Taxpayer asks:
I have a weird question. My insurance doesn’t cover the cost of my birth control pills. Can I deduct them on my taxes? What about other forms of birth control, like condoms?
Thanks,
Taxgirl says:
Wow, I didn’t realize that there were any insurance companies left that didn’t offer coverage for birth control pills. But that said, yes, you can absolutely deduct the cost of birth control pills as a medical expense.
Keep in mind that to actually take advantage of the deduction, you need to itemize your deductions – if you file with the standard deduction, the deduction isn’t available. You report medical expenses on Schedule A of your form 1040. Unfortunately, there are some limits: medical expenses are only deductible to the extent that they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). This means if your AGI is $30,000, you’d have to rack up $2,250 in medical expenses before you can claim any of the expenses. For a list of what else might qualify, check out this prior post on medical expenses.
Almost anything that requires the services of a physician would qualify – IUD, Norplant, etc. Additionally, the costs of sterilization for women and vasectomies for men are deductible.
What you won’t see on that list are other non-prescription forms of birth control, like condoms. As a general rule, non-prescription drugs and medicines, as well as “personal use items”, are not deductible.
Like any good lawyer, I need to add a disclaimer: Unfortunately, it is impossible to give comprehensive tax advice over the internet, no matter how well researched or written. Before relying on any information given on this site, contact a tax professional to discuss your particular situation.
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