Gym Expenses; Medical ?

Dec 21, 2010 2 Replies

Hello,



If your MD tells you to go to a gym for exercises, hopefully to reduce high blood pressure, and also to bring weight down, are the gym expenses a Medical Deduction since your Dr. prescribed your going ?



Thanks, B.


That's too loose to be an allowed deduction.

From Pub 502; You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group as well as fees for attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities.

This is a pretty clear explanation of what's allowed or not.

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