# Can medically required blood donations (phlebotomy) be tax deductible?

Can medically required blood donations (phlebotomy) be tax deductible when the blood center sends it to area hospitals? This isn't a typical blood donation that I know is not tax deductible. I have to have a pint removed weekly, they then re-use the blood.

• Its not clear if you mean as a medical expense, a charitable deduction, or an other proposed way? – user662852 Jun 29 at 20:18
• What do you mean by "medically required"? – D Stanley Jun 29 at 20:18
• Ordered by a doctor. For instance if I take oxy, I'm a hobbyist and a criminal, and illegal losses can't be deducted beyond illegal gains, and hobbies are never deductible. If I take oxy because a doctor prescribed it, then it's a legitimate medical expense that is treated as such in tax law. – Harper Jun 29 at 21:16
• Are you paying for the removal of your blood, and asking if that expense is deductible? – JoeTaxpayer Jul 1 at 13:24
• @ChrisW.Rea Judging by the OP's username (Up North, Wisconsin), I'm going to guess "US" unless he comes back and tells us a different country. – Ben Miller Jul 1 at 14:25

You would need to talk to a tax expert to be certain, but in general medical expenses can be deducted to the extent that they are more than 10% of your adjusted gross income. So if your gross income is $100,000 and your total qualified medical expenses are$12,000, you can deduct \$2,000. Plus you need enough other deductions (state/local taxes, mortgage interest, etc.) that it makes more sense to itemize than to take the standard deduction.