Cosmetic surgery procedures could be subject to a 10% tax. Doesn’t sound a lot does it?  Until you realize that the American cosmetic surgery industry is worth $10.3 billion a year, spent on 12.1 million plastic surgery operations. Despite early fears, all signs are that despite the economy, the number of cosmetic surgery operations is not reducing. Some people cynically suggest that more people are actually having surgery as if you look young you may keep your job.

Tax deductions are now allowed on reconstructive surgeries such as after a patient has recovered from cancer, and will not be taxed. However non-reconstructive surgeries, the vast majority of operations, would be subject to the new tax. The plan is to cover all procedures that are not currently tax deductible and are not commonly covered under standard health insurance policies.

Previous attempts to tax cosmetic surgery failed, but they were state taxes, the new one would be a federal one.

Would it apply to people coming to the USA for cosmetic surgery? This is not certain, but the argument goes something along the lines that if you can afford cosmetic surgery and can afford to travel to the USA, you can easily afford a small tax.

If it goes ahead, it would encourage Americans to look even more closely at traveling to Canada, the Caribbean or South America for cosmetic surgery.