Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Record is Archived

    This article is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Gluten-free Income Tax Deduction Tips

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.
    Gluten-free Income Tax Deduction Tips - Photo: CC--401(k) 2012
    Caption: Photo: CC--401(k) 2012

    Celiac.com 02/10/2016 - Can you take a tax deduction for your celiac-related gluten-free purchases? Well, income tax season is upon us once again, and so it's time to brush up on our tax rules.

    People with celiac disease can rack up thousands of dollars per year in extra food, medical, and other health-related costs. However, many people who eat gluten-free diets as treatment for celiac disease or other medical conditions may be eligible for tax breaks.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    Check out our earlier article on the topic: Are You Due For a Gluten-free Tax Break. Also, check out The Celiac Tax Deduction: What's New? by Howard J. Kass, C.P.A.

    Meanwhile, over at Forbes, Todd Ganos has a funny article where he riffs on gluten-free and celiac themes to drive home the point that one-size trusts and asset protection schemes are often not what they claim to be, and many of them are ineffective products aimed at people with less resources. To avoid getting stuck with a poor product, Ganos recommends turning to the Open Original Shared Link and to US case law to best vet the contents of any given asset protection product, especially such names as "The Gluten-Free Impenetrable Castle Asset Protection Trust."

    Remember, if you eat a gluten-free diet as treatment for celiac disease or other medical conditions you may be eligible for tax breaks.

    First and foremost, we at Celiac.com are neither lawyers, accountants, or tax professionals, and do not give tax advice. So, be sure to check in with the Open Original Shared Link, an accountant or a tax professional for answers to your specific tax questions and challenges. Stay tuned for more as tax season progresses.



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest Jen

    Please update for 2015 /2016 rules…this refers to an article written in 2012….old information.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest admin
    Please update for 2015 /2016 rules…this refers to an article written in 2012….old information.

    The tax rules haven't changed since then with regard to this deduction.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest celiacmom

    Posted

    Nice to have this option and I imagine for large gluten-free families it makes a difference, but not for us. Our extra expenses (3 people) are only about $400/year and does not make a dent in our already squeezed middle-class taxes, since we do not have any other major medical expenses.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Guest
    This is now closed for further comments

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Scott Adams
    The following guidelines were received from the Oct. 1993 CSA/USA National Conference in Buffalo, NY:
    1) You can claim only the EXTRA COST of the gluten-free product over what you would pay for the similar item at a grocery store. For example, if wheat flour costs $0.89 per 5 lbs. and rice flour is $3.25 per 5 lbs., the DIFFERENCE of $2.36 is tax deductible. You may also claim mileage expense for the extra trip to the health food store and postal costs on gluten-free products ordered by mail.
    2) The cost of xanthan gum (methylcellulose, etc.) used in gluten-free home baked goods is completely different than anything used in an ordinary recipe, so in the opinion of the IRS, the total cost of this item can be claimed.
    3) Save all cash register tapes, receipts, and canceled...


    Dwight Senne
    Celiac.com 10/27/2004 - For at least the last 15 years I have gone to several doctors with a host of various gastrointestinal disorders. The most common diagnosis I received was Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Finally, in May of 2003, I found a doctor who was thorough enough to check for Celiac Disease. I have been on the gluten-free diet ever since and feel wonderful!
    When first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I suppose I was like most people—overwhelmed by the magnitude of the lifestyle change associated with the gluten-free diet. Once reality set in and I began to accept and deal with this new diet, I experienced another overwhelming feeling—the high cost of gluten-free foods! While I was not on a tight budget, the idea of spending four times as much for a loaf of bread that was only hal...


    Howard J. Kass, CPA
    The Celiac Tax Deduction: What's New?
    Celiac.com 03/05/2012 - When I first wrote about the tax treatments available to diagnosed Celiacs for the additional costs they incur by following a Gluten-Free diet fifteen years ago, the law was pretty well established and there were no significant changes in the works. The advent of Section 125 plans shortly thereafter, also known as Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSA) added a new twist to the quest for tax deductions. With all the hoopla that has taken place in the last year, both with health care reform and tax legislation, what has changed?
    Overview of the Medical Expense Deduction
    Before I talk about what has changed, it is important to review the basics of the medical expense deduction and how it relates to the additional costs of following a Gluten-Free diet. Section 21...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 03/21/2014 - According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the burden of celiac disease can cost an extra $1,000 to $2,500 per year. However, many people who eat gluten-free diets as treatment for celiac disease or other medical conditions are eligible for tax breaks.
    Those who do eat gluten-free due to medical conditions will be happy to learn that both the Internal Revenue Service and the Canada Revenue Agency list gluten-free food as an eligible medical expense. That means that filers may be eligible for tax relief for gluten-free-related food expenses.
    For example, according to the Canada Revenue Agency website, celiac disease suffers are "entitled to claim the incremental costs associated with the purchase of gluten-free products as a medical expense....


  • Recent Activity

    1. - Kathleen JJ posted a topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      0

      Ski trip with Celiac son - preparation advice please

    2. - Wheatwacked replied to BoiseNic's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      10

      Skinesa

    3. - Wheatwacked replied to disneyfamilyfive's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Test result insight

    4. - disneyfamilyfive replied to disneyfamilyfive's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Test result insight

    5. - Scott Adams replied to disneyfamilyfive's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Test result insight


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,341
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Peter Lynch
    Newest Member
    Peter Lynch
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.3k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Ems10
      7
    • Celiacsugh
    • BoiseNic
      10
    • Jtestani
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...