It is commendable that any person takes the initial steps to deal with their alcoholism or drug dependency problem. Getting one’s life back on track is an important step to a bright new future. Unfortunately the costs of rehabilitation and the recovery process in general is not usually all that cheap. In fact, it is often quite expensive, with a lot of out of pocket costs being left up to the person receiving treatment for whatever their insurance does not cover. It is at this point that it might be a good idea to see a tax professional to check for possible tax deductible expenses. A person never knows what they can use as a nice little tax write off, until they ask.

Deducting Medical Expenses

One of the standing tax rules since December 31st, 2012, is that anyone can deduct medical expenses incurred by themselves, their spouse, or other members of their family, if those expenses exceed 10% of their gross income for people under the age of 65. For people age 65 or older, this percentage drops to medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of the person’s gross income for that tax year. This difference for people 65 and older is only a temporary measure that is set to terminate in 2016. If a person believes they qualify for this type of deduction, it is important to speak with a tax professional to make sure it gets itemized properly on the right tax form. When it comes to taxes, there is no reason to avoid saving all the money you can, no matter who you are or what situation you are in.

Do Payments For Drug Or Alcohol Treatment Count?

It is one thing to talk about general medical costs, but what about writing off payments that cover treatment received for drug or alcohol addiction? Not only does the current tax law allow for people to write off expenses incurred due to drug and alcohol treatment participation, but it also allows for people to write off expenses for getting help with smoking too. Even if you do not seek traditional treatment options, it is possible that a person might qualify for tax deductible expenses associated with alternative treatment options. It’s certainly something worth checking into to see if you qualify for any tax deductible expenses.

Bringing The Issue Up

Many people may feel too embarrassed with their situation to bring the issue up with a tax professional. It is important to realize that a person should not let feelings of shame or embarrassment stand between themselves and a tax write off they legitimately deserve under the law. Tax professionals are supposed to be professional and assist you in receiving the help you deserve to get any tax write off due to you according to the law. In order to get the tax write off you deserve, a person simply needs to ignore these feelings and inquire about the relevant facts. Since the ruling and relevant laws governing the write off are part of the IRS tax code, it might be best for individuals to seek to speak with a tax preparer at a local IRS office. If you go online and print out any information you find about the part of the tax code that allows for the write off in question, this makes it difficult for even the IRS to ignore what is due to a person under their own code. And having things in print may help to eliminate some of the general awkwardness of talking about what you are trying to get a write off for. Do not be shy about claiming tax deductible expenses.