If your doctor has prescribed massage therapy as a medically necessary treatment, you may be able to deduct the cost of the massage from your taxes. The IRS does not specifically include massage in its list of medical expenses, so it is important to understand the rules and regulations surrounding this deduction. In order to qualify for a medical expense deduction, the massage must be prescribed by a health professional and there must be evidence that it is medically necessary. If the IRS can prove that the massage is solely for the purpose of improving your health and not for the treatment of an illness, then it would not constitute a medical expense.
As a medical massage therapist, I often work with clients who have been recommended to me by their general practitioner, physical therapist, or chiropractor. Many clients go to massage therapists while receiving physical therapy, recovering from an injury, as part of their chronic pain management, and recovering after surgery. Others may have exhausted standard medical solutions and are turning to massage as a last means of managing their health. As long as the massage has been recommended or prescribed by a medical professional, massage therapy can be a qualified medical expense that is tax-deductible. When you add up all your medical expenses and the total exceeds 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI), you can deduct massage therapy costs beyond that threshold.
To calculate the amount you are allowed to deduct on Schedule A (Form 1040), list your deductions for a taxable year in Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions.
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