Income taxes and overseas prescriptions

[minkeygirl]

I'm wondering if anyone has every used overseas prescriptions as deductions on their income taxes?

Theoretically it was an approved RX since the online pharmacist approved my RX for acyclovir and I have about $500 worth of deductions.

Just wondering

 

[vamah]

A medical expense is a medical expense. I don't see why it would matter where it came from.

 

[minkeygirl]

I asked my tax guy last year and he seemed to think I couldn't claim it. I'd rather know for sure then a guess.

 

[vamah]

I would look up the relevant section on the irs website. If it is not specifically excluded then you should be ok.

Of course, it can be hard to sift through the irs language. I had that problem last year trying to figure out which college expenses were deductable.

 

[minkeygirl]

can't do that. My brain would explode. That is why I asked if anyone here knows.

 

[SickOfSickness]

I agree with vamah that you are fine to deduct, if they don't specifically exclude it.
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc502.html says "payments for drugs that require a prescription"
are deductible and it does not say anything about foreign or international exclusions.

 

[minkeygirl]

IRS are sneaky bastards.

I guess if you take the code literally it only says require a prescription, not that you had one to get it.

I'd hate to be the one who gets audited and then gets the whistle blown on a great overseas pharmacy

Yes paranoia strikes deep!