Treatment for Weight Loss is TAX DEDUCTABLE!!!!

A new year is upon us and it is time to start thinking about filing our dreaded taxes again. I was surprised to see that weight loss treatment is tax deductable while reading the AOA website. I found this site interesting as it has answers such questions as:

• Who is elibible for the deduction?

• What is the definition of a weight loss program? Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers were a couple of examples given. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a change in its policy regarding how taxpayers may deduct the costs of weight loss / weight control programs.

1. What has changed?
The IRS set out a new policy in a Revenue Ruling (2002-19) on April 2, 2002.

New Policy: In Revenue Ruling 2002-19, the IRS stated that, 'Obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right.' The IRS ruled that, 'Uncompensated amounts paid by individuals for participation in a weight-loss program as treatment for a specific disease or diseases (including obesity) diagnosed by a physician are expenses for medical care that are deductible under § 213, subject to the limitations of that section.' It's an informative site....check it out!!