LTC Premium Deduction Limits Table
| Age (end of year) | 2026 premium limit |
|---|---|
| 40 or less | $500 |
| 41 - 50 | $930 |
| 51 - 60 | $1,860 |
| 61 - 70 | $4,960 |
| 71 and over | $6,200 |
Qualified long-term care insurance premiums are deductible as medical expenses - but only up to an age-banded cap the IRS adjusts yearly. For 2026 the five bands run from $500 (age 40 and under) to $6,200 (age 71 and over), verbatim from Rev. Proc. 2025-32, and the calculator maps any age to its band instantly.
The cap is per person: a married couple each holding qualified policies stacks two limits, and the premiums then flow through the Schedule A medical stack, deductible only to the extent total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of AGI.
How to use
- Enter the age you will attain by December 31, 2026 - the bands key off year-end age, not birthday age.
- Read the table for the full 2026 ladder; the steepness mirrors how LTC policy pricing itself climbs with issue age.
- Stack check: premiums beyond the band are not wasted - they join all other unreimbursed medical expenses above the 7.5%-of-AGI floor.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the limit climb so steeply with age?
Long-term care insurance is priced on entry age - the same policy costs several times more to start at 70 than at 45 - so the deductible band tracks the premium curve. The $500-to-$6,200 spread is the IRS matching the deduction to what coverage actually costs at each life stage.
Does the 7.5% AGI floor apply to these premiums?
Yes - LTC premiums are Schedule A medical expenses, deductible only above 7.5% of adjusted gross income, shared with all other unreimbursed medical costs. A $60,000-AGI filer gets deductibility only past $4,500 of total medical - the band limit is a ceiling inside that stack, not a separate benefit.
What makes a policy a qualified long-term care contract?
It must meet the HIPAA standards: coverage only for qualified long-term care services, no cash surrender or loan value, guaranteed renewability, and level premiums intended to be paid over at least three years. Employer-signed certificates under a group plan count; short-term-care and indemnity products usually do not.
Are employer-paid LTC premiums deductible?
Not by the employee - premiums paid by an employer under a qualified plan are the employer’s deduction, and they do not flow into the employee’s Schedule A stack. Self-employed filers count their own paid premiums against the same age-banded limits as everyone else.