Pleasant with useful: how to get your money back for fitness classes

Pleasant with useful: how to get money back for fitness classes

For the first time it will be possible to get a tax deduction in 2023.

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the social tax deduction for “fitness and recreational services”. It will be possible to get back 13% of spending on fitness, but their amount should not exceed 120 thousand rubles a year. Together with the lawyer and tax consultant Anastasia Matinova we understand who can get a tax deduction, how to formalize it and when it can be done.

Who can get a tax deduction for fitness?

Tax deduction for the cost of paying for fitness and recreational services can get all those who pay income tax at the rate of 13%. Moreover, it applies not only to adults, but also to their minor children: parents can make a deduction for them.

For what expenses can I get a tax deduction for fitness?

First of all, it should be noted that the maximum amount of expenses for which you can apply for a tax deduction is 120,000 rubles per year. It is not yet known exactly what categories of goods and services will be covered by the deduction for fitness. It is assumed that the list will include expenses for the purchase of subscriptions to fitness centers, payment for children’s sports schools, etc.

A specific list should be prepared and approved by the Russian government. The exact date is still unknown.

When will it be possible to receive a tax deduction for fitness?

For the first time it will be possible to get a deduction for the expenses that you will make in 2022. That is, the deduction itself will be available only in 2023.

How to correctly register a tax deduction?

You can do it in two ways: through your employer or independently, by filing a tax return.

To get a deduction through an employer, you need to:

• collect documents confirming your spending (the full list will be approved later);
• apply to the tax office and receive a notification of the right to a deduction;
• submit the notification to the accounting department at your place of work.

After that, the company will not deduct 13% personal income tax from your salary until the deduction is fully reimbursed.

To get the deduction yourself, you need to:

• go to the personal cabinet of the taxpayer on the official website of the Federal Tax Service nalog.gov.ru;
• go to the section “Life situations” – “Submit a 3-NDFL declaration”;
• fill in the declaration and attach scans of documents confirming fitness expenses.

The declaration is checked for no more than three months, then a month is allocated to make a decision on payment and 10 days to transfer funds to your account. In some cases, the declaration can be checked faster.

This method is considered one of the most common. But its peculiarity is that the declaration can be made only for expenses for the past year.