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Preparing Documents for Revenue.ie Uploads
Revenue's myAccount includes an Upload Supporting Documents service, used to submit evidence for a tax credit or relief claim. It has a genuinely tight per-file size limit, which catches people out when they try to upload a multi-page scan straight from their phone or scanner.
By GaryLast updated 3 min read
The limit that actually matters
According to Revenue's own guidance, each document you upload through the Upload Supporting Documents service in myAccount must not exceed 2MB, and you can upload a maximum of five documents, one at a time. A single phone photo of a receipt is often under that limit, but a multi-page scan at a scanner's default settings frequently isn't.
How to stay under 2MB per file
A few adjustments before you upload avoid the problem entirely.
- Scan at a lower resolution than your scanner's default — full print quality isn't necessary for a document nobody will print
- Combine multi-page evidence for one claim into a single PDF, then compress it if it's still over 2MB
- Since you're limited to five documents, group closely related receipts into one file rather than uploading each separately
- Double-check file size before uploading — most phones and scanners show it in the file details
What you are likely to be uploading
Most uploads through this service are evidence for a claim Revenue is checking: medical and dental receipts for health expenses relief, a letter or statement supporting remote working costs, fee receipts for a tuition relief claim, or rent details. Read the request from Revenue in My Enquiries and upload what it names. Because only five documents are allowed, the request effectively tells you how to group them.
Fitting a year of receipts into five files
- Sort the receipts by type or by family member, to give no more than five groups.
- Photograph each group, several small receipts to a page, with a gap between them and nothing overlapping.
- Turn each group's photos into one PDF with Scan to PDF or JPG to PDF.
- Check each file's size. If one is over 2MB, compress it on Balanced and look at the amounts and dates afterwards.
- If a group is still over 2MB on Strong, split it into two files, and combine two of your smaller groups to stay within five.
Why phone scans go over 2MB so easily
A single photo from a modern phone is often 3MB or more by itself, before it is even inside a PDF. Ten of them make a 30MB document. Compress PDF redraws each page as a smaller image, which is exactly the right treatment for photographed receipts and typically brings a file like that down to a small fraction of its size.
Three habits keep the file small from the start: photograph close enough that the receipt fills most of the frame, use a plain dark background, and convert to greyscale with Grayscale PDF when colour carries no information. Black text on white paper needs far less data than a colour photo of a kitchen table.
Documents you downloaded
A statement or receipt that arrived as a PDF is normally well under 2MB already. Upload it as it is. Compressing a text PDF turns its text into an image and may not make it smaller, in which case the tool tells you the file did not shrink.
One at a time, and check as you go
The service takes one document per upload. Give each file a name that says what it is, such as health-receipts-2025-anna.pdf, so that you can see at a glance which ones have gone up. After uploading, confirm that each appears in the list before you submit.
Keep the originals
Uploading a copy does not end your obligation to keep the receipt. Revenue asks you to hold on to receipts for six years, since a claim can be checked later. Keep the paper, or the full-quality photos, in a folder for the tax year, along with the compressed files you actually sent.
Portal file size limits
Every figure below comes from the official page linked next to it. Portals change their limits, so confirm on the portal before you submit.
| Portal | Document | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue myAccount: Upload supporting documents | Each document (PDF, JPEG, JPG, DOC, DOCX, PNG) | 2 MB, up to 5 documents | Revenue: Upload supporting documents |
- Revenue: Upload supporting documents: checked
Frequently asked questions
What's the file size limit for myAccount uploads?
Per Revenue's published guidance, each document uploaded through the Upload Supporting Documents service must not exceed 2MB.
How many documents can I upload at once?
Up to five documents, uploaded one at a time.
Is my document uploaded to a server when I compress or merge it here?
No. Both tools run entirely in your browser, so your file never leaves your device before you upload it to Revenue yourself.
What if my evidence will not fit in five files of 2MB?
Group receipts onto shared pages, convert to greyscale and compress. If it still does not fit, reply through My Enquiries and ask how Revenue would like to receive the rest.
Will compressed receipts still be readable?
On the Balanced level, a clearly photographed receipt normally stays easy to read. Always zoom in on the date, the amount and the name of the practitioner or supplier before you upload.