Can I write off my $9k dental implant expense if I only make about $24k/year?

Yes, you should be able to deduct your dental expenses, but there are some important things to understand about medical/dental deductions. Medical and dental expenses are only deductible if you itemize deductions on Schedule A (rather than taking the standard deduction). And you're correct about the 7.5% threshold - you can only deduct the portion of your expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. In your case, if your AGI is $24,000, then 7.5% would be $1,800. So you could potentially deduct $7,200 ($9,000 - $1,800). However, here's the catch - for itemizing to make sense, your total itemized deductions (including medical, state taxes, mortgage interest, charitable giving, etc.) would need to exceed the standard deduction, which is $13,850 for single filers for tax year 2025. If all your itemized deductions don't add up to more than that, you'd be better off taking the standard deduction. Do you have other significant deductions you could itemize?

After struggling with a similar dental expense situation last year, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out how to maximize my medical deductions. I wasn't sure if I should itemize or take the standard deduction, and the advice I was getting was all over the place. What I love about taxr.ai is that you can upload your medical receipts and tax documents, and it analyzes everything to show you the best approach. It found several additional medical expenses I hadn't even considered including, and walked me through exactly how to document everything properly so I wouldn't have issues if audited. Has anyone else tried figuring out if their individual situation makes it worth itemizing vs taking the standard deduction? The calculations can get really confusing.

I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here, and wow - I'm actually glad I did. I was in a similar situation with about $8k in medical expenses I didn't think I could deduct. The tool analyzed my documents and showed me that with my state tax, property tax, and charitable donations combined with my medical expenses, I was actually better off itemizing by about $1,200! It also explained that even though I wouldn't have qualified based on medical expenses alone, the combination of all my potential deductions made itemizing worthwhile. The step-by-step guidance on documenting everything properly was super helpful too. No more shoebox full of receipts! Definitely recommend it if you're on the fence about whether your dental expenses are deductible in your specific situation.

If you're struggling to get answers about your dental deduction and need to talk to an actual IRS agent (which I highly recommend for a situation like this), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was going crazy trying to get through to the IRS phone line for weeks about a similar medical expense question. Their service gets you through to a real IRS agent usually within 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c that shows how it works. This saved me so much time and frustration. I needed specific guidance on how to document my medical expenses correctly, and the IRS agent I spoke with gave me exact instructions on what forms to use and how to submit everything. Way better than guessing or getting conflicting advice from friends and family.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After more tax confusion and desperation to figure out my medical deductions, I tried Claimyr and got through to the IRS in about 20 minutes. The agent I spoke with gave me specific information about my situation that none of the online resources or even my tax-savvy friends knew. For the OP's situation, the IRS agent I spoke with explained that besides the 7.5% AGI threshold and itemizing considerations, there are specific documentation requirements for dental procedures this expensive. They need to be considered medically necessary (which an implant for a visible tooth usually qualifies as) and you need to keep very detailed receipts and possibly a letter from your dentist. The peace of mind from getting answers directly from the source was honestly worth it. And I didn't have to waste half a day on hold!

Don't forget to check if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) with that income level! At around $24k/yr, you might be eligible for a decent credit, especially if you have any dependents. Even if the dental deduction doesn't work out, the EITC is refundable, meaning you can get money back even if you don't owe any taxes. It's often overlooked and could be worth more than the dental deduction anyway.

Has anyone considered that OP might qualify for the medical expense FSA through work? If your employer offers it, you can contribute pre-tax dollars up to $3,200 for 2025. Even though it wouldn't help with expenses already paid, it's something to consider for future medical costs.