Employer-paid premiums for health insurance are
exempt from federal income and payroll taxes
. Additionally, the portion of premiums employees pay is typically excluded from taxable income.
Health insurance premiums are deductible on federal taxes, in some cases
, as these monthly payments are classified as medical expenses. Generally, if you pay for medical insurance on your own, you can deduct the amount from your taxes.
Federal Taxable Income
Any medical premiums you pay with pretax dollars aren't counted in your taxable income
. When your employer prepares your W-2, your employer won't include these premiums in box 1, your income subject to federal income tax.
You can confirm if your health premiums are pre-tax by
viewing your pay stub and looking for a column titled “Deductions,” or something similar
. If your health premium is in this column and is deducted from your gross pay, it's a pre-tax premium.
Does health insurance affect tax return?
— If you received health insurance for all or part of the year from an employer or union, your employer or union will send you Form 1095-C. Like Form 1095-B, this form has vital information that you will need to file taxes, properly; however,
it will not be included in your actual tax return
.
What insurance is tax-deductible?
However, in some limited circumstances, you may be able to claim a tax deduction when you purchase your insurance plan. For example, you can deduct the amount you spent on your
health insurance premiums
if your total healthcare costs exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) or if you're self-employed.
You may be eligible to claim the self-employed health insurance even if you don't itemize deductions
. This is an “above-the-line” deduction. It reduces income before you calculate adjusted gross income (AGI). However, this deduction cannot reduce your Social Security and Medicare tax.
Most premiums are paid with pre-tax dollars, which means they are deducted from your wages before taxes are applied. Deducting them again as a medical expense would be “double-dipping.”
You can only deduct the premiums if your employer included them in box 1 (Gross Wages) of your W-2
.
Do I need to include health insurance on taxes?
Starting with the 2019 tax year,
you no longer need to prove you have health insurance on your tax returns
.
Does a 1095-B affect my taxes?
Do not attach Form 1095-B to your tax return
– keep it with your tax records. Certain employees of applicable large employers (See next column). Form 1095-C provides information about the health coverage offered by your employer and, in some cases, about whether you enrolled in this coverage.
What medical expenses are not tax-deductible?
What medical expenses aren't tax deductible? Non-qualifying medical expenses include
cosmetic surgery, gym memberships or health club dues, diet food, and non-prescription drugs (except for insulin)
. Medical expenses are deductible only if they were paid out of your pocket in the current tax year.
Is health insurance a business expense?
Generally speaking,
any expenses an employer incurs related to health insurance (for employees or for dependents) are 100% tax-deductible as ordinary business expenses
, on both state and federal income taxes.
When you retire from federal services
your health insurance premiums are no longer deducted on a pre-tax basis
. Rather, they are paid on a post tax basis.
Health insurance premiums are deductible as an ordinary expense for self-employed individuals
. Whether you purchase the policy in your name or have your business obtain it, you can deduct health insurance premiums paid for yourself, your spouse, a dependent child or a nondependent child under age 27.
The key rule of applying both the self-employed health insurance deduction and the premium tax credit is that
you can't double dip
. That is, the combined amount of deductions and credits cannot be greater than the total of your eligible premiums.
