Get Your Money Back on Eye Care

tax back eye care infographic

What Eye Care Expenses Can I Claim?

Although health care is expensive, you might be eligible to get your money back on many different procedures and visits. The process for claiming money back on health care expenses is relatively simple, but what many people do not realise is that this tax relief also extends to eye care.

Moreover, it’s important to note that you don’t have to be the patient to claim tax back on qualifying eye care, it is the person who pays for the health care costs. Not all optical expenses qualify for tax back; however, there are some non – routine procedures where you can claim relief.

1. Glasses & Contacts

Can you claim tax back on glasses? Unfortunately, you can’t claim tax back for routine eye care, such as vision tests or buying glasses or contact lenses. However, the good news is if you pay PRSI, you can get the cost of a sight test covered through the Treatment Benefit Scheme.

It’s recommended to check your eligibility for the Treatment Benefit Scheme before proceeding with your treatment. Additionally, If you have to pay for contact lenses because you can’t wear glasses for medical reasons, you can get up to half of the yearly cost paid, up to €500.

2. LASIK Treatments

If you have paid for LASIK eye surgery, you may be able to claim tax back. All you need to do is make sure that a qualified practitioner carries out the surgery. To check if your provider is qualified, you can check their registration number through the Irish Medical Council.

If you had a laser eye surgery procedure conducted abroad, make sure your provider is entitled to practice under the laws of the country in which the care was given in order to get your money back.

3. Optometric Treatments

Treating eye movement disorders such as strabismus (eye turn) or amblyopia (lazy eye) can often be essential for your vision and well-being; therefore, this is considered a critical expense that is eligible for tax relief.

Again, just make sure your treatment is carried out by a qualified practitioner in order to be eligible for money back. Don’t worry if you are funding orthoptic treatment for another person, as long as you keep the receipts you are eligible to claim tax back.

4. Diagnostic Procedures

If you’ve been experiencing vision problems or need to have diagnostic procedures carried out on your eyes, you can claim tax back on the expense of such procedures. This generally refers to treatment of squints, but also includes exams for glaucoma tests or corneal and retinal topography’s.

The only condition is these diagnostic procedures must be carried out by a registered healthcare practitioner. It is advised that you check the eligibility of your healthcare practitioner before proceeding with treatment to ensure you get your money back.

5. Necessities

If medicine is necessary to maintain or improve your vision, you could be eligible to claim tax relief on expenses incurred. For example, if you need eye drops for conjunctivitis or to treat conditions like infections or glaucoma, you can claim tax relief on the cost of the drops. You can also claim relief for purchasing a false eye as it qualifies as a medical expense.

As with all eye treatments and medical expenses ensure you are keeping track of your receipts. If you do not have records of your receipts to prove the expense or treatment you will not be able to claim tax back.

An easy way to keep track of receipts is by using the receipt tracker service. If you do not use an online tracking service it is recommended that you keep your receipts for up to 6 years in case Revenue investigates your claim.