An optical prescription question

I have no answer to your tax question, but I am intrigued by your home method for determining your prescription. Do tell.

As long as a licensed health professional has determined that there is a medical reason to obtain corrective lenses, then I see no reason why you could not deduct the cost of performing your own exam (what you paid for the lens set and test frames) versus the deductible cost of paying someone else to perform the exam.

Via ebay, for example,you can get a set of trial lenses. The price varies with how big the set is. You can also get a trial frame in which to put the glasses. You can then put lenses in the frame until you get the best performance you can. Then you can read your prescription.

This is no substitute for an eye exam to diagnose medical problems.If you do not know what you are doing you can harm young eyes. I am rather old, and my refractive status is not likely to change from what it is now. You still have to know something about optics. For example, once you determine the best spherical correction, you have to determine the astigmatism. Adding a cylindrical lens means you also have to change the sphere correction to compensate for the sphere introduced by the cylinder.

You also need to measure the PD or pupillary separation of the eyes. There is no black magic involved. The advantage is that there is no "Which is better, one or two."

The medical, not biological, reason for requiring is minimal. You cannot deduct the cost of regular food even though the consequences of starving can lead to medical conditions. I expect the cost of getting a prescription for eyeglasses is relatively low, under 50 dollars. It is the 200 on up dollars for the actual glasses that is the expensive part.

On 2/15/14 9:04 AM, Salmon Egg wrote:I am not usre

I am not sure of the point you are trying to make. So let me add some clarity. Starting with the basics...

Medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. Therefore, the determination that your eyesight is no longer normal and the cost to correct the abnormality become deductible medical expenses.

You can not self diagnose. But, once you have a diagnosis that your eyesight is no longer normal and that corrective lenses can mitigate the abnormality, your costs to obtain the eyeglass Rx and the cost of the eyeglasses become deductible. Therefore, buying the trial lens set and test frames meet the definition of deductible medical expenses as their use is to mitigate the disease.

If you already have a prescription, you can order eyeglasses online for as little as $7/pair. I require bifocals, so mine cost more, but I'm happy with the pair I bought online.

I also have bought bifocals on-line and been satisfied, Sometimes it is a hassle to get a prescription to do what you want. I have modified prescriptions for distance vision to get what I want for viewing computer displays. I have had highfalutin sources make serious prescription errors.

I find it unfair that certain professions get a legal monopoly to be middlemen for services you can perform for yourself. Requiring physicians in the loop to determine deductibility is one of these abominations. If prescribed, I am pretty sure you can deduct as many pairs of prescribed eyeglasses as you wish to use for fashion statements.

It is not only the tax implications that bother me. I do not go out to buy health items because they are deductible.

I'll complain about hearing aids another day.