I’M CLAIMING FOR MEDICAL RELIEF... WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?

Q I’m filling out my form for medical expenses relief and have a few queries. Can I claim for my son’s and daughter’s medical care costs? I also had dental implants last year. Can I claim for these? And can I get relief for special gluten-free foods for my daughter?

A As a PAYE worker, there aren’t many things you can claim tax relief on, so you’re right to make the most of them. Medical expenses relief is a biggie and it is much neglected. To answer your questions:

1. Yes you can claim for your children as long as you paid the bills.

2. Routine dental expenses such as scaling, filling and extractions are not eligible for the relief. But specialist treatments are, including implants, which are covered under periodontal treatment.

3. You can’t claim for specialist food items unless your daughter was diagnosed as needing them – i.e. as a coeliac. You’ll need a letter from your doctor stating that the food was bought for medical reasons.

You don’t have to send in receipts for all of this, but you do have to keep them in case the Revenue want to see them. So hold on to them for six years. You can also claim for expenses going back four years in case you missed any previously.

Q I bought a pair of gloves in the January sales and they are coming apart at the seams. Can I still bring them back? And do I get full price or the sales price?

A Our consumer rights don’t change just because you bought something in a sale. When you buy an item, it should be as described, of decent quality and fit for the purpose intended. If it were faulty or damaged, you’d be entitled to a repair, replacement or a refund, usually in that order. But if all the gloves available are of similar quality, the refund option will probably suit you and the retailer best to avoid further hassle. Most stores just decide to give people their money back in these circumstances.

Q I bought a car before Christmas from a private seller. I am told I need a new gearbox at a cost of €1,800. Do I have any comeback with the vendor?

A If you bought from a dealer subject to a warrantee, you could claim on that, but there’s little comeback with private sellers who did not act fraudulently apart from taking a case through the courts. That may not succeed unless you can prove the vendor acted dishonestly, in tampering with the engine warning light, for example.

Q I have recently been willed 10 acres of land which is not great for me as I am not a farmer, But with a background in electricity I am looking into solar energy as a way of utilising this land. Are there grants or incentives available for this type of start-up company? The land is ideally situated in the southeast and is really not suitable for farming as it is full of rock and bush.

A Ireland is actually suitable as a solar energy producer. We get more daylight than a lot of our European neighbours and the quality of it is very suitable for this purpose.

There is a Renewable Energy Support Scheme, details of which can be found on the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment website (www.dccae.ie). But this is being revamped following a public consultation process and we should know shortly what is going to be done.

One of the suggestions was that a specific subsidy is needed for solar power so it might be worth holding on to see what happens here.

However, the Irish Solar Energy Association estimates that 25 acres is the minimum requirement for solar farms to be viable. The site should typically be rectangular or square, on flat, south-facing land.

You can contact the ISEA via its website (www.isea.ie) or by phone on 01 687 7084.