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Tax relief on medical expenses

  • 03-12-2014 9:33pm
    #1
    Straylight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 338 ✭✭


    As a favour to a relative who is a bit useless when it comes to claiming back tax, I said I'd go through their medical expense receipts for the last couple of years to see what can be claimed for. There are a number of receipts for psychotherapy/counselling sessions, with the person they saw being a member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Does anyone know if this qualifies as a legitimate medical expense?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    dogsears
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 535 ✭✭✭dogsears


    Straylight wrote: »
    As a favour to a relative who is a bit useless when it comes to claiming back tax, I said I'd go through their medical expense receipts for the last couple of years to see what can be claimed for. There are a number of receipts for psychotherapy/counselling sessions, with the person they saw being a member of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Does anyone know if this qualifies as a legitimate medical expense?

    Thanks.

    From the Revenue Guidance on Medical Expenses:

    "In the case of a psychologist or psychotherapist, relief can only be allowed where the psychologist or psychotherapist is a qualified practitioner as outlined in paragraph What does Practitioner mean? or where a patient is referred by a psychiatrist for a diagnostic procedure."

    and

    "Practitioner means any person who is:

    registered in the register established under section 43 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007
    registered in the register established under section 26 of the Dentists Act 1985
    in relation to health care provided outside the State, entitled under the laws of the country in which the care is provided to practice medicine or dentistry there."

    So it looks unlikely. Was your relative referred for these sessions by a psychiatrist perhaps?


  • #3
    Straylight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 338 ✭✭Straylight


    I read all that and it wasn't really clear to me so I called the Revenue today to see if they could clarify things. I was basically told that the definition of a qualified practitioner is quite broad, but may not specifically cover counsellors. However I was then told that if the visits to the counsellor were as a result of a referral by a GP then it could be considered a medical need and could be claimed for as long as there was a copy of the referral letter to support the claim if it was queried. Thanks for your help dogsears, much appreciated.


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