Can I Deduct LASIK Eye Surgery?

LASIK is one of the more pleasant tax surprises for people who have had the procedure, because it does qualify as a deductible medical expense. The IRS treats LASIK as a medical procedure rather than a cosmetic one since it corrects a genuine vision problem. This means you can include the cost in your medical expense deduction if you itemize. You can also use HSA or FSA funds to pay for LASIK, which is often the smarter move since you are using pretax dollars without needing to itemize at all. If your total medical expenses for the year are already significant, LASIK can push you over the deduction threshold.