Consumer Watch: How coeliacs and others can get tax relief for expensive gluten-free diets

Over 500,000 people in Ireland must remove gluten from their diet for medical reasons, but this can come at a financial hardship for some

"It’s relatively easy to meet dietary needs by cooking at home because many foods are naturally gluten-free."

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that can have severe consequences for somebody who accidentally eats gluten. 

For those who have the disease, the only treatment is to remove gluten from their diet. 

Over 500,000 people in Ireland can’t eat gluten for this reason, and that includes those with coeliac disease and those who have non-Coeliac gluten intolerance. 

Both are medical conditions that can only be diagnosed after extensive testing. 

Consuming gluten accidentally will not always result in symptoms, but it will still take its physical toll over time, regardless of the absence of reaction. 

Undiagnosed, people with coeliac disease can suffer from a range of problems from osteoporosis to fertility issues.

Removing gluten from your diet is quite the undertaking. 

It’s relatively easy to meet dietary needs by cooking at home because many foods are naturally gluten-free. 

That said, when you remove cereals from the diet, you can end up with nutrient deficiencies, such as low fibre, B vitamins, and iron, and this makes it even more important to watch your dietary intake. 

On a practical level, it’s easier to move a family to an entirely gluten-free diet than it is to cook and prepare two meals for different family members. 

That said, buying only gluten-free food can make the weekly shop more expensive, as alternatives like gluten-free bread, pasta, and flour often cost significantly more than their standard counterparts.

COMPLICATIONS

It becomes more complicated when dining out or buying prepackaged foods. 

Like any allergen, wheat/gluten should be advised to the staff on arrival to the restaurant, and the menu should clearly mark what allergens are used in the preparation of many dishes. 

While I don’t have coeliac disease, I do have a food allergy. In my experience, some restaurants and cafés handle this with aplomb, and others can be laxer around cross-contamination, something which can make anybody with an allergy incredibly ill. 

Even a small amount of gluten from shared fryers or incorrectly-labelled food can trigger symptoms or health issues, making it difficult to trust dining out.

People living on a gluten-free diet no longer have to trek to the pharmacy to pick up certain foods. All the main supermarkets have certified 'free-from' foods which can cater to a wide range of diets at a more affordable price; however, the cost remains a challenge.

The cost of gluten-free foods in Ireland can vary wildly. There is a perception when a product is certified ‘free-from’ a normal core ingredient, such as cereals, that it’s a product produced in smaller batches with higher regulatory oversight, and this comes at a cost. 

That’s certainly true for Irish artisan producers such as Janet’s Fayre or Rosaleen’s Kitchen, but not always the case. 

Many supermarkets have own-brand products such as rice cereal or flaked corn that is suitable to eat, but on a mainstream shelf. 

The Irish Coeliac Society works with the supermarkets and food producers to identify these outliers and then liaises with the Revenue Commissioners to make sure that their members can claim tax relief on all these products.

RELIEF

Tax relief can be claimed back from the Revenue Commissioners for certain foods, once you’ve provided them with a letter from your doctor stating the condition and certain dietary requirements. 

If you’re a PAYE taxpayer, you can claim the tax relief in real-time during the tax year and your tax credits will vary from payday to payday. 

This means PAYE taxpayers no longer must wait until the end of the year to submit an annual income tax return and claim back the tax relief for a full year.

The Revenue Commissioners set this real-time tax relief in place a few years ago. If your only income is PAYE-based, I highly recommend you start using this system to cushion yourself from medical expenses. 

This applies for all income taxpayers, not just those following a gluten-free diet. However, remember you need to keep all your receipts for these tax relief claims for several years, and you can only claim for the specific products that meet your dietary needs. 

This requires a certain amount of going through receipts with a fine-tooth comb and a calculator, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, tax relief on dietary expenses is not suitable for everyone. 

In fact, those depending on social welfare, or on low incomes, may not be paying enough tax to claim the relief back. 

This can push those on an already-low income into financial hardship, as eating gluten-free can be very expensive. 

People depending on social welfare can approach their local Welfare Officer to ask for additional payments under the Supplementary Social Welfare Scheme. 

As above, you’ll need a letter from your doctor clearly setting out your condition and dietary requirements.

If you suspect you have coeliac disease, your first port of call should be your GP, who can refer you for testing and a consultation with a certified dietician. 

• For more information visit coeliac.ie
• Many thanks to Frances Buckley from The Irish Coeliac Society who took the time to chat with me on this topic.

REDMOND RECOMMENDS:

Every year The Irish Coeliac Society publishes a book listing all food products found in Irish supermarkets that are certified gluten free. 

This includes mainstream products that might not be in the ‘free from’ aisle. 

Considering some members can save up to €1,000 per year by applying for tax relief, the cost of membership (starting at €35 plus postage) to get the free book sounds like good value to me. 

Regardless of your medical condition, if you’re a PAYE worker claim back tax relief in real time from the Revenue to help defray the cost of medical appointments, special diets, and therapies.