Thousands of households across Ireland are missing out on medical expense tax refunds they are entitled to.
That’s according to the latest Taxback.com Taxpayer Sentiment Survey of over 1,200 people around the country.
New figures show that almost half a million people overpaid a total of €300 million in income tax in 2021.
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The survey found that most respondents believe that the reason Irish people don’t claim what they are owed is a simple lack of awareness around tax refunds and eligibility, while more than one in four say they are afraid of having anything to do with the taxman.
Speaking about the money people are missing out on, Marian Ryan, Director of Business Development at Taxback.com said: "January is undoubtedly the busiest month of the year for doctors and medical practitioners with flus, respiratory viruses, not to mention Covid-related illnesses at their peak.
"But our survey, and indeed Revenue statistics show that most of these people will not request the refund they are entitled to on these medical expenses."
Taxback.com reports a positive take from the survey in that the number of respondents who said they claim their medical expense tax relief had risen by 13 per cent since 2021, in which less than a quarter of people did not file a tax return.
Ms. Ryan went on to say: "The increase in the number of people claiming, compared to when we asked the same question two years ago is encouraging. But it’s still not enough. Why leave money behind?
"If you pay your taxes, then you should reap whatever rewards are available – and this is a big one. Particularly if you have a family – the free GP Scheme ends when a child turns six, so households with children are invariably going to incur medical costs over the years.
"While it is understandable that many people may be reluctant to deal with the Taxman out of fear of owing Revenue yet more money, it is always better to deal with an issue than to ignore it and hope it goes away," Ryan said.
According to the experts, the number of people who wind up owing Revenue money is very small compared to the "volume of unclaimed refunds each year so, the chances are strongly in people's favour."
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