# Claiming back tax on employer paid private health care



## Fifitrix (9 Dec 2008)

I have only just realised that I can claim back tax relief on private health care my company have been paying since 1 September 2005.  Any ideas on how to go about this?  How would I know how much was paid, can I get a statement from Quinn?  Appreciate any help! :0


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## z107 (9 Dec 2008)

What way have you it set up?
Do you have a health insurance benefit in kind on your payslip?

Quinn would usually send a document to the employer once a year with the TRS and other amounts on it, broken down by employee.


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## NovaFlare77 (10 Dec 2008)

Fifitrix said:


> I have only just realised that I can claim back tax relief on private health care my company have been paying since 1 September 2005. Any ideas on how to go about this? How would I know how much was paid, can I get a statement from Quinn? Appreciate any help! :0


 
QUINN/BUPA will be able to give a statment of the gross premiums, but your membership certificates will also give the same information if you still have them.

FYI - I think Revenue will only let you claim back for 4 years, so at least get your 2005 claim in before the end of the year. You can sort out the rest early next year.


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## Willowchase (16 Dec 2008)

Fifitrix said:


> I have only just realised that I can claim back tax relief on private health care my company have been paying since 1 September 2005.



I presume the cost of your medical insurance is being deducted from your salary.  If not of course you should be paying BIK.
My understanding is that health insurance has been charged net of standard rate tax for the past number of years. i.e relief given at source. (not sure how many years)


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## MichaelBurke (16 Dec 2008)

I may be wrong on this but isn't it done at source now, and been that way for a couple of years?


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## NovaFlare77 (17 Dec 2008)

MichaelBurke said:


> I may be wrong on this but isn't it done at source now, and been that way for a couple of years?


 
For customers paying themselves (be it through salary, direct debit, cheque, etc) the tax relief has been at source since April 2001. 

For customers whose health insurance is paid as a benefit, they still need to claim the tax relief from Revenue. I think Revenue said at one point they wanted to move this type of claiming to something more automatic as well, but I don't know how far that is or if it's in place.


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## leex (17 Dec 2008)

I'm in this boat also - ie employer paying VHI Plan B for my family and I. I top this up myself to B Option. I pay BIK on what employer pays and at end of each year can claim 20% of gross amount (employer and my amount) paid back in tax relief.


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## Omega (17 Dec 2008)

I'm confused by all this..... I thought that the TRS was applied at source and that was the end of the matter. I've read the Revenue IT5 booklet and it's still not clear to me. My employer pays half the VHI subscription, so can I claim anything back from Revenue? These are the details: Gross cost of annual premium is 1,900, employer pays 50% of this (850) via payroll to employee. This is subject to tax/PRSI. Payroll deductions of 1,520 are made from employee's salary to VHI, so it looks like the TRS is being applied somewhere, as this deduction is 1,900 - 20%..... Can anyone clarify? If a claim is possible, which of the above amounts should be specified on the IT5 claim? Thanks.....


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