Long-term care (LTC) insurance premiums are tax-deductible only up to IRS age-based limits — and how you claim them depends on whether you are self-employed or a W-2 employee. Enter your premium and age to see your 2026 deductible amount.
| Scenario | Deductible Amount |
|---|---|
| Age 58, $2,400 premium, $75,000 AGI (W-2 employee) | $0 — eligible $1,800 is under the $5,625 AGI floor |
| Age 65, $4,000 premium, $90,000 AGI (W-2 employee) | $0 — eligible $4,000 is under the $6,750 floor |
| Age 72, $8,000 premium, $60,000 AGI (W-2 employee) | $1,510 — eligible $6,010 − $4,500 floor |
| Age 65, $4,000 premium + $10,000 other medical, $20,000 AGI (W-2) | $12,500 — ($4,000 + $10,000) − $1,500 floor |
| Age 45, $1,500 premium, self-employed | $900 above-the-line, capped at the 41-50 limit |
| Age 68, $6,500 premium, self-employed | $4,810 above-the-line, capped at the 61-70 limit |
2026 §213(d) per-person limits: 40 & under $480 · 41-50 $900 · 51-60 $1,800 · 61-70 $4,810 · 71+ $6,010.
Long-term care insurance premiums count as medical expenses under IRC §213(d), but only up to an age-based limit that the IRS adjusts each year. The limit applies per insured person, so a married couple each insures and each claims their own cap.
The cap is set by the insured person's age at the end of the tax year, not the policy start date.
Some states (e.g., New York, Minnesota) offer their own LTC deduction or credit above the federal limit. Check your state's instructions before filing.
The IRS treats long-term care insurance as a qualified medical expense under §213(d), but caps the deductible premium by age to prevent high earners from buying unlimited coverage and writing it off. For 2026 the per-person caps range from $480 (age 40 and under) to $6,010 (age 71 and older). Any premium you pay above the cap is simply not deductible — the cap is a hard ceiling, not an indexing mechanism.
The more consequential choice is how you deduct. A W-2 employee must clear the 7.5%-of-AGI floor with all medical expenses combined, which most healthy filers never do. A self-employed taxpayer deducts the age-limited premium above the line, dollar-for-dollar, regardless of AGI. Same policy, radically different tax value.
Each spouse has their own limit based on their own age. A 62-year-old and a 68-year-old spouse both insuring themselves can deduct up to $4,810 and $6,010 respectively on their joint return if self-employed. If one spouse is a W-2 employee and the other self-employed, the self-employed spouse's premium goes above the line and the employee's premium joins the itemized medical pile.
⚠️ Important: This calculator uses 2026 IRS §213(d) age-based limits for illustration. Actual deductibility depends on your filing status, whether you itemize, your AGI, and state rules. Long-term care insurance premiums paid by an employer or from an HSA follow different rules. Consult a tax professional before filing.