Are health insurance premiums tax-deductible in 2020?

Asked by: Mabel Zulauf II  |  Last update: December 21, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (61 votes)

Health insurance premiums can count as a tax-deductible medical expense (along with other out-of-pocket medical expenses) if you itemize your deductions. You can only deduct medical expenses after they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

Can I use my health insurance premiums as a tax deduction?

You can include health insurance premiums in your medical expense calculations. However, certain premiums are not eligible for medical expense deductions. You cannot include the following premiums in your tax deductions: Life insurance policies.

How do I know if my insurance premiums are tax deductible?

As with employer-sponsored insurance, however, you can only claim the deduction if you itemize — and only if your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income for the year. If you use HSA funds to pay for COBRA premiums or expenses, these are also not eligible for a deduction.

What insurance premiums are not tax deductible?

Business Insurance Premiums That Are Not Tax Deductible

Certain life insurance or annuity premiums. Premiums paid on insurance to secure loans. Premiums paid for a policy that covers earnings lost due to sickness or disability.

Can you get tax credit for health insurance premiums?

The premium tax credit – also known as PTC – is a refundable credit that helps eligible individuals and families cover the premiums for their health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Are My Health Insurance Premiums Tax Deductible?

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Is there a tax credit for Medicare premiums?

Yes, Medicare premiums are tax deductible as a medical expense as long as you meet two requirements. First, you must itemize your deductions on your tax return to deduct them from your taxable income. Second, only medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) are deductible.

Are health insurance premium refunds taxable?

For individual market consumers who purchased their coverage with after‐tax dollars, a rebate is not taxable income. However, if an individual deducted the prior year's premium payments on their Form 1040 Schedule A, then their MLR rebate is subject to federal income tax.

Are insurance premiums tax deductible for seniors?

Fortunately, some medical expenses are deductible. These include health insurance premiums (including Medicare premiums), long-term care insurance premiums, prescription drugs, nursing home care, and most other out-of-pocket heath care expenses.

Is it worth claiming medical expenses on taxes?

The medical expense deduction covers a wide variety of expenses. However, because of the high Standard Deduction and the 7.5% of AGI threshold requirement, it can be difficult to benefit unless you have a lot of out-of-pocket costs.

Is Medicare tax withheld a health insurance premium?

The Medicare tax is a tax that you pay based on the wages you earn. It helps fund the Medicare program, a low-cost health insurance option for people 65 or older as well as some younger people with certain disabilities. If you have an employer, your employer automatically withholds the Medicare tax from your paycheck.

Can you deduct insurance premiums on 1040?

Generally, you can deduct premiums you pay for the kinds of insurance used in your business: Fire, theft, flood or similar insurance. Credit insurance for losses from business bad debts. Group hospitalization and medical insurance for employees, including long-term care insurance.

Why do I owe taxes because of health insurance?

Owe taxes if you used more of the premium tax credit than you qualified for in 2024. You'll have to report the excess amount on your 2024 tax return by filing Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PDF, 115 KB). Find instructions for Form 8962 (PDF, 348 KB).

What proof do I need to deduct medical expenses?

You should also keep a statement or itemized invoice showing:
  • What medical care was received.
  • Who received the care.
  • The nature and purpose of any medical expenses.
  • The amount of the other medical expenses.

Is homeowners insurance tax deductible?

You may look for ways to reduce costs including turning to your tax return. Some taxpayers have asked if homeowner's insurance is tax deductible. Here's the skinny: You can only deduct homeowner's insurance premiums paid on rental properties. Homeowner's insurance is never tax deductible your main home.

Are copays tax deductible?

If you are itemizing and entering medical expenses, yes, you can include co-pays and other out of pocket expenses that were not covered by insurance. The medical expense deduction has to meet a rather large threshold before it can affect your return.

What can I write off on my taxes?

If you itemize, you can deduct these expenses:
  • Bad debts.
  • Canceled debt on home.
  • Capital losses.
  • Donations to charity.
  • Gains from sale of your home.
  • Gambling losses.
  • Home mortgage interest.
  • Income, sales, real estate and personal property taxes.

Can you deduct health insurance premiums without itemizing?

Whether you can deduct health insurance premiums from your tax return also depends on a few factors. First, you'll only be able to deduct premiums as medical expenses if you itemize deductions on your tax return, but not if you take the standard deduction. See more details at the bottom of this section.

Are prescription glasses tax-deductible?

You can deduct the costs for prescription eyeglasses and eye exams on your tax return. But they must be a part of your itemized medical deductions, which need to exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

What does the IRS allow for medical deductions?

Generally, you can deduct on Schedule A (Form 1040) only the amount of your medical and dental expenses that is more than 7.5% of your AGI.

Are insurance premiums 100% tax deductible?

If you're a self-employed person, you may deduct up to 100% of the health insurance premiums you paid during the year. To take the deduction, you must meet certain criteria.

How much can a senior deduct of medical expenses?

How Is the 7.5 Percent of Adjusted Gross Income Calculated? According to the IRS, you can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that exceeds 7.5 percent of the amount of your adjusted gross income.

How much money can a 70 year old make without paying taxes?

Taxes aren't determined by age, so you will never age out of paying taxes. People who are 65 or older at the end of 2024 have to file a return for tax year 2024 (which is due in 2025) if their gross income is $16,550 or higher.

Do I qualify for a tax credit for health insurance?

To be eligible for the premium tax credit, your household income must be at least 100 percent and, for years other than 2021 and 2022, no more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line for your family size, although there are two exceptions for individuals with household income below 100 percent of the applicable ...

Can you get a refund for health insurance premiums?

The Premium Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit designed to help eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the Exchange. The size of your Premium Tax Credit is based on a sliding scale.

Where do health insurance premiums go on tax return?

This health insurance write-off is entered on Part II of Schedule 1 as an adjustment to income and transferred to page 1 of Form 1040, which means you benefit whether or not you itemize your deductions.