Can I claim tax deductions for maintaining healthcare insurance in two countries?
I'm trying to figure out if I can use my healthcare premiums as tax deductions since they've gone through the roof lately. My situation is a bit complicated - I currently live in Switzerland, but all my taxes (income, capital, health insurance, social contributions) are paid to my home country in the EU. The only thing I pay in Switzerland is the mandatory health insurance required for my residency permit. What I'm wondering is: can I use these Swiss health insurance payments as a tax write-off in my EU country where I file all my other taxes? The Swiss premiums are seriously expensive (around 450 CHF monthly now) and it would make a huge difference if I could deduct them from my taxable income in my EU country. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation with dual-country healthcare requirements? The tax offices in both countries keep giving me conflicting information, and I really need to figure this out before filing season.
20 comments


Beatrice Marshall
This is a classic cross-border taxation issue. First, you need to check your tax treaty between Switzerland and your EU country - most have specific provisions about these situations. Generally speaking, mandatory health insurance premiums paid in your country of residence (Switzerland in your case) are potentially deductible in your country of tax residence (your EU country) if they meet certain conditions. The key factor is whether your EU country recognizes foreign health insurance as equivalent to domestic health insurance for tax purposes. You'll need to provide documentation that shows: 1) These payments are mandatory under Swiss law, 2) They're comparable to health insurance requirements in your EU country, and 3) You're not already receiving tax benefits for these payments in Switzerland. Most EU countries have a foreign tax credit system or exemptions to prevent double taxation, but the rules for health insurance specifically can be more complicated. I'd recommend getting the exact insurance payment certificates from your Swiss provider with a detailed breakdown.
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Melina Haruko
•Thanks for explaining this! I'm in a similar situation but between Germany and Denmark. Do you know if there's a specific form I need to fill out, or do I just include this with my regular tax return? Also, does it matter if the Swiss insurance covers different things than what would be covered in the EU country?
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Beatrice Marshall
•You'll want to include this with your regular tax return, but you should check if your specific EU country has a supplementary form for foreign deductions. Most don't require a special form, but they do require additional documentation attached to your filing. The coverage differences usually don't matter for deductibility purposes as long as the insurance is legally mandatory in Switzerland. What matters most is that you can prove it's a required expense for your legal residency. Make sure you get documentation that clearly states it's the minimum required coverage under Swiss law.
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Dallas Villalobos
I had a similar dilemma last year with healthcare expenses in two countries and felt completely lost until I found this AI tax tool that specializes in expat situations. I used https://taxr.ai and uploaded my insurance documents from both countries, and it immediately identified which premiums qualified as tax deductions under my specific circumstances. The system analyzed my tax residency status and the tax treaty between my countries, then showed me exactly which expenses were deductible and how to properly document them on my return. It also flagged potential audit triggers to avoid. Honestly saved me thousands in deductions I would have missed and prevented me from claiming ones that weren't allowed.
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Reina Salazar
•Does this actually work with non-US countries? Most tax software I've tried is very US-focused and doesn't understand the complexities of European tax systems, especially with the EU involved.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•I'm skeptical about AI tools handling complex international tax situations. How does it keep up with constantly changing tax laws in multiple countries? And does it actually provide documentation you can use if you get audited?
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Dallas Villalobos
•It absolutely works with non-US countries - that's actually where it excels. The system covers major EU countries, Switzerland, UK, and others. It's specifically designed for expats and cross-border situations where most tax software fails. The system is updated with the latest tax treaties and regulations across multiple jurisdictions. It provides full documentation including which sections of tax law and treaties support your deductions. When I had a question about my specific situation between France and Switzerland, it cited the exact articles from the bilateral tax treaty that applied to my case.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
Just wanted to follow up about my experience with that taxr.ai service after I expressed skepticism. I decided to try it with my complicated situation (working in Belgium but with mandatory insurance payments in the Netherlands). The system immediately identified the exact provisions in the Belgium-Netherlands tax treaty that allowed me to deduct my Dutch healthcare premiums. What impressed me most was how it explained exactly which forms to use and even provided the specific line numbers where these deductions should be reported. It saved me from making a costly mistake - I was about to double-claim some benefits that would have definitely triggered an audit. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with cross-border healthcare costs.
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Demi Lagos
After spending THREE WEEKS trying to get through to my EU tax authority about this exact issue, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual human at the tax office in under 10 minutes. I was honestly shocked when my phone actually rang and it was a real person from the tax department. I explained my situation about paying health insurance in two countries, and they walked me through the exact documentation I needed and which specific treaty provisions applied. Check out https://claimyr.com or see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it's seriously life-changing if you need to speak with someone at a government agency without wasting days on hold.
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Mason Lopez
•How does this actually work though? Tax authorities have their own phone systems and queues. How can a third-party service get you to the front of the line? Sounds a bit too good to be true.
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Vera Visnjic
•This sounds like a scam. There's no way some random service can magically get you through to government agencies faster than normal channels. They probably just keep you on hold themselves and charge you for it.
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Demi Lagos
•It's not about cutting in line - they use an automated system that navigates the phone trees and waits on hold for you. When a human finally answers, their system calls your phone and connects you directly. You don't have to sit through hours of hold music. It works because they have mapped out all the phone trees and connection points for major government agencies. When I used it for the tax authority, I just scheduled the call, went about my day, and my phone rang when they finally got through to a real person about 47 minutes later. I didn't have to waste that time actively waiting on hold.
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Vera Visnjic
I need to apologize for calling Claimyr a scam earlier. After researching more about cross-border taxation, I got desperate enough to try it. I scheduled a call to my home country's tax authority (I'm an Italian living in Austria) regarding my dual healthcare premiums. I was genuinely surprised when my phone rang 32 minutes later with an actual tax specialist on the line. The representative confirmed that under the Italy-Austria tax treaty, I could deduct my Austrian mandatory health insurance on my Italian return using form D39, section 4. They even emailed me the specific documentation requirements while we were on the call. Saved me endless frustration and potentially thousands in deductions I would have missed.
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Jake Sinclair
Something important nobody's mentioned yet - check if your EU country has a MAXIMUM CAP on foreign health insurance deductions! I'm from the Netherlands but work in Germany, and I discovered the hard way that while I could deduct my German health insurance premiums on my Dutch taxes, there was a maximum limit that was MUCH lower than what I actually paid. Also, make sure you're converting currencies correctly using the official exchange rates published by your tax authority. They often have specific dates they want you to use for the conversion, and using the wrong rate can cause problems.
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Brielle Johnson
•Good point about the caps. Do you know if these limits are usually included in the tax treaty itself or in the domestic tax laws of each country? I'm trying to figure out where to look for this information for Spain.
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Jake Sinclair
•These caps are typically found in the domestic tax laws rather than in the treaty itself. The treaty establishes the right to claim the deduction, but each country's internal rules determine the limits. For Spain specifically, you'll want to look at the "Ley del Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas" (Personal Income Tax Law) and search for "límites de deducción" or "gastos deducibles" related to healthcare. Spain does have some specific provisions for cross-border workers, but they apply differently depending on whether you're a resident or non-resident taxpayer.
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Honorah King
Has anyone tried just hiring a specialized accountant instead of dealing with this themselves? I'm in a similar situation (Portugal resident, paying health insurance in UK) and finding it impossible to get straight answers from either tax authority.
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Oliver Brown
•I did that last year - hired a cross-border tax specialist for my France/Luxembourg situation. It cost about €400 but saved me nearly €2,800 in properly claimed deductions. Make sure you find someone who specializes in BOTH countries though, not just a general "international tax expert.
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Honorah King
•That's helpful, thanks! €400 sounds reasonable for the peace of mind. Did you find them locally or use an online service? I'm having trouble finding someone who knows both Portuguese and UK tax systems.
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Mary Bates
Don't forget about SOCIAL SECURITY TREATIES which are different from tax treaties! In my case (Finnish working in Estonia), I couldn't deduct my Estonian health insurance on my Finnish taxes directly, but I could get a certificate of coverage from Estonia that prevented me from having to pay duplicative premiums in Finland. Sometimes the solution isn't getting a deduction for foreign premiums but rather getting an exemption from having to pay them twice. Worth looking into this angle too!
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