Deducting bodywork as self care

[hockeybeast88]

Hi,

I get regular bodywork once every two weeks. Actually both my wife and I get it. Since we have regular massage clients my question is: can we deduct our bodywork sessions that we pay for from our income? And if we can, can we deduct say our gym memberships?

Also what proof would you need? Would a canceled check be enough?

Thanks in advance for your help.


Jason

 

[Stacey P]

I'm interested in an answer to this as well.

 

[Kathleen from Germany]

As self-care? Not so sure... I'm thinking more like "market research."
Checking out the competition, decor, seeing if you are interested in taking similar CE... learning new techniques...
I'm anxious to see what others say about it...

 

[Tyler W]

My hubby does taxes. I asked... As far as he knows, you can write off massages under health care, IF You have a drs Rx for it, AND if you have enough health care costs to write off at the end of the year. Im not sure if this was the info youre looking for, but thats all I can contribute! :}

 

[Danielle K]

Bummer, I was hoping to write off my thousands of dollars in personal training this year :

 

[Sgt. Snarky]

Why not continuing education since you are checking out and learning what the competition knows? Just kidding of course...............

 

[Tim O]

As an I.C., I write off massages and other forms of spa work (ex:bodywraps, relfexology) and my CPA allows it to be written off as continuing education.

However, I can't write off massages or other forms of bodywork if I recieve from the same person on a consistent basis, so I only get receipts from the places I'm not a regular.

 

[Last Man Standing]

I couldn't add this to my previous post but I wanted to add that you should always ask your CPA any tax questions you may have.

 

[maggiebridget09]

Think about this for a moment. Say I own a grader business and I have to take one of my pieces of equipment in twice a month to get
'tuned up' by a specialist. And if I didn't my piece of equipment would not function to its full capability.

Under that same thinking why doesn't the same philosophy apply to my own body with regards to me getting a 'tune up' twice a month? One of my instructors Bill Mueller recommended that if we wanted to have a long career in bodywork that we should get worked on at least once a month.

I mean really if my body starts hurting and I can't massage, I'm out of business. Under this thinking shouldn't bodywork be covered for bodywork professionals? Why should a piece of machinery be eligible for tune up deductions and not my own personal machinery be eligible?

Just doesn't make sense.

Jason

 

[Jassy]

You may be right technically, Jason - and I agree that you ARE - but if the IRS doesn't agree, it doesn't matter. The only safe way to take deductions is to verify that the IRS considers it an acceptable deduction. Your tax professional has access to that answer. We have to ask the same questions every year, because the laws change at least that often. :roll:

 

[Couman]

I agree with you Jason. I specifically go to a personal trainer twice a week to maintain a healthy condition so I can massage and not fall apart. I never did this before I became an LMT, and it's not like I'm down there to win a bodybuilding competition.

Lets lobby congress!!

 

[monument]

By this logic, why isn't preventative care for all who exchange the labor of their bodies for money fully deductible? The extra cost of organic food?

Sorry folks, capitalism considers your body an expense, not an asset ;-)

 

[Bawney]

I asked my accountant about this last year as I get a monthly massage from my regular therapist, and she said "no, that would be like me getting a massage because I'm stressed out". Well, not really accountant lady...but whatever.

 

[pennypincher]

I just think its bogus that we can't. Its not fair, its just not fair :x

Jason

 

[vobis]

Hi Pete,
That's exactly what I wrote in my response.

 

[LilyEll?]

Its not fair, its just not fair

I don't think the IRS is concerned about if their rules are fair or not. It's not a quality that they're known for.

Angie

 

[Pompal 09.]

So true, Angie!

I've heard about the education thing too (as long as it's not the same person regularly) and I think it is indeed true.

And somewhere along the line I DID hear something about being able to write off health care expenses if you're a sole proprietor, so I tend to save all my receipts--massage, chiro, and anything else, JUST in case. I save them all up and hand them over to my CPA and let him sort it all out

Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[cwilz]

I have heard the same as Kathryn and Peter stated above.
Any healthcare related expense (and your totals need to be some % of your income) would be the healthcare deduction.
For MT to be a deduction for your business is would have to be a different MT/establishment each time and it can be considered research.

I do know someone who uses a Pilates class as a healthcare deduction.

Robyn