Who Can Claim a Tax Deduction for Glasses?

Understanding available tax deductions can feel complex, but understanding available benefits can significantly reduce your taxable income. For many, vision care costs, including eyeglasses, represent a notable out-of-pocket expense. Fortunately, these costs can lead to a tax reduction through the medical expense deduction. This allows taxpayers to receive a financial benefit for qualifying health-related expenditures.

Understanding Medical Expense Deductions

A medical expense deduction allows taxpayers to subtract certain unreimbursed healthcare costs from their income, thereby lowering their overall tax liability. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines medical expenses as the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or for affecting any part or function of the body. This broad definition includes vision care, such as payments for eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and some eye surgeries like LASIK.

To qualify for this deduction, your total unreimbursed medical expenses must exceed a specific percentage of your adjusted gross income (AGI). For 2024, this threshold is 7.5% of your AGI. Only the amount of medical expenses that goes beyond 7.5% of your AGI is potentially deductible. For example, if your AGI is $50,000, you can only deduct the medical expenses that exceed $3,750 ($50,000 x 0.075).

This deduction is an itemized deduction, meaning you must choose to itemize your deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040 rather than taking the standard deduction. Taxpayers typically itemize if their total itemized deductions, which include medical expenses, state and local taxes, and home mortgage interest, exceed their standard deduction amount. The standard deduction amounts can be substantial, making it less common for taxpayers to itemize unless they have significant qualifying expenses.

Eligibility for Claiming Medical Expenses

Medical expenses can be claimed for the taxpayer, their spouse, and their dependents. This allows families to aggregate their qualifying medical costs, potentially increasing the likelihood of exceeding the AGI threshold. The definition of a “dependent” for tax purposes includes both qualifying children and qualifying relatives.

Qualifying Child

A qualifying child must meet several tests: relationship, age, residency, support, and joint return. A qualifying child is typically your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or a descendant of any of them. They must be under age 19 at the end of the tax year, or under age 24 if a full-time student, and younger than the taxpayer (or spouse if filing jointly). The child must have lived with you for more than half the year, and they cannot have provided more than half of their own support.

Qualifying Relative

A qualifying relative is another category of dependent. This individual does not necessarily have to be related to you, but if not, they must have lived with you for the entire year as a member of your household. They must have a gross income less than $5,050 for 2024. You must also have provided more than half of their total support during the year.

Special Situations

In situations involving divorced parents, a special rule applies. Even if one parent claims the child as a dependent for other tax benefits, the parent who actually paid the child’s medical expenses can deduct those expenses. This applies if the child was in the custody of one or both parents for more than half the year, and the parents together provided over half of the child’s support. Similarly, adult children supporting elderly parents can claim their parents’ medical expenses if the parents meet the qualifying relative tests and the adult child provides more than half of their support.

Preparing to Claim Medical Expenses

Accurately claiming medical expense deductions requires careful record-keeping throughout the year. It is important to retain all documentation related to vision care, such as receipts for eye exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and any related medical consultations or procedures. These records should clearly indicate the date of service, the name of the service provider, the recipient of the care, and the exact amount paid. The nature and purpose of the medical care received should also be evident from the documentation.

Maintaining organized records is important, even though these documents are not typically submitted with your tax return. The IRS recommends keeping records associated with tax deductions, including medical expenses, for at least three to seven years. This retention period is important because the IRS may request these records in the event of an audit or inquiry. Aggregating all qualified medical expenses for the tax year from these detailed records is a necessary step before calculating any potential deduction.

Filing Your Medical Expense Deduction

Once you have prepared and aggregated all your qualified medical expenses, the next step involves reporting this information on your tax return. Medical expense deductions are reported on Schedule A (Form 1040), titled “Itemized Deductions.” On Schedule A, you will transfer the total amount of your qualified medical expenses to the designated line.

After entering your total medical expenses, you will calculate the deductible amount by subtracting 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Only the portion of your expenses exceeding this AGI threshold is carried forward as a deduction. Schedule A is then attached to your main tax form, Form 1040, when you file your return.

The decision to itemize deductions, including medical expenses, versus taking the standard deduction is a strategic one. Your tax software or tax preparer will help you determine which option results in a lower tax liability. It is important to review all entries on Schedule A for accuracy before submitting your tax return to ensure all eligible expenses are correctly reported and calculated.