Health expenses - qualifying expenses

This is the link to the Revenue guidance. https://www.revenue.ie/en/tax-profe...ains-tax-corporation-tax/part-15/15-01-12.pdf

Section 2.2 sets out the allowable expenses and 2.3 defines Practitioner. Reading these sections, as written, it suggests that if someone needs hearing aids (2.2.e), they would need to be recommended by a doctor or dentist - not an audiologist! Presumably, these guidance notes are meant to be taken literally?! Real guidance please!!

If you were losing your hearing would you not go to a doctor who would refer you to an audiologist?

Hearing aids are specifically included here:

Corola said:

If you were losing your hearing would you not go to a doctor who would refer you to an audiologist?

Hearing aids are specifically included here:

What are qualifying expenses?

This page outlines qualifying expenses for healthcare

www.revenue.ie

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I'm not sure everyone would, why pay 60 quid or thereabouts for a letter when you can book directly, Specsavers for example. Fine if you have a medical card I suppose but I wouldn't pay it otherwise.

It's not just having to pay the GP. Like I've heard that GPs are quite busy! Is this the best use of this very scarce resource?! As written, I have to get the GP's written approval to see a physio to get the relief of physio related expenses!! How else can I show that the physio session was advised/recommended by a Practitioner, as defined? As Guidance Notes go, it's pretty dismal stuff.

jasdpace@gmail. said:

It's not just having to pay the GP. Like I've heard that GPs are quite busy! Is this the best use of this very scarce resource?! As written, I have to get the GP's written approval to see a physio to get the relief of physio related expenses!! How else can I show that the physio session was advised/recommended by a Practitioner, as defined? As Guidance Notes go, it's pretty dismal stuff.

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It is pretty poor and probably dates from a time when you couldn't get to see any sort of specialist without a referral letter from doc. Now it's quite easy see several types without the preamble and cost of a doc visit. Assuming it's not mega bucks and it's a common treatment like physio the likelihood of being asked for a copy of the letter from the GP is pretty small I'd say. I'm sure I have put things on my tax form in the past that I have received money back from medical insurance for while not necessarily being referred by doc, dermatologist for example, that is kind of my guideline of should it be included or not! I'm sure had I gone to doc she would have referred me on anyway.

Here's the full story.
I rang the Revenue this morning re this nonsense.
I explained what their GN said.
Revenue: Ah no........we wouldn't expect you to go to the GP before going to a physio
Me: Do you accept that that is what the GN says?
Revenue: Yes but don't worry about it
Me: What about getting my mam's hearing aids - they're €4k - do I need to get written confirmation from the GP?
Revenue: Nay - so long as you've a receipt from the audiologist - it will be fine
Me: Great - just one final one. My dad needs a custom built chair. It's going to cost €3k. The OT says it will help him greatly. Presumably, I can take it that the OT's recommendation suffices?
Revenue: I think you should get a note from the GP just to cover yourself.

Go figure!

For what its worth the Medical Practitioners note about the requirement for the procedure would be required.

What Revenue do is they select a number of claims and review the paperwork. So for the mothers hearings aids at €4k it would strike me that this would be likely to be selected - and as you are going to town on the expenses for the old pair if they are all in the one year a virtual certainty. Also its you need to pay for it if you are claiming - just these technical bits that will be problematic.

I suppose nobody gets hearing aids for the craic whereas a chair is harder to be clear about whether it's a medical necessity (not saying it isn't but just pretending to be revenue!) or just a very fancy reclining etc chair.

Monbretia said:

I suppose nobody gets hearing aids for the craic whereas a chair is harder to be clear about whether it's a medical necessity (not saying it isn't but just pretending to be revenue!) or just a very fancy reclining etc chair.

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They might send an inspector out to have a look at the chair.

Bought lots of things for my Dad back when needed but bought all secondhand, unfortunately the very nature of these things means they may not get a lot of use! Bought mobility scooter for example for very little, it had been hardly used. Looked into getting him a chair too but it just wouldn't have served him well really. Got rollator/shower chair and smaller things like that on FB. In theory yes the PHN would order one from HSE but the one thing we really needed urgently (a commode) there was a wait for and no ETA!