PAYE return Medical Card question

dootv

Being retired my wife and I found that it is a lot cheaper to spend half the year in asia living with her family in Thailand where the cost of living averages out about 1/3rd compared to Ireland. For the year 2015 I discovered that I actually spent 188 days away from Ireland. Now I am trying to prepare my tax return and it seems to indicate that I could legitimately say I was not resident for that year. Because of low income (our combined state pension from three EU lands is less than the Irish norm) I would like to reduce my PAYE/USC tax burden in any allowable way possible. My worry is the question on the PAYE return asking if I have a medical card, which I do (a full one). My question in short is that if I answer both that I was non-resident and that I also had a medical card, will my medical card be withdrawn as a result?

Boards.ie: Niamh

Moved from Forum Requests.

L1011

Revenue do not control medical cards; and what level of data sharing in that direction wouldn't be public knowledge. However, you aren't eligible for the medical card if classed as non resident.

dootv

Thanks L1011. I wonder why they ask that question on the return? Off topic, do you like Lockheed Tristars or is L1011 a pure coincidence?

L1011

dootv wrote: »

Thanks L1011. I wonder why they ask that question on the return? Off topic, do you like Lockheed Tristars or is L1011 a pure coincidence?

Having a medical card reduces your USC liability so they need to know

And yes, no coincidence