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Financial tax statements

What is the Medicare benefit tax statement?

Your Medicare benefit tax statement contains information about medical services and expenses. This information is based on claims processed by Medicare within the financial year—not necessarily services performed within the financial year.

Your Medicare benefit tax statement may help you when claiming the net medical expenses tax offset.

What is the net medical expenses offset?

If your net medical expenses are over the Australian Tax Office’s (ATO) threshold, you can claim an offset of 20% (20 cents in the dollar) in your tax return.

To claim the medical expenses tax offset in your tax return, you will need to know the total amount of medical expenses you incurred for yourself and your dependants. You then deduct any refunds from Medicare, your private health fund or any other reimbursements that relate to those expenses receiving during the financial year.

Information about threshold amounts for this year are available online from the ATO website

How do I request my Medicare benefit tax statement?

Online via Online Services

To download a copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement from our website, visit our Online Services section. You will need to be registered for online services. If you’re not, you can register now. Once you have registered, and received your password, you will be able to download a copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement to:

keep for your personal records
give to your accountant
lodge with your paper tax return

You can also request your Medicare benefit tax statement by completing a Medicare benefit tax statement request form. A copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement will be mailed to your address recorded with Medicare.

Online via the ATO’s e-tax application

If you’re lodging your tax return online, visit the ATO website to download your Medicare benefit tax statement right into your e-tax application or to print a copy to use later. You don’t need to be lodging your tax return electronically, you can still use e-tax to get a copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement—all you will need is your tax file number, Medicare card and a previous notice of assessment.

By mail

If you require a statement for a financial year more than two years prior to the date of request, a written request is required.

Send your completed request by mail to the Release of Information Officer, Medicare Australia, GPO Box 9822, in your capital city (do not send your Medicare card when you request by mail). A copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement will be mailed to your address currently recorded with Medicare.

By phone

To request a copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement over the phone, call 132 011 to speak to a Medicare operator.

The Medicare operator will ask you for the following details:

your Medicare card number
your personal details
personal details of the persons who require a statement
applicable financial year.

A copy of your Medicare benefit tax statement will be mailed to your address currently recorded with Medicare.

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Last updated: 28 May, 2008