📊 Counselling & Psychotherapy Tax Relief at a Glance
- Relief rate: 20% of qualifying costs
- What qualifies: Treatment by qualified psychotherapists and counsellors
- Backdate period: Up to 4 years
- Typical session: €60-€100 (€12-€20 back per session)
- No threshold: Claim from the first euro spent
Mental health support is an essential part of overall wellbeing, and if you've been paying for private counselling or psychotherapy in Ireland, you can claim back 20% of the cost through tax relief. With therapy sessions typically costing €60-€100 or more per hour, regular attendees can recover hundreds or even thousands of euros over time—money that can make continuing mental health support more affordable.
At MyTaxRebate.ie, our specialists help PAYE workers claim counselling and psychotherapy costs alongside all other medical expense reliefs they may be entitled to. We understand this is a deeply personal area and handle all claims with complete confidentiality, ensuring your privacy is protected throughout the process.
What Counselling Expenses Qualify for Tax Relief?
Tax relief applies to counselling and psychotherapy services provided by qualified practitioners. The key requirement is that the therapist must be appropriately qualified—typically a member of a recognised professional body—and the treatment must be for a legitimate mental health or psychological purpose. Revenue accepts a wide range of therapeutic treatments and approaches:
Qualifying Counselling & Therapy Services:
- Psychotherapy – Including CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, and integrative approaches
- General counselling – Support for life challenges, stress management, career transitions, relationships, and personal development
- Anxiety and depression treatment – Therapeutic support specifically targeting mental health conditions
- Trauma therapy – Including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) and other trauma-focused approaches
- Grief and bereavement counselling – Support for loss of family members, friends, or significant life changes
- Marriage and relationship counselling – Couples therapy, pre-marriage counselling, and family therapy
- Child and adolescent psychology – Play therapy, CBT for children, and psychological support for young people
- Addiction counselling – Support for alcohol, substance, gambling, and behavioural addictions
How Much Tax Relief Can You Claim?
Tax relief is calculated at 20% of your counselling or psychotherapy costs. For someone attending regular therapy sessions, this can accumulate to significant savings over the four-year claim period that Revenue allows you to backdate.
💡 Example: Regular Weekly Therapy Sessions
| Weekly sessions @ €80 for 40 weeks per year | €3,200/year |
| 4 years of regular therapy attendance | €12,800 |
| Total qualifying expenses | €12,800 |
| Tax relief at 20% | €2,560 refund |
Even if you attend therapy less frequently—perhaps fortnightly or monthly sessions—the refund can still be meaningful. Someone attending fortnightly sessions at €75 each would spend €1,950 per year, qualifying for €390 in tax relief annually, or €1,560 over four years. Every bit helps when managing the cost of mental health support.
Practitioner Qualification Requirements
For your counselling expenses to qualify for tax relief, the practitioner should be appropriately qualified and ideally a member of a recognised professional body. Revenue accepts treatment from practitioners who are members of organisations such as:
- IACP – Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (the largest body in Ireland)
- ICP – Irish Council for Psychotherapy
- PSI – Psychological Society of Ireland (particularly for clinical and counselling psychologists)
- IAHIP – Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy
- APPI – Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland
- Other recognised bodies – Many therapists hold accreditation from international or specialist professional organisations
Most qualified therapists include their membership details and registration numbers on their receipts. If you're unsure whether your therapist's qualifications will be accepted for tax relief purposes, our team can advise based on their credentials and professional body membership.
Documentation You'll Need
To claim tax relief on counselling costs, you'll need proof of payment from your therapist. Most therapists are familiar with providing documentation for tax purposes:
- Receipts – From your counsellor or psychotherapist showing dates of sessions and amounts paid
- Therapist details – Name, qualification, and professional body membership number
- Annual summaries – Many therapists can provide year-end statements totalling all sessions for the year
- Bank or card statements – Can support claims if receipts are unavailable or incomplete
Don't worry if you've lost some receipts—therapists typically keep records of payments and can provide duplicate statements if needed. Our specialists can advise on obtaining the necessary documentation.
Online Therapy Sessions
Therapy delivered online through video calls qualifies for exactly the same tax relief as in-person sessions. Since the pandemic, many people have continued with online therapy due to convenience, and this remains a valid and effective way to access mental health support. As long as the therapist is properly qualified and provides receipts, you can claim the relief regardless of whether sessions were conducted face-to-face or online.
Combining with Other Medical Expenses
Counselling costs should be claimed alongside all your other medical expenses to maximise your total refund. Think of it as one comprehensive medical expense claim rather than separate small claims:
- GP consultations – Including mental health consultations and therapy referrals
- Prescription medications – Including any prescribed mental health medications
- Psychiatric consultations – Private psychiatric appointments and assessments
- Physiotherapy – Physical health treatments
- Optical expenses – Eye tests and corrective lenses
Claim Your Counselling Tax Relief Today
All claims handled with complete confidentiality. We'll review your full tax history for ALL medical expenses you're entitled to.
Start Your Free Review →Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a GP referral to claim tax relief on therapy?
No, you can self-refer to a counsellor or psychotherapist and still claim the tax relief. A GP referral may be helpful for your treatment journey but is not required for the tax relief claim itself.
Is life coaching tax deductible?
General life coaching typically doesn't qualify for medical expense tax relief as it's not considered a medical treatment. However, if a qualified psychotherapist provides coaching as part of an overall therapeutic approach, that element may qualify.
Can I claim for couples or relationship therapy?
Yes, couples counselling and relationship therapy qualifies for tax relief when provided by a qualified therapist. The person who pays for the sessions can claim the relief, so typically one partner claims for the full cost of the joint sessions.
What if my employer provides an EAP?
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) sessions are typically free to employees, so there's nothing to claim tax relief on. However, if you've exceeded your EAP allowance and started paying privately, those private sessions would qualify for relief.
How far back can I claim for therapy costs?
You can claim for counselling costs paid in the current year plus the previous 4 years. If you've been in therapy for years without claiming, there may be a significant refund waiting for you.
Why Choose MyTaxRebate.ie?
We understand that mental health treatment is deeply personal and private. When you work with our specialists:
- Complete confidentiality – All your information is handled discreetly and securely
- Comprehensive review – We check for ALL tax reliefs, not just counselling expenses
- 4-year backdate – We review your complete eligible period to maximise your refund
- No refund, no fee – You only pay if we successfully find money you're owed
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