Are braces deductible? Dental insurance did not cover

Yes, braces are a valid medical expense if you paid for them with out of pocket funds and were not reimbursed.

Yes, braces not covered by dental insurance can be claimed as Medical expenses if you use itemized deductions.

You can claim all medical and dental bills, prescription drugs and health insurance premiums paid out-of-pocket as Medical Expenses in Schedule A - Itemized Deductions

For tax year 2023, Medical Expenses are subject to the 7.5% rule and you can only claim the excess over 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income.

Please note that Itemized Deductions will only benefit your taxes when they exceed your standard deduction.

For tax year 2023, standard deductions are:

• $27,700 for married couples whose filing status is “married filing jointly” and surviving spouses;
• $13,850 for singles and married couples whose filing status is “married filing separately”; and
• $20,800 for taxpayers whose filing status is “head of household.”

The additional standard deduction for a blind taxpayer—i.e. a taxpayer whose vision is less than 20/200— and for a taxpayer who is age 65 or older at the end of the year is for each instance:

• $1,500 for married individuals; and
• $1,850 for singles and heads of household.

You can enter Medical expenses by following these steps:

1. In TurboTax, open your tax return
2. Click on the down arrow on the right of Federal in the left-hand column, then on Deductions & Credits
3. Continue and locate the section Medical and click on the down arrow on the right 
4. Click Start next to Medical Expenses.