IRS Publication 502 — Medical and Dental Expenses

If you were self-employed and had a net profit for the year, you may be able to deduct, as an adjustment to income, amounts paid for health insurance (which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance and qualified long -term care insurance) on behalf of yourself, your spouse, your dependents, and your children who were under age 27 at the end of 2025. For this purpose, you were self-employed if you were a general partner (or a limited partner receiving guaranteed payments) or you received wages from an S corporation in which you were more than a 2% shareholder. The insurance plan must be established under your trade or business and the deduction can’t be more than your earned income from that trade or business. You can’t deduct payments for health insurance for any month in which you were eligible to participate in a health plan subsidized by your employer, your spouse’s employer, or an employer of your dependent, or your child under age 27, at the end of 2025. You can’t deduct payments for a qualified long -term care insurance contract for any month in which you were eligible to participate in a long-term care insurance plan subsidized by your employer or your spouse’s employer. If you qualify to take the deduction, use the Self -Employed Health Insurance Deduction Worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040 to figure the amount you can 20 Publication 502 (2025)