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June 1, 2019
Question

Does expense for Depends for Dementia patient count as additional medical expenses?

  • June 1, 2019
  • 1 reply
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Dementia patient is wheelchair bound and must use Depends.  We spend over $2000 annual on those supplies.  Is this part of Other Medical Expenses that can be deducted?

1 reply

June 1, 2019

According to the IRS guidelines, expenses for incontinence supplies may be tax-deducible if you can show they are needed to relieve the effects of a specific disease.  The law is complex and general in guidance.

From IRS Publication 502:
Diaper Service You can't include in medical expenses the amount you pay for diapers or diaper services, unless they are needed to relieve the effects of a particular disease.

I would suggest that you request a statement from the patient's physician regarding the need to relieve the effects of a specific disease.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf

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fanfare
Employee
June 1, 2019
obviously a disease is involved. We're not talking about a newborn infant here.