Tax Deductible Drugs

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January 22, 2008· Filed Under Life in Italy  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I went to the chemists/pharmacy today to get some more cough syrup and came across the spanking new system for registering purchases from these places, which I had heard about a few days before. Now, when you pay for your drugs you can also hand over your health card - a credit card sized piece of plastic - and your ‘codice fiscale’ - tax code - will be written onto the receipt for the pills or potions you have just bought. The personalised receipt can then be passed to your accountant who will arrange to have a certain amount deducted from your income. Neat.

This new system has been introduced, I suspect, to cut down on tax fiddles because in the past a receipt for just about anything from a pharmacy could have been written off against income tax. And you can be sure that all manner of face creams and other cosmetics had become tax deductible. With the new system, this will no longer be possible, or rather, it will be more difficult to pull off.

It’s quite a shrewd move on the part of Italy’s expensive politicians, and it may even save the country a few bob.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Tax Deductible Drugs”

  1. jen said on November 19th, 2008 3:22 pm

    I have a question. Prior to 2008, did the pharmacies in Italy give you a printed receipt when you purchased prescription or non-prescription drugs?

  2. Alex Roe said on November 19th, 2008 4:31 pm

    Yes Jen they did - as I think is mentioned in the post above.

    Why do you ask?

    Best,

    Alex

  3. jen said on November 19th, 2008 5:05 pm

    I am working a case, and have statements that prior to 2008, it was impossible to obtain a receipt from a pharmacy after a prescription was purchased. I am trying to obtain a little more information and understanding to support or contradict such statements.

  4. Alex Roe said on November 19th, 2008 5:32 pm

    Ah, if you are working on a case (sounds as though you might be a lawyer) then perhaps I should add that although receipts were obtained prior to 2008, they were not I believe personalised, in that they may not have had the tax code of the individual concerned. Now receipts can be personalised with the addition of a tax code (codice fiscale)

    However, in the case of prescribed medicines, you should be able to obtain a copy of the prescription from the doctor concerned, which in turn could be matched to a receipt in the event a payment was made.

    I could put you in touch with an English speaking Italian lawyer should you wish to know more about the Italian law on this issue.

    Regards,

    Alex

  5. Alex Roe said on November 19th, 2008 5:35 pm

    Sorry, to answer more precisely:

    As far as I can remember whenever I have paid for prescription medicines here in Italy, I have received a receipt. Even before 2008.

    Alex

  6. jen said on November 19th, 2008 5:44 pm

    Thank you for your help.

  7. jen said on November 19th, 2008 6:12 pm

    I am sorry, one last thing. Do you recall prior to 2008, if the actual prescription receipt had the name of the drug purchased and the quantity? I do know that recent receipts I have seen do have that information.

    thank you,

  8. Alex Roe said on November 19th, 2008 7:03 pm

    Hi Jen,

    Sorry, but I cannot remember if this was the case - I’ll pop into a local pharmacy and ask tomorrow if you like.

    Best,

    Alex

  9. jen said on November 19th, 2008 8:30 pm

    If you are willing to do that, that would be perfectly fine with me. Thank you.

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