VHI Claim or Tax back?

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Hi,

I'm not sure of this is the right place to post this but I want to put in some medical expenses to vhi soon. Can I also submit them to VHI and claim tax back on whatever VHI dont cover? What's the best strategy with reclaiming costs?
thanks.
 
Can I also submit them to VHI and claim tax back on whatever VHI dont cover?

Yes - Submit your claim to VHI. Anything not allowed by VHI (incl Excess) can then be claimed against your taxes

Remember there are many additional expenses allowed by revenue e.g. prescription expenses
 
Also you can claim to your health insurer, in your case VHI, in the year that they occur but you can only claim for health expenses incurred in 2011 after 1st January 2012 from Revenue.
 
VHI will send you a statement of benefit with each claim showing how much they paid you back. Keep these handy as it makes claiming tax back much easier due to seeing how much is eligible for tax.
 
You can sign up to VHI online and you will see this statement of benefit online which I find easier in case I might lose the hardcopy sent out in the post.
 
Remember to submit your expenses to VHI within 3 months of renewal date to qualify.

Patrick
 
Tax Back on Med1 after leaving employment

I left my job in October this year.

Can I still claim tax back on the balance of my health expenses for the year 2011, given that you can only make the revenue claim from 1 jan 2012?



Remember to submit your expenses to VHI within 3 months of renewal date to qualify.

Patrick
 
I don't really understand the question. If you can claim anything back from the VHI then you should do that - within whatever cut-off period may apply these days. Then after this tax year you can do a MED1 claim in respect of any qualifying unreimbursed expenses.
 
Claim from the VHI first and the Tax later, interesting that the revenue never crosschecked however thats the correct and legal approach. Remember the time limit with the VHI.
 
I do know of instances where people have been caught for claiming on their MED 1 forms for the full amount where money has been refunded by an insurer for some of the paid out amount. It is a serious offence. It is an area where all 3 insurers are tightening up on, not returning receipts, stamping receipts and only paying out claims within specific allowed timeframe.

Patrick
 
If you make a claim for reimbursement from the VHI and then they don't send you back your receipts, what are you supposed to do then if the Revenue ask you for the receipts?
 
If you make a claim for reimbursement from the VHI and then they don't send you back your receipts, what are you supposed to do then if the Revenue ask you for the receipts?

I'd be surprised if they don't send back the receipts. Keep copies. You don't have to submit the receipts to revenue but hold them in case of audit (there may be exceptions to this).
 
If you make a claim for reimbursement from the VHI and then they don't send you back your receipts, what are you supposed to do then if the Revenue ask you for the receipts?

According to the VHI website, the detailed claim documentation that they send you back is sufficient for Revenue purposes as evidence of your expenses.

This contains the required detail i.e

GP visit - Cost €55 - VHI claim €25
Physio visit - Cost €60 - VHI claim €25

I always photocopy the receipts anyway before making a claim.
 
You have to keep your receipts for 6 years for audit purposes. I would imagine if one was audited that the Revenue would check with all the health insurers as to whether claims were already made or not. Don't claim twice.
 
According to the VHI website, the detailed claim documentation that they send you back is sufficient for Revenue purposes as evidence of your expenses.

This contains the required detail i.e

GP visit - Cost €55 - VHI claim €25
Physio visit - Cost €60 - VHI claim €25

I always photocopy the receipts anyway before making a claim.

Revenue agreed this with the health insurers a number of years ago to reduce the amount of paper they deal with. It's a win-win for the insurers and Revenue: insurers don't have the administrative costs of returning everyone's receipts, and any paper based claims submitted to Revenue only include the Med1 form and the insurer's statement.

It's probably a good idea to keep a note of what's sent in anyway, in case a receipt gets mislaid once the insurer receives it.
 
Can I ask a question on the back of this. I submit med 1 each year and looking at my balancing statements I received €186.40 each year for medical insurance relief, (company pays health insurance) regardless of my med 1 form amount, and this is added to my other tax credits, these are then subtracted from tax paid and I get the refund. My question is this, if I am allowed €186.40 each year for med ins relief and I don't see anywhere on balancing statement - Med 1 - then why bother filling in the form each year if my amount of tax credit / allowed from govt won't change? Why not just fill in the med ins relief and Age credit form? Thanks
 
Oh scrap that, I can see health expenses on 2009's statement - but not on the previous year's even though I claimed. I'll ring revenue.
 
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