Tax Credit: A Number Of Truly Great Tips

Have you recently decided to change a few things in your life only to discover it's a really expensive decision to make right now? In these times weight loss and stop smoking programs are tough to pay for. The thing you probably didn't know about is a little known tax credit that is available to those of us who decide to lose weight or stop smoking.

Most insurance carriers won't even cover any of these costs theses days, even though they lead to severe health problems in the long run that cost them thousands of dollars to cover care for.

The IRS, of all people, quickly realized this was an issue and in 2003 they worked to pass laws so that people would be able to claim a tax credit for money they had paid to participate in these types of programs.

This is not a tax deduction, but instead a credit, meaning you get total credit on the amount you spent to participate in activities related to these goals.

Your medical expenses related to a smoking cessation program can also be included. Everything except aids that didn't require a prescription, like nicotine gum and patches, can be included on your return.

2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2.

If you are claiming a tax credit for weight loss the medical expenses you paid for the treatment of diseases related to your weight can be included. They must be diagnosed by a doctor as related however. A few examples included diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Your membership fees to take part in weight reduction programs and meetings can also be included. Things like gym memberships can not however, but you can list them as separate fees related to your weight loss if you want.

What you need to do to claim these credits is fill out a form titled Health Coverage Tax Credit Form 8885. You then need fill out line 67 of your Form 1040, check box C and attach both forms together. You can not use a 1040A or 1040EZ to file for this credit on your return so be sure you are filing out the right paperwork before you submit anything.

You also need to have attached, all of your proofs of payment that you included on the Form 8885 as things you were not paid in advance for. If you are electronically filing your return you will need to attach that documentation to Form 8543. Pay stubs, bank checks and even bank statements showing your premiums being automatically deducted can be used as proofs of payment.