A guide for Axios Physio patients in Swords, Dublin
Written by Elena Terrón, Chartered Physiotherapist (CORU Reg. PT044701, ISCP MISCP17788)
If you come to physiotherapy regularly, you may not know that Revenue (the Irish tax authority) lets you claim back part of what you pay for your sessions. It’s not a loophole or a grey area — it’s an official tax relief available to any taxpayer in Ireland, and very few people claim it simply because they don’t know it exists.
Here’s a plain-English guide to who can claim it, how much you can get back, and how to do it step by step.
How much can I claim back?
Revenue refunds 20% of the cost of your physiotherapy sessions, provided they meet the condition explained in the next section. That’s the same standard rate of relief that applies to most medical expenses in Ireland.
For example: if you spent €600 on physiotherapy in a year, you could get back around €120.
The important condition: you need a doctor’s recommendation
This is the part most people don’t know, so it’s worth explaining properly.
At Axios Physio, you don’t need a referral from your GP to book an appointment — you can come directly. But for Revenue to accept your physiotherapy as a qualifying health expense, you do need to have been prescribed, referred, or advised to have physiotherapy by a registered practitioner (your GP, or a dentist registered with the Dental Council, depending on the case).
In practice, this means:
- If your GP has told you “you should go to physiotherapy” (in a consultation, in writing, or noted in your record), that session is claimable.
- If you booked on your own initiative, without having spoken to your GP about it, that particular session wouldn’t meet Revenue’s requirement — even though the treatment itself is just as valid and necessary.
Our advice: if you know you’ll need ongoing physiotherapy (for example, for a sports injury, chronic lower back pain, or post-surgical rehab), mention it to your GP at your next visit and ask them to note the recommendation. That way you’re covered for claiming future sessions.
What about private health insurance (VHI, Laya, Irish Life)?
Worth clarifying one thing here: it isn’t exactly a “discount” at the time you pay — it’s a refund afterwards. Many VHI, Laya Healthcare and Irish Life Health plans include a “day-to-day” or outpatient benefit that refunds part of what you paid for each physiotherapy session, up to an annual number of sessions and amount that depends entirely on your specific plan. More comprehensive plans, for example, tend to cover more sessions at a higher amount per session than basic plans — the difference between plans can be significant, so the most reliable thing to do is check your policy’s “Table of Benefits” through your insurer’s app or website.
To qualify for reimbursement, all three insurers require the treatment to be carried out by a Chartered Physiotherapist, registered with CORU and the ISCP — as is the case at Axios Physio.
Also keep in mind the claim deadlines, which vary by insurer (as a rough guide: up to 3 years with VHI, 12 months with Laya, and 6 months with Irish Life Health — always confirm the exact deadline on your own policy).
Can you combine the insurance refund and the Revenue tax relief? Yes, but not on the same money: Revenue only lets you claim relief on the portion of the expense your insurer hasn’t already refunded. In other words, if you pay €60 for a session and your insurer refunds €30, you could only claim the 20% relief on the remaining €30, not on the full amount.
How do you claim it? (the Med 1 form no longer exists)
If you’ve heard of the “Med 1 form,” that information is out of date: Revenue discontinued it, and everything is now handled online.
- If you’re a PAYE employee: log in to your myAccount on the Revenue website and look for the “Health Expenses” section. You can claim in real time during the year, or at year-end as part of your Income Tax Return.
- If you’re self-employed or file a self-assessed return: you claim through ROS (Revenue Online Service), as part of your annual return.
- Keep your receipts. You don’t need to submit them when making the claim, but Revenue can request them later, and you’re required to keep them for 6 years.
- You can claim retrospectively. If you haven’t claimed before, don’t worry — Revenue allows you to claim relief on the last 4 years of health expenses, so if you’ve been coming to physiotherapy and never claimed, you can still get back part of what you’ve already paid.
At Axios Physio, if you need us to confirm the dates and amounts of your sessions in writing for your claim, just ask us.
Quick summary
| Question | Answer |
| How much can I claim back? | 20% of the cost of your sessions |
| Do I need anything special? | A registered doctor must have recommended the physiotherapy |
| Med 1 form? | No longer exists; it’s done online via myAccount or ROS |
| How long do I need to keep receipts? | 6 years |
| Can I claim for previous years? | Yes, up to 4 years back |
| What about private insurance (VHI/Laya/Irish Life)? | It may refund part of the session (depending on your plan), and you can still claim 20% relief on whatever remains unreimbursed |
An important note
This guide summarises Revenue’s general rules and typical insurer conditions in plain language, but it doesn’t replace advice from an accountant, tax advisor, or your insurer’s customer service team, and the rules can change from year to year. For your specific situation, always check the official Revenue page on health expenses, your policy’s Table of Benefits, or speak to your tax advisor.
Need physiotherapy and want to start building up claimable sessions? Book your appointment at Axios Physio, in Swords, Co. Dublin, and if your GP has already recommended treatment, bring that information along to your first visit.
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