Can Mold Remediation Costs Be a Medical Tax Write Off for Child with Asthma?

Yes, you can potentially deduct mold remediation as a medical expense! According to IRS guidelines, medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income can be deducted if you itemize deductions on Schedule A. The key here is that you have documentation from multiple doctors stating this is medically necessary for your children's health conditions. The IRS allows deductions for "capital expenditures for medical purposes" - which includes home improvements primarily made for medical care. Since you have documentation that the mold removal is specifically to treat or mitigate your children's medical conditions, you have a strong case. Keep every single receipt and all the doctors' letters recommending the remediation. The more documentation you have connecting the expense directly to treating specific medical conditions, the better.

After dealing with a somewhat similar situation (black mold causing my son's chronic bronchitis), I discovered taxr.ai when trying to figure out if I could deduct the remediation costs. Their AI reviewed all my documentation and explained exactly how to properly claim the medical expense deduction. The system analyzed my doctor's letters and remediation quotes, then provided a detailed explanation of how the IRS treats these expenses. Check out https://taxr.ai if you're worried about doing this correctly - they can review your specific situation and documentation to make sure you maximize your deduction while staying compliant.

Ok I need to apologize to Profile 7 because I was super skeptical about taxr.ai but I gave it a try with our situation (we had lead paint remediation for our kid with high lead levels). The analysis was WAY more specific than what my accountant told me. It identified parts of our documentation I didn't even realize were important and explained exactly how to report everything. It even caught that some of our expenses (the temporary housing during remediation) could also qualify as medical expenses which I had no idea about. Not a scam at all - actually helped us increase our deduction by about $3,800.

If you're trying to get clarification directly from the IRS about your specific situation, good luck getting through on the phone. After trying for 3 weeks to reach someone about a similar medical expense question (pool installation for physical therapy), I used https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in 45 minutes instead of the 3+ hour hold time I kept getting. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically they wait on hold for you and call when an agent is ready. Saved me literally days of frustration because I needed a specific ruling on my situation before filing.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After posting that, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr because my audit situation was getting worse. I figured I had nothing to lose. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 90 minutes (which is WAY faster than the 3+ hours I'd been waiting before). The agent was able to resolve my audit question immediately. I'm still shocked it actually worked. Saved me taking another day off work to sit on hold. Definitely using this again next time I need to talk to the IRS.

Something else to consider - if your house has homeowners insurance, some policies might cover part of the mold remediation cost. Mine covered about 40% of it when we had a similar issue last year. It's worth checking before you pay everything out of pocket. Also, make sure the remediation company guarantees their work and does air quality testing afterwards. We had to have our work redone because the first company didn't actually fix the problem.

Has anyone actually successfully deducted mold remediation? My CPA said since it's a home improvement it can only be partially deductible based on the cost minus increased home value. I'm worried about getting audited if I try to deduct the whole thing.

I'm so sorry your family is going through this health crisis. As someone who went through a similar situation with my daughter's severe allergies, I understand how desperate you must feel. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you have a strong case for the medical deduction given that you have documentation from four different doctors. That's really solid evidence of medical necessity. One thing I'd add that I learned the hard way - make sure to get detailed invoices from the remediation company that break down exactly what work is being done for health/safety reasons versus general home improvement. Our contractor was able to separate out things like "medical-grade air filtration system installation" and "allergen barrier installation" which helped justify the medical nature of the work. Also document your children's health improvements after the remediation if possible. We kept a log of my daughter's symptoms before/during/after which our doctor said strengthened our case that the expense was truly medically necessary. I hope you can get this resolved quickly for your kids' sake. No parent should have to choose between their children's health and financial stability.

I want to echo what others have said - you absolutely have a strong case for deducting this as a medical expense. Having documentation from four different doctors is exceptional and really strengthens your position with the IRS. One additional point that might help: make sure to ask your doctors to be as specific as possible in their letters about how the mold is directly impacting each child's condition. Phrases like "medically necessary to prevent further deterioration" or "required to manage chronic asthma condition" carry more weight than general recommendations. Also, if you haven't already, consider getting a professional mold assessment report that documents the specific types and levels of mold in your home. This creates an official record of the problem that correlates with your children's symptoms. The fact that your 4-year-old has dropped to the 2nd percentile is extremely concerning from a medical standpoint, which actually works in your favor for the deduction. The IRS recognizes that some medical expenses are urgent and necessary regardless of cost. Keep every single piece of documentation - medical records, test results, photos of the mold, air quality reports, remediation quotes and final invoices. The more comprehensive your documentation, the less likely you'll face any challenges if questioned. Your children's health comes first, and it sounds like you have everything you need to properly claim this deduction. I hope the remediation helps them recover quickly.

I'm so sorry your family is dealing with this situation - having children with serious health issues is stressful enough without the financial burden of necessary medical treatments. Based on everything shared here, you have an exceptionally strong case for deducting the full remediation cost as a medical expense. Having four different doctors document that mold remediation is medically necessary is really compelling evidence. The IRS specifically allows deductions for home modifications that are primarily for medical care, and your situation clearly fits this criteria. A few practical suggestions from someone who works in tax preparation: 1. When you get the final remediation contract, ask the company to itemize the work with medical language where appropriate (e.g., "installation of medical-grade air filtration," "removal of health-hazardous materials," etc.) 2. Keep a detailed health log for both children starting now - document symptoms, medications, doctor visits, emergency room visits, etc. This creates a clear timeline showing the medical necessity and urgency 3. After remediation, continue the health log to document improvements. This demonstrates that the expense was truly effective medical treatment 4. Consider getting a written statement from your children's doctors specifically addressing the tax deduction - many physicians are willing to write letters that explicitly state the remediation is "medically necessary treatment" for tax purposes Your children's health is the priority here, and you shouldn't have to choose between their wellbeing and your financial stability. With your documentation, you should be able to deduct this expense and get some relief to make this possible for your family.