CLAIM YOUR MEDICAL EXPENSES

AS MUCH as €150million may be going unclaimed annually in medical and nursing home expenses.

That’s the shocking estimate of Taxback.com. ‘Each year, 400,000 taxpayers claim back €150million from Revenue in respect of medical expenses and nursing home fees alone,’ says Barry Flanagan of Taxback.com. ‘But whether it is through apathy, an unwarranted fear of Revenue or simply because people remain unaware of their enti- tlements, we estimate that as much as €150million more could be left unclaimed.’

A lot of people don’t bother claiming medical expenses because the relief is not at the full rate of tax. ‘Parents may think, it’s only 20% so why bother?’ said Laura Erskine of Mummypages.ie.

But it’s money in your hand that is still worth claiming back whether it’s at 40% or 20%. Relief can be claimed on most unreimbursed expenses and on qualifying non-routine dental expenses.

Here are some tips: ÷ Keep all your receipts even if you do this by taking a photo of them on your phone. You can get apps such as Smart Receipts that do it all for you. ÷ You don’t have to produce receipts or send them in when you claim, but you are required to keep them for six years in case Revenue asks to see them. You can also claim for your children’s expenses as long as you paid the bills. ÷ Routine dental expenses such as scaling, filling and extractions are not eligible, but specialist treatments are, including implants, which are covered under periodontal treatment. ÷ You can claim for specialist food items — for example, if you have coeliac disease — if you have a doctor’s letter stating that the food was bought for medical reasons.