When it comes to lowering your tax liability, the IRS allows deductions for qualified medical expenses if you itemize your deductions. While many people remember to deduct hospital bills and prescriptions, several lesser-known deductions are frequently overlooked—especially those related to medical travel, dental work, and vision expenses like eyeglasses. This comprehensive guide highlights these often-forgotten deductions and shows you how to claim them properly to maximize your tax savings.
Understanding the 7.5% AGI Threshold for Medical Deductions
Before diving into specific deductions, it’s essential to understand how medical expense deductions work. For the 2025 tax year, you can deduct unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).
Example: If your AGI is $80,000, the first $6,000 of your medical expenses is not deductible. Only the portion exceeding this amount may be claimed on Schedule A of Form 1040.
Who’s Eligible for These Deductions?
You can deduct qualified medical expenses for yourself, your spouse, and dependents claimed on your tax return. You can also include someone who would have qualified as a dependent except for gross income or joint filing rules, provided you provided over 50% of their support.
1. Medical Travel and Transportation Costs
Many taxpayers overlook the fact that transportation costs for medical care are deductible. If you need to travel to receive medically necessary care, you may be able to deduct various expenses.
Deductible Travel-Related Expenses Include:
- Public transportation (bus, train, subway, taxi, rideshare) to a doctor or medical facility
- Airfare and lodging (up to $50 per night per person) for out-of-town care
- Mileage driven in your personal vehicle to and from appointments (at the IRS medical mileage rate)
- Parking fees and tolls
2025 Medical Mileage Rate: The IRS sets a standard mileage rate for medical travel annually. For 2025, it is projected to remain close to 22 cents per mile (confirm exact rate at tax time).
Example:
If you drove 500 miles for doctor visits during the year, you could potentially deduct $110 (500 x $0.22), plus related parking and toll fees.
2. Dental Work: More Than Just Routine Cleanings
Dental care is often a significant expense, and the IRS allows a wide range of dental-related costs to be deducted if not reimbursed. This includes both preventive and restorative services.
Eligible Dental Expenses:
- Routine cleanings, checkups, and x-rays
- Fillings, crowns, root canals, and extractions
- Braces and orthodontics
- Periodontal (gum) treatments
- Dental surgery
- Dentures and dental implants
These costs are fully deductible if they are medically necessary and paid out-of-pocket. However, cosmetic dental procedures such as tooth whitening or veneers for appearance are not deductible.
Planning Tip:
If you anticipate major dental work, consider timing procedures within a single tax year to exceed the 7.5% AGI threshold and maximize your deduction.
3. Eyeglasses and Vision Care: Small Costs, Big Impact
Vision-related expenses are frequently missed during tax preparation, even though they qualify as deductible medical costs if you itemize.
Deductible Vision Expenses Include:
- Eye exams and vision tests
- Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Prescription sunglasses
- Contact lens solution and cleaners
- LASIK and other corrective eye surgery
Note: Non-prescription reading glasses or cosmetic contact lenses are not deductible.
Special Consideration for Children:
Vision correction expenses for children—such as eyeglasses or corrective lenses—are also deductible if the child is your dependent and the costs are unreimbursed.
Combining These Deductions for Maximum Benefit
Although individually small, the expenses related to medical travel, dental work, and vision care can add up. When combined, they often push total medical costs beyond the 7.5% AGI threshold, making them deductible.
Strategies to Maximize the Deduction:
- Track every trip: Keep a mileage log for every visit to doctors, dentists, physical therapists, and specialists.
- Group elective treatments: If possible, schedule elective dental or eye procedures in the same calendar year to increase total deductions.
- Keep all receipts: Save receipts and bills for eyeglasses, prescriptions, tolls, airfare, and hotel stays related to medical care.
- Review your FSA or HSA usage: Only expenses paid with after-tax money can be deducted. If you used pre-tax accounts like an FSA, you cannot claim those same costs.
How to Claim These Deductions
Use Schedule A of Form 1040 to itemize and report your medical expenses. You’ll input your total eligible expenses, subtract 7.5% of your AGI, and report the remaining amount on the form.
Steps:
- Total all qualified expenses, including travel, dental, and vision costs.
- Subtract 7.5% of your AGI.
- Report the remainder on Line 1 of Schedule A.
- Include other itemized deductions (such as mortgage interest, charitable donations) and report the total on your Form 1040.
Documentation Tips
In case of an IRS audit, be prepared to support your claims with documentation:
- Receipts for payments made to medical professionals
- Itemized invoices for dental and vision services
- Mileage logs with dates, destinations, and purposes
- Proof that travel was for medical reasons (appointment letters, doctor confirmations)
Conclusion
Medical travel, dental work, and eyeglasses are three commonly missed opportunities to reduce your taxable income. Though they may seem minor on their own, combined they can have a significant impact on your tax return—especially for those who itemize deductions. By maintaining organized records, tracking every eligible expense, and strategically timing care, you can take full advantage of these valuable deductions and potentially increase your IRS refund.
