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Article: WEIGHT-LOSS COSTS CAN BE DEDUCTED.(MoneyWise)(Health Care Notebook)(Column)
- Article from:
- The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)
- Article date:
- April 14, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of The Herald Co. by the Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JAMES T. MULDER HEALTH CARE NOTEBOOK
Q) I spent money on a weight-loss program last year. Can I write off that expense as a tax deduction?
A) You can include that cost as part of your tax-deductible medical expenses if the weight-loss program was prescribed by a doctor to treat an existing disease such as high blood pressure or heart disease, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
You don't qualify for a tax break if you participated in a weight-loss program just to improve your appearance, your general health or sense of well-being, the IRS says. Treating diseases caused by obesity costs about $100 billion annually, according to ...