Are dental braces considered a cosmetic , or a medical procedure for the purpose of eligible tax benefits?

Any dental expense [including mileage to %26amp; from the office] can be used for a medical deduction on income tax once you have reached the 3% of your gross income.

Are dental braces considered a cosmetic , or a medical procedure for the purpose of eligible tax benefits?
i think they are cosmetic, unless u had a injury and u had to use braces
Reply:Check the IRS website for tax benefits. They should be covered if you are asking about a FSA or HRA account.
Reply:A medical (including dental) deduction is allowed only for expenses paid for the prevention or alleviation of a physical or mental defect or illness. Medical care expenses include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or treatment affecting any structure or function of the body.





While dental braces improve the appearance of teeth, they can also be used to treat an underlying medical condition. I suggest you have the orthodontist write a letter stating why the braces are needed. Also, if you have a payment arrangement with the orthodontist, you can only deduct the amount you actually pay in a tax year not the entire amount of the braces. Canceled checks are not proof of payment so obtain a receipt from your orthodontics for your tax records.





Transportation costs primarily for and essential to medical care qualify as medical expenses. The actual fare for a taxi, bus, train, or ambulance can be deducted. If you use your car for medical transportation, you can deduct actual out–of–pocket expenses such as gas and oil, or you can deduct the standard mileage rate for medical expenses. With either method you may include tolls and parking fees.





To obtain additional information refer to IRS Publication 502 -Medical and Dental Expenses. You can ask the advise of a tax professional but ultimately the responsibility is yours so use your best judgment.
Reply:99% cosmetic and 1% medical to treat underlying conditions, yu would need cert from your orthodontist as to what your treatment if any belong to
Reply:Braces are a medical procedure. Think of it as a back brace. If your back needed a brace to fix it then that is medical and if your teeth needed braces to fix them then the braces are medical too. That's why some of the cost of the braces will be covered by insurance because it is medical.