July 11, 2025, 3:12 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Costs for health services can quickly add up. A problem is rarely resolved with just one session of acupuncture or physical therapy. Medications that need to be taken regularly, such as birth control pills, also drive up expenses. However, medical expenses can be tax-deductible. Certain conditions must be met for this, though. You can find out what these are at FITBOOK.
If you have significant expenses due to health reasons, you can report them on your tax return and potentially receive a substantial tax break. However, the costs related to illness must exceed a certain amount–the reasonable personal burden–to be deductible. But what is the threshold for exceeding these personal burdens? And what can be claimed on the tax return?
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Overview
What illness-related costs can be deducted from taxes?
Expenses for alleviating or curing an illness that are not covered by health insurance or aid can be claimed on your income tax return. However, not everything is possible. Dental cleanings, vitamin tablets, or so-called minor medications (usually prescribed for minor health issues) are considered preventive measures by the tax office. These costs must be borne by the individual. What is recognized by the tax authorities as an “extraordinary burden” are sometimes the fees for prescriptions, provided the costs exceed the legal limit.1 An important rule here: first a medical certificate, then treatment! This is a common pitfall for taxpayers. The following costs can be claimed:
Gym
For a herniated disc, back training with professional fitness advisors often helps very well and quickly. For example, if you’re dealing with a lumbago, you might be able to deduct gym costs. Your primary care physician must assist with the treatment. The application at the gym must also be certified by a public health officer.
Prescription Medications
It’s tedious but worth it: Collect all receipts for prescription medications! Because medications cost money. Patients with insurance must pay a maximum of ten percent of the price at the pharmacy, with the rest covered by health insurance. Why some patients pay less and others more for medications is explained by FITBOOK here.
Prescription fees are also tax-deductible if they exceed the statutory limits. Private prescriptions are usually paid out of pocket and can be offset against taxes.
Over-the-Counter Medications
The costs for non-prescription medications can also be claimed as extraordinary burdens on the tax return. Requirement: The medication is prescribed by a doctor, and the health insurance does not cover the costs. This generally includes natural remedies. Those who constantly rely on remedies and medications usually only need to present a medical prescription once.
Also interesting: Do health insurance companies subsidize nutritional counseling?
Treatment Costs
If a practitioner or doctor is licensed, the costs for medical treatment can be claimed financially. This includes dentists, physiotherapists, and psychotherapists. Be careful with the latter! For psychotherapeutic treatments, an official medical report or a certificate from the Medical Service of Health Insurance (MDK) is required before treatment begins.2 It has been easier since a court ruling in 2016 for the treatment of lipedema–a painful fat distribution disorder.3 A so-called liposuction (fat removal) can be claimed for tax purposes without a prior official medical report or certificate from the MDK. This is an important relief for those affected.
Viagra and Birth Control
The birth control pill costs money. In principle, the costs are tax-deductible. However, medical reasons must be present, such as hereditary diseases, menstrual disorders, or hormonally induced acne. If you buy a potency drug like Viagra at the pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription at your own expense, you can also claim it as medical expenses.
Medical Aids
Wheelchair, hearing aid, dental prosthesis, and glasses–you can report these costs to the tax authorities. However, the tax office sets a strict limit: aids in a broader sense must be medically necessary.4 You also need proof from the MDK or a public health officer for this.
Transportation
Sometimes it has to be quick: Even transport to the doctor’s office, hospital, or pharmacy costs money, especially with a taxi. But it’s worth keeping the receipt. If you don’t have a car and can’t use public transportation due to the severity of the illness, you can claim taxi costs. If they are demonstrably medically necessary, trips for hospital visits by relatives may also be deductible. Drivers can claim 30 cents per kilometer driven.
Vaccination
Important for travelers abroad: The cost of a vaccination can sometimes reduce taxes. However, a doctor must issue a prescription for it.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture works wonders–but not for everyone. The costs for this therapy can be quite high. The tax office also sets limits here. However, after deducting treatment costs, the amount can be claimed as medical expenses for tax purposes.
Ayurveda Treatments and Other Unrecognized Therapies
Costs for an Ayurveda treatment can only be recognized as an extraordinary burden if the medical necessity in the specific case is proven by an official medical certificate issued before the start of the treatment.5
Other alternative healing methods that are (still) not scientifically recognized can also be claimed for tax purposes if an official medical certificate or a certificate from the MDK is obtained before treatment begins. These include fresh and dry cell treatments, oxygen, chelation, and autologous blood therapy, ozone therapy, mare’s milk intake for hepatitis, magnetic field, or dolphin therapy.
Massages
Healing treatments such as massages or hot packs are also tax-deductible as medical expenses. Again, the treatments must be demonstrably certified by a public health officer before the first treatment begins for tax purposes.
Tips
Wages in caregiving professions are often abysmal. Tips for these important helpers are deductible. You also need a receipt for the tax office.
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How to determine the reasonable personal burden for medical expenses?
Whether you can deduct illness-related costs from taxes depends on your individual reasonable burden. This is tiered and ranges from one to seven percent of your total income. It depends on your marital status, the number of children (for whom you receive child benefits or tax allowances), and your total income.6 The Bavarian State Office for Taxes offers a free online calculator to determine the reasonable burden.