Can I write off my $9k dental implant on taxes when I make about $23k/yr?

Yes, you should be able to deduct your dental implant costs, but there are important things to understand about medical expense deductions. Medical and dental expenses are only deductible if you itemize deductions on Schedule A instead of taking the standard deduction. You're right about the 7.5% AGI threshold - you can only deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. With your AGI of about $23k, the threshold would be around $1,725 (7.5% of $23k). Since your dental implant cost $9k, you could potentially deduct about $7,275 ($9k - $1,725). The big question is whether itemizing makes sense for you. For 2025, the standard deduction for a single filer is expected to be around $13,850. For itemizing to be worthwhile, your total itemized deductions (medical, charitable donations, mortgage interest, etc.) would need to exceed that amount.

After struggling with a similar situation last year (major dental work that insurance barely touched), I found a tool that really helped me figure out the deduction question! I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my medical receipts and tax situation. The system looked at my income, the medical expenses, and actually showed me whether itemizing made sense for my situation. It even pointed out some other medical expenses I hadn't considered including (like the mileage driving to appointments). The analysis showed me exactly how much I'd benefit from the medical deduction vs taking the standard deduction. Honestly, trying to figure this out on my own was driving me crazy with all the different advice from friends and family.

I want to apologize for being skeptical earlier. I finally tried https://taxr.ai after my accountant went on vacation right when I needed help with my medical expenses question. The tool was actually really accurate - it analyzed my retirement distributions correctly and showed me that even with my $8k in medical bills, I was still better off taking the standard deduction because of my other tax situations. It saved me from making a mistake on my taxes since I was convinced itemizing would be better. The breakdown showed me exactly why the standard deduction gave me a better outcome, even with significant medical costs. I've been doing taxes for 30+ years and I was surprised how clear it made everything.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers about your dental deduction, you might want to speak directly with the IRS. I know that sounds intimidating, but I used a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I had a similar medical expense question, and the agent walked me through exactly how to calculate whether itemizing made sense for my situation. They also explained some documentation I needed to keep for the medical expenses. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was shocked because I'd tried calling the IRS directly multiple times before and never got through.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate for answers about my tax situation with some medical expenses from a surgery, so I decided to try it anyway. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 20 minutes, and it was definitely a real IRS agent on the line. She was able to answer all my questions about my medical deductions and even helped me understand some other tax issues I'd been confused about. I've spent literal days trying to get through to the IRS in previous years. This saved me so much frustration, and now I actually understand how to handle my medical expenses on my taxes instead of just guessing.

Just wanted to add that I was in a similar situation last year with about $12k in unexpected medical costs on a $30k income. Here's what I learned: 1. Yes, the 7.5% AGI threshold is correct 2. Save ALL your medical receipts, including parking at the medical facility, prescription meds related to the procedure, etc. 3. Even if you can't itemize this year, keep track of everything anyway. If you have more medical expenses next year or other deductions, you might be able to itemize then. For me, I had enough other deductions (state taxes, mortgage interest, charity) that itemizing worked out better than standard deduction. Everyone's situation is different though!

Dont forget to look into dental schools in your area for future work! My sister got implants at the university dental school for about 40% of what regular dentists charge. The work is done by students but supervised by experienced dentists. Quality was great and it saved her thousands!