Tax Relief on Medical Bills

Many people do not realise that most medical expenses qualify for tax relief and that each year they can reclaim some of the money they pay the doctor, hospital, dentist or pharmacist from the Revenue Commissioners.

You can claim tax relief on medical expenses incurred by yourself, your spouse, dependent children or dependent relatives, as long as you have not already been reimbursed, or are entitled to be reimbursed, for the costs by a health board or a medical insurer, such as the VHI, Quinn Healthcare or Vivas. Laser Vision Correction qualifies for this rebate.
An individual must bear the first €125 of the final bill while a family must bear the first €250.

The balance is then repaid to you at your highest rate of tax.

When making your claim for tax relief on medical expenses, you must retain your receipts. You do not need to include these receipts with your tax claim, but you might be asked to produce them if the Revenue Commissioners choose your claim for detailed examination. It is possible to choose whether to claim the relief in the year that medical expenses were incurred or in the year in which they were paid, if they happen to be different.
The forms you need are Med 1 and Med 2, which are available from ELI.