Can I deduct eyeglasses?

September, 19 2019 by Karen Thomas-Brandt, EA
Woman wearing eyeglasses

The short answer is “Yes.” However, as with most tax questions, the better answer is “It depends.” Medical expenses are deductible if they are paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease or illness. So, if you are talking about “fashion” eyeglasses, then no, those are not deductible; however, prescription eyeglasses for correcting your vision are deductible as a medical expense on Schedule A, as long as you have NOT been reimbursed for the expense. To make it a little more complicated, medical expenses as a whole are deductible in 2018 only if they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Finally, if you choose to take the standard deduction rather than itemize because it is more beneficial, you will not get to take advantage of the eyeglass deduction.

For example, Joe, a single taxpayer with an adjusted gross income of $50,000, purchased a pair of prescription eyeglasses in 2018 for $200. With a filing status of single, Joe is entitled to a standard deduction of $12,000; however, with that standard deduction, there is no benefit of the eyeglass expense. If Joe wanted to deduct and benefit from the eyeglass expense, his total medical expenses (including the eyeglasses), would need to be $3750 or more ($50,000 * 7.5% = $3750). And his total itemized deductions would also need to exceed $12,000 (the standard deduction he would receive without itemizing).

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Karen Thomas-Brandt, EA

Karen Thomas-Brandt, EA
Tax Content Developer

 
Karen Thomas-Brandt, EA, has been with TaxAudit for over ten years. During that time, she has held several positions in the company, including Audit Department Assistant, Quality Control Specialist, Corporate Trainer, and Resource Manager. Her current role is Tax Content Developer, where she specializes in researching complicated tax topics as well as developing and updating education materials. With more than 20 years in the tax field, Karen has prepared thousands of tax returns and helped to defend hundreds of taxpayers in audits. Outside of work, Karen enjoys time with family, reading, and yoga.
 

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