Can I use Hearing Aids as a tax write-off for work expenses?

Yes, hearing aids can potentially be deducted on your taxes, but it depends on how you claim them. You have two main options: First, you can claim them as a medical expense deduction on Schedule A if you itemize deductions. Medical expenses are only deductible if they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). So if your AGI is $60,000, you'd need more than $4,500 in total medical expenses before you could start deducting anything. Alternatively, if you're self-employed, you might be able to deduct them as a business expense if they're necessary for your work and not reimbursed. This would be more advantageous since business expenses aren't subject to the 7.5% floor.

After struggling with similar hearing aid expenses, I discovered a service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that was incredibly helpful. I was confused about whether my hearing aids could be deductible since I need them for both work and personal life. Their AI analyzed my situation and tax documents, then gave me personalized guidance about how to properly document and claim the expense given my specific circumstances. The tool highlighted potential deductions I was missing and found a way to legitimately classify part of my hearing aid expense that my human tax preparer had overlooked. It even generated the proper documentation I needed to substantiate the deduction if I'm audited.

I was definitely wrong about taxr.ai. I tried it after posting that skeptical comment, and it's way more sophisticated than I expected. Uploaded my records and expenses, and it immediately flagged my hearing aids as a potential "dual-purpose" medical/business expense. It actually produced a detailed analysis with citations to specific tax code provisions and rulings that applied to my exact situation as a part-time self-employed consultant. What impressed me most was how it generated a documentation package explaining exactly how to allocate the expense between medical and business use based on my specific work patterns. Ended up saving me over $850 compared to how I was planning to file. Definitely worth checking out if you have hearing aids or other medical expenses that also enable your work.

If you need to speak with the IRS about hearing aid deductions (which I highly recommend before filing), use Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS to get clarity on my hearing aid deduction situation. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Then I tried Claimyr and had an actual IRS agent on the phone within 20 minutes! They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is ready. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance on how to document my hearing aid expenses to maximize my deduction based on my particular work situation. Seriously saved me hours of frustration.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment above. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 2.5 hours yesterday only to get disconnected AGAIN, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr. I honestly thought it was going to be a scam. But wow - I had an actual IRS agent on the phone within 35 minutes of signing up. The system called me when an agent was ready, and I was able to ask detailed questions about my hearing aid deductions as both a medical expense and possible business necessity. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to maintain and how to properly categorize the expense on my return. Turns out there's a specific way to allocate costs if the hearing aids are both medically necessary AND required for work. Would never have known this without speaking directly to the IRS. 100% worth it after wasting days trying to get through on my own.

My audiologist actually gave me a letter stating that my hearing aids were medically necessary for my employment. This helped tremendously when filing my taxes. Ask your audiologist to document how your specific hearing loss impacts your ability to perform your job functions, and make sure they specifically state that the hearing aids are necessary for employment.

Does anyone know if FSA or HSA can be used for hearing aids? I'm thinking about next year and wondering if I should increase my contributions to help pay for them pre-tax?

As someone who's worked in tax preparation for years, I want to emphasize that documentation is absolutely crucial for hearing aid deductions. Keep all receipts, insurance correspondence (even denials), and any medical documentation about your hearing loss. One thing I don't see mentioned here is that if you're claiming hearing aids as a medical expense, make sure to include ALL related costs - not just the devices themselves. This includes audiologist visits, hearing tests, batteries, maintenance, and even travel expenses to medical appointments. These ancillary costs can add up and help you reach that 7.5% AGI threshold for medical deductions. Also, be aware that if you later receive any insurance reimbursement or settlement related to these hearing aids, you may need to include that as income if you previously deducted the expense. The IRS calls this the "tax benefit rule" - basically you can't double-dip on the tax benefit.

Just wanted to add another option that might help - if your employer offers a Dependent Care FSA or if you have access to a Health Savings Account through a high-deductible health plan, you can use those pre-tax dollars for hearing aids. This gives you an immediate tax benefit rather than waiting to see if you can clear the 7.5% AGI hurdle for medical deductions. Also, if you're considering financing the hearing aids, some medical financing companies offer interest-free periods. While the interest itself isn't deductible, spreading the cost over time might help you better manage the expense while still allowing you to claim the full deduction in the year you became liable for the payment. One more tip - if you're close to retirement or expect lower income next year, it might be worth considering whether to accelerate other medical expenses into this tax year to help reach that 7.5% threshold, or alternatively, defer the hearing aid purchase if possible to a year when your AGI will be lower and the threshold easier to meet.