With the aging population of Canada which is as a result of the era of the baby boomers individual Canada tax payers are reaching a point where they are being hit with a lot more medical expenses that are not covered by their Insurance plans.
These out of pocket medical expenses can put a real strain on a senior’s income. Fortunately there are some eligible medical expenses that can be claimed on your taxes.
It doesn’t mean that you have to be over the age of 65 to be eligible for these either. Often individuals in need of medical supplies end up making these purchases increments and end up forgetting about the cost, or don’t bother to save their receipts. Over the course of a year however they add up.
Another mistake that tax payers often make is thinking that they are only allowed to claim large ticket medical items, or for the smaller ones they can only claim one purchase. Again this may not be true. In fact, the CRA has a full list of what can be claimed as an expense provided the taxpayer qualifies.
For example, an individual who has a chronic disease where the Doctor feels that an air conditioner would benefit their situation the individual may be eligible for a portion of the expense of the unit. It could be a claim of up to $1,000 or 50% of the cost, depending on the laws at the time. It does require a doctor issuing a prescription for the air condition.
A person’s health condition may not necessitate an air condition but for some people with chronic respiratory conditions or a compromised chronic immune system then the Doctor may prescribe an air filter, cleaner, or purifier. These then may be eligible for a tax deduction on the tax payer’s return.
While there are a lot of medical items covered in the potential deduction credits, there are also a lot of requirements that must be met in order to qualify for the claim.
If you have a substantial amount of medical expenses it would be wise to have your personal tax return completed by a Toronto tax accountant. There are a fair amount of tax benefits available to those with disabilities and they should be taken advantage of.
