Pub 502 states: You can include in medical expenses the cost of a hearing aid and batteries, repairs, and maintenance needed to operate it.
Would the cost of an Extended Warranty come under the category of "maintenance needed to operate it", and therefore be deductible?
Thanks.
needed to operate it", and therefore be deductible?
In my opinion yes because you are reducing the cost of a future repair, and the future repairs would be deductible if you did not have the warranty, so the warranty should be deductible too. It's like buying a more expensive hearing aid that does not break as easily. This is just my logic. I couldn't find anything looking relevant by searching for "warranty" in
"maintenance needed to operate it", and therefore be deductible?
future repairs would be deductible if you did not have the warranty, so the warranty should be deductible too. It's like buying a more expensive hearing aid that does not break as easily. This is just my logic. I couldn't find anything looking relevant by searching for "warranty" in
"maintenance needed to operate it", and therefore be deductible?
the future repairs would be deductible if you did not have the warranty, so the warranty should be deductible too. It's like buying a more expensive hearing aid that does not break as easily. This is just my logic. I couldn't find anything looking relevant by searching for "warranty" in
How buying a warranty that may eliminate or reduce the cost of a future repair translates into being maintenance cost befuddles me. A warranty is not an expense that keeps the hearing aids in good working order.
Well, there are many things about IRS regulations that befuddle me also. That is why I asked the question.
To me, it seems that since an extended warrantee is a legitimate expensable item for equipment, and since its purpose is to eliminate or reduce the cost of a future repair, the IRS might consider it a maintenance charge.
Clearly, the manufacturer's warrantee on initial purchase (not stated separately) is considered part of the cost of the equipment and deductible.
Furthermore, although the regulations for FSA's do not mention maintenance on eyeglasses, and specifically exclude "eyeglass and other vision-related warranties" as well as warrantees for certain other categories, there is no such exclusion stated for hearing aids, and maintenance is INcluded.
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