for a medically appropriate diagnosis. And if it treats a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity or diabetes). Otherwise, the cost of nutritional counseling is not a medical expense.

[TomK2023]

Then based on just an informal recommendation, then No, you can not deduct the cost of a visit to a nutritionist.

"You can't include in medical expenses the cost of nutritional supplements, vitamins, herbal supplements, “natural medicines,” etc., unless they are recommended by a medical practitioner as treatment for a specific medical condition diagnosed by a physician. These items are taken to maintain your ordinary good health and aren't for medical care."

IRS Pub. 502 - Medical and Dental Expenses (page 16)