Can therapy expenses be deducted on taxes? Spent $19K on mental health treatment that doesn't accept insurance

Yes, mental health therapy expenses can absolutely count as medical expenses for tax deduction purposes! The IRS considers mental health care to be legitimate medical care. For 2025 filing (2024 tax year), you can deduct qualified medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) on Schedule A if you itemize deductions. So if your AGI is $100,000, you'd need medical expenses over $7,500 to start seeing a benefit, and you could deduct the amount that exceeds that threshold. Make sure you keep all receipts and payment records from your therapist. It's also helpful to get a letter from your therapist stating that the treatment was medically necessary for your mental health condition. While not always required, having this documentation can be helpful if you're ever audited.

I went through something similar last year with therapy costs that were killing my budget. I found this amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out exactly how to document and claim my therapy expenses. The site analyzed my specific situation and even generated the exact forms I needed to maximize my deduction. I was also seeing a therapist who didn't take insurance for trauma work, and taxr.ai showed me how to properly categorize everything as qualified medical expenses. The best part was that it walked me through whether itemizing would actually benefit me compared to the standard deduction, based on my other potential deductions. Saved me hours of research and probably prevented me from making mistakes that could have triggered an audit.

I just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here, and it was actually super helpful! I was worried about entering all my info, but the system was really straightforward. It analyzed my situation and showed me that with my therapy expenses PLUS some other medical costs I hadn't even thought about, itemizing would save me almost $2,100 compared to taking the standard deduction. The service generated a detailed report showing exactly which forms to file and what documentation I needed to keep. It even flagged that my therapist should provide a letter stating the treatment was medically necessary, which I wouldn't have known to ask for. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a similar situation with high therapy costs!

If you're trying to get documentation from your therapist or having trouble getting through to the IRS about medical deductions, I'd recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was stuck on hold with the IRS for HOURS trying to get clarification about therapy deductions, but Claimyr got me connected to an actual human at the IRS in less than 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first, but after wasting an entire afternoon on hold, I was desperate. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls you once an actual IRS agent is on the line. The IRS rep I spoke with confirmed that my therapy expenses were deductible and explained exactly what documentation I needed. Saved me so much frustration!

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had questions about medical expense documentation that I couldn't find clear answers to online. Not only did it work, but I was connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had previously waited over 2 hours and given up. The agent was super helpful and confirmed that therapy expenses absolutely count as medical expenses, even if the therapist doesn't take insurance. She explained that I need to keep receipts showing payment and that it's helpful (but not required) to have a statement from the therapist indicating the treatment was for a medical condition. She also warned me to make sure my total medical expenses would exceed 7.5% of my AGI before counting on getting a deduction. Saved me a ton of time and gave me confidence about claiming my therapy costs!

Just want to add that if you have an HSA (Health Savings Account), you can use those pre-tax dollars to pay for therapy, even if the therapist doesn't accept insurance! I've been doing this for years and it's saved me a ton. The money goes into your HSA without being taxed, and then you can use it for qualified medical expenses including mental health treatment. If you don't have an HSA already, it might be worth setting one up for next year's therapy expenses. You need to have a high-deductible health plan to qualify though.

Has anyone used TurboTax to claim therapy expenses? I've been using it for years but never had to enter medical stuff before. Wondering if it walks you through this process well or if I need something more specialized?

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're going to claim therapy expenses as medical deductions, make sure your therapist is properly licensed. The IRS requires that mental health services be provided by a licensed professional for them to qualify as deductible medical expenses. Also, keep in mind that if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that covers some therapy sessions, you should subtract any benefits you received from your total out-of-pocket costs when calculating your deduction. Only the amount you actually paid out of pocket can be deducted. Given that you spent $19K, it's definitely worth exploring all these options! That's a substantial amount that could potentially provide significant tax relief if you can meet the AGI threshold for itemizing.

This is such helpful information! As someone who also spent a significant amount on therapy last year (around $12K), I really appreciate seeing all the different perspectives and resources shared here. One additional consideration I'd mention is timing - if you're planning to claim therapy expenses for this tax year, it might be worth front-loading some of your 2025 therapy payments into late 2024 if that helps you cross the 7.5% AGI threshold for medical deductions. You can prepay for sessions or pay outstanding balances before December 31st and still claim them for the current tax year. Also, don't forget that travel expenses to and from therapy appointments can also count as deductible medical expenses! If you're driving a significant distance to see your therapist, you can deduct either the actual costs (gas, parking) or use the standard medical mileage rate, which is 22 cents per mile for 2024. Every bit helps when you're trying to reach that threshold. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with the various tax services and tools - definitely going to look into some of these options myself!