Tax Offset on Medical Expenses

The medical expense tax offset only applies if your net medical expenses exceeds $2,000 excluding contributions to private health insurers, travel or accomodation expenses associated with medical treatment or inoculations for overseas travel.

You can claim medical expenses for:

yourself
your spouse (married or de facto)
your children aged under 21 years
a student aged under 25 years whom you maintainted & whose income was less than $1,786

Claimable Medical Expenses

to dentists, orthodontists or registered dental mechanics
to opticians or optometrists, including for the cost of prescription spectacles or contact lenses
to a carer who looks after a person who is blind or permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair
for therapeutic treatment under the direction of a doctor
for medical aids prescribed by a doctor
for artificial limbs or eyes and hearing aids
to keep a trained guide dog for guiding or assisting people with a disability
for laser eye surgery, and
for treatment under an in-vitro fertilisation program.

Non-Claimable Expenses

cosmetic operations for which a Medicare benefit is not payable
dental services or treatments that are solely cosmetic
therapeutic treatment where the patient is not formally referred by a doctor
chemist-type items, e.g. tablets for pain relief, purchased in retail outlets or health food stores
inoculations for overseas travel
non-prescribed vitamins or health foods
travel or accommodation expenses associated with medical treatment
contributions to a private health insurer
purchases from a chemist that are not related to an illness or operation
life insurance medical examinations
ambulance charges and subscriptions, and
funeral expenses.

If you are unsure which medical expenses qualify for the offset, phone the Individual Infoline on 13 28 61 Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 6.00pm.

	Cost	Rebate
Please enter the cost & rebates for claimable medical expenses such as: Dentists Orthodontists Optometrists Chiropractic/Physiotherapists Medical Aid (Doctor prescribed) Artificial Limbs/Hearing Aids Laser Eye Surgery Maintaining a guide dog Carer

Please note: these calculators are only estimates and should be used only as a guide.