Hearing Aids/Supplies Are Tax-Deductible

By Kathy Mellott, AuD

If you're wondering if your hearing aids are tax deductible, good news, they are.

Hearing aids are considered treatment for a medical condition changes in your hearing. So, it would make sense that they along with batteries, maintenance of hearing aids, and other hearing aid related expenses would be tax deductible.

Hearing aid expenses include hearing aid batteries, hearing health provider visits, repairs, television equipment that amplifies sounds, specialized security systems for people with hearing loss (including installation).

Just remember that you need to spend more than 10% of your income, if you're under 65, and over 7.5% of your income, if you're over 65, on medical expenses.

Medical expenses include anything that goes into treating, curing, easing, preventing, or identifying medical problems. That would include your monthly insurance payments, deductibles, and doctor visits, but excludes any part of medical insurance your employer pays.

That means you can add up those monthly payments and save your receipts for your office visits. Receipts are important for a lot of things, because no deduction is too small.

In addition to this list of deductible items, if you work and have hearing loss you may be able to deduct things that are necessary for you to do your job, like telephone or conferencing equipment or specialized computer equipment. There's also a chance you might qualify for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) as well as other benefits. Benefits vary by state.

Please consult your tax advisor.