Father's medical expenses

[DiamondEagle]

In August 2015 my 71 year old father was hospitalised for two weeks at a private hospital thanks to a nasty chest infection. He doesn't have any medical aid or hospital plan so I ended up having to pay the medical expenses of approximately R400 000 cash. He is no longer formally employed and he's no longer registered for tax so he can't claim any of the expenses from SARS himself.

Am I allowed to claim any of those hospital and medical expenses that I paid on my own income tax return?

Thanks.

 

[HavocXphere]

I'm inclined to say yes.

Who is a dependant?

A dependant is:
A spouse
A child and the child of a spouse (e.g. son, daughter, step son, step daughter, legally adopted child)
Who was alive during any portion of the year of assessment, and who on the last day of the year of assessment:
Was unmarried and was not or would not, had he or she lived, have been:
Older than 18 years
Older than 21 years and was entirely or partly dependent for maintenance on the person and has not become liable to pay normal tax for the year
Older than 26 years and was entirely or partly dependent for maintenance on the person and has not become liable to pay normal tax for the year and was a full-time student at an educational institution of a public character; or
In the case of any other child, was incapacitated by a disability from maintaining himself or herself and was entirely or partly dependent for maintenance on the person and hasn’t become liable to pay normal tax for that year
Any other member of a person’s family for whom he or she is liable for family care and support (e.g. mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother, sister, grandparents, grandchildren.)
Any other person who is recognised as a dependant of that person in terms of the rules of a medical scheme or fund.

Also...holy hell...you covered 400k out of pocket. Balling hard...

 

[Viva]

In August 2015 my 71 year old father was hospitalised for two weeks at a private hospital thanks to a nasty chest infection. He doesn't have any medical aid or hospital plan so I ended up having to pay the medical expenses of approximately R400 000 cash. He is no longer formally employed and he's no longer registered for tax so he can't claim any of the expenses from SARS himself.

Am I allowed to claim any of those hospital and medical expenses that I paid on my own income tax return?

Thanks.

I'm going to be off topic here..

Good on you for covering your fathers bill.

But seriously, I don't think it is responsible for the elderly to not have comprehensive medical aid (if possible) or a basic hospital plan (at the very least). A young person might get away without it (also not advisable), but this not a smart move for a older person.

 

[HavocXphere]

I'm going to be off topic here..

Good on you for covering your fathers bill.

But seriously, I don't think it is responsible for the elderly to not have comprehensive medical aid (if possible) or a basic hospital plan (at the very least). A young person might get away without it (also not advisable), but this not a smart move for a older person.

Might not be by choice...the combination of old + no previous med aid would result in murderous premiums/penalties.

Plus I know beyond a certain age the med aids just refuse outright

 

[maumau]

Also OT - Father should be a dependant on OP's medical aid.

 

[Zoomzoom]

Curious as to why he went to a private hospital knowing he did not have medical aid. Curious why they admitted him without proof of medical aid.

 

[diapason]

Might not be by choice...the combination of old + no previous med aid would result in murderous premiums/penalties.

Plus I know beyond a certain age the med aids just refuse outright

The medical aids haven't been allowed to exclude anyone for many years. What they would do is impose a 3 month general waiting period, and 12 months for any pre-existing conditions.

They would also put him on the maximum late joiner penalty of 75% at his age to account for the fact that he has not been contributing to the risk pool.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

It's a pity parents do this to their children.
Secondly I would not have paid the bill. Period. It was not your responsibility to do. Let the hospital try and get the money out of your father first.

 

[marioat1]

It's a pity parents do this to their children.
Secondly I would not have paid the bill. Period. It was not your responsibility to do. Let the hospital try and get the money out of your father first.

65%of south African retired persons have no medical or pension benefits. It's our choice to look after our parents when elderly and in need, not all of us were unloved as children.

 

[CB40]

I'm going to be off topic here..

Good on you for covering your fathers bill.

But seriously, I don't think it is responsible for the elderly to not have comprehensive medical aid (if possible) or a basic hospital plan (at the very least). A young person might get away without it (also not advisable), but this not a smart move for a older person.

You actually don't know the circumstances of why the father didn't have a medical aid or a hospital plan so your comment about not being responsible is irrelevant, but hats off to his son.
Believe me there are thousands of people who cannot afford to retire let alone afford a hospital plan in this "wonderful" country of ours.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

65%of south African retired persons have no medical or pension benefits. It's our choice to look after our parents when elderly and in need, not all of us were unloved as children.

Retired people with no medical should not be treated in private hospitals. I was very much loved by my parents and love them as well. They are not a burden on me however.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I'm inclined to say yes.



Also...holy hell...you covered 400k out of pocket. Balling hard...

One has to wonder if he is balling that hard...why doesn't he pay a medical aid for the old man.

 

[HavocXphere]

One has to wonder if he is balling that hard...why doesn't he pay a medical aid for the old man.

oh yeah def, but that is not for me to judge.

 

[DiamondEagle]

... Am I allowed to claim any of those hospital and medical expenses that I paid on my own income tax return?

I suppose not, if I'm reading the quote below right.

SARS IT-AE-36-G05 says:

"8 DEDUCTIONS
8.1 MEDICAL
- Since the medical tax credit is a ‘rebate’ against taxes payable and not a ‘deduction,’ it is
limited to the normal tax payable. In other words it is not refundable and cannot exceed the
amount of normal tax payable."

 

[DiamondEagle]

You actually don't know the circumstances of why the father didn't have a medical aid or a hospital plan so your comment about not being responsible is irrelevant, but hats off to his son.
Believe me there are thousands of people who cannot afford to retire let alone afford a hospital plan in this "wonderful" country of ours.

Spot-on. Thanks.

 

[DiamondEagle]

Curious as to why he went to a private hospital knowing he did not have medical aid. Curious why they admitted him without proof of medical aid.

It was an emergency.

Hospitals don't care if you have medical aid or not. If you can show the ability to pay they'll accept you.

 

[Defib]

Why not transfer to state?

 

[DiamondEagle]

Also OT - Father should be a dependant on OP's medical aid.

Few medical aids allow that these days. Mine is a closed scheme without that option.

 

[DiamondEagle]

Why not transfer to state?

Read the origional post. The question wasn't about affordability or state vs private care.

 

[DiamondEagle]

No point in continuing with this thread since it's gone way off topic with no real answers to the actual question.