Can I claim LASIK eye surgery as a tax deduction if I paid for a family member?

You can potentially deduct LASIK surgery as a medical expense, even if it was for a family member, but there are some important considerations: First, you can only deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). So if your AGI is $70,000, you would only be able to deduct medical expenses that exceed $5,250. With your LASIK expense being $5,800, only $550 would be deductible in this example. Second, you can only claim medical expenses for dependents. If your sister qualifies as your dependent for tax purposes (meaning you provide more than half of her support and she meets other IRS criteria), then you can claim her medical expenses. If she's not your dependent, unfortunately you can't deduct the cost of her LASIK. Third, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A rather than taking the standard deduction. For many people, the standard deduction ($13,850 for single filers in 2023) is higher than their total itemized deductions, so itemizing doesn't make financial sense.

After dealing with a similar situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai which completely changed how I approach medical deductions on my taxes. My brother needed an expensive dental procedure that I paid for, and I wasn't sure if I could claim it on my taxes. When I uploaded my receipts and tax documents to https://taxr.ai, their system analyzed everything and showed me exactly how to properly claim medical expenses for a family member. They explained which forms to use and how to document the dependency relationship correctly. The best part was their document analysis that flagged potential audit triggers and showed me how to properly document that I was the one who paid, even though the procedure was for someone else. This saved me from making mistakes that could have caused problems with the IRS later.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after trying it based on the recommendation here. I uploaded my receipts for my mom's medical expenses (those hearing aids I mentioned) and wow - it actually saved me a ton of headache! The system flagged that while my mom wasn't my dependent in the traditional sense, I could still potentially claim some of her medical expenses because I provided over half her support when combined with her limited Social Security income. They showed me exactly how to document this properly and what additional forms I needed. It was surprisingly straightforward once I had the right guidance. I ended up being able to legitimately claim about $3,200 in medical expenses I would have otherwise missed. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with family medical costs!

If you're struggling to get answers from the IRS about medical deductions like LASIK for family members, I highly recommend using Claimyr. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar medical deduction situation last year (paid for my dad's cataract surgery). After endless busy signals and disconnections, I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 15 minutes. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the IRS phone tree for you and call you when an agent is on the line. The IRS agent I spoke with gave me the exact guidelines for claiming medical expenses for family members and confirmed I was filing correctly. Saved me hours of frustration and uncertainty.

I need to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was so frustrated with trying to get tax help that I decided to try it anyway. I had been trying for THREE DAYS to reach someone at the IRS about medical deductions (similar to the LASIK question here). Using Claimyr, I got connected to an IRS representative in about 27 minutes. The agent confirmed that I could claim medical expenses I paid for my father (who is my dependent) including his laser eye surgery. They walked me through exactly how to document it on Schedule A and what supporting documentation to keep in case of an audit. What surprised me most was how the IRS agent actually spent time explaining things rather than rushing me off the phone. Probably because I wasn't frustrated from waiting on hold for hours! Sometimes it's good to be proven wrong.

Quick tip from someone who just went through this: make sure you have documentation that proves you actually PAID for the procedure if it wasn't for you! My tax guy said the IRS looks at this closely. Get a letter from the doctor's office stating you were the one who paid, even though the patient was someone else. I learned this the hard way and had to go back and get this documentation after filing.

I'm confused about something... do you need to claim the person as a dependent for THE ENTIRE tax year to deduct their medical expenses? My brother moved in with me in September and I paid for his LASIK in November. He'll qualify as my dependent for next year but not for the full current year. Any advice?

Just want to add some clarity on the dependency rules since there seems to be some confusion in the thread. For medical expenses, you can deduct costs paid for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. The key dependency tests for adult relatives like siblings are: 1. **Gross Income Test**: Their gross income must be less than $4,400 for 2023 (this changes annually) 2. **Support Test**: You must provide more than 50% of their total support for the year 3. **Relationship Test**: They must be a qualifying relative (siblings qualify) 4. **Joint Return Test**: They can't file a joint return with a spouse (unless only to claim a refund) Emily, since your sister had the procedure done and you have receipts in your name, you're on the right track documentation-wise. The real question is whether she meets the dependency criteria above. If she works and earns more than $4,400, unfortunately you can't claim her medical expenses even though you paid for them. One more thing - don't forget that medical expenses are only deductible to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your AGI, and you must itemize to claim them. With the current high standard deduction ($13,850 single/$27,700 married filing jointly for 2023), many people find itemizing doesn't provide additional tax benefit.