Are diet costs tax dedutible in the Netherlands?

Do you follow a diet in the Netherlands, e.g., a gluten-free diet? This entails the necessary costs. Fortunately, the Dutch tax authorities (Belastingdienst) accommodate people sticking to a particular diet prescribed by a doctor or dietician. The diet must also be on the diet list set up by the tax authorities. You can find the fixed amount you may deduct from your taxable income in the Netherlands on this list. But please note that diet costs are part of healthcare costs, which means there is a threshold amount before it lowers your taxable income.

Diet list 2022

Are you going to stick to a diet in 2022? As mentioned above, this diet must be on the Diet list 2022 of the tax authorities if you want to deduct it from your taxable income. There are a few things to keep in mind when deducting dietary expenses:

deductible diet costs
  • The diet list of the Dutch tax authorities changes every year, so it could be that your diet was still deductible last year but no longer this year. Or for a lower/higher amount. So it’s important to check this every year.
  • The diet list refers to standard, fixed amounts that do not cover all costs. The advantage is that you do not have to keep receipts, and the diet statement is sufficient.
  • Do you follow a diet only a part of the year? Then you can only use the deduction for those months.

Deduction gluten-free diet in the Netherlands

Do you have a gluten allergy (celiac disease), or are you intolerant to gluten? Then you probably stick to a gluten-free diet. In this case, you have probably noticed that gluten-free products are a lot more expensive. Fortunately, a gluten-free diet can be found on the Diet List 2022 of the tax authorities. In 2022, you may deduct €950 from your taxable income if you follow a gluten-free diet.

Do you stick to a gluten-free diet in combination with a lactose-free/lactose-restricted diet? Then you may deduct a total of €1050 from your taxable income.

Diet on prescription

Another condition is that dietary costs are only deductible on the prescription of a doctor or dietician. For this, you need to download a diet confirmation on the website of the Dutch tax authorities. Will you follow the diet in 2022? Then you need a written diet confirmation from 2022. Please note: you need a new diet confirmation every year.

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Do you have a question about tax deductible diet costs? Or could you use some help with your tax return? We ensure that all tax deductible items are used optimally. Contact us using the details below.

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