can you claim this on your income tax return
OK - here's the goods on your income taxes. The entire families medical expenses are pooled together and used as a lot. As far as expenses related to WLS - please follow:
Optifast - not sure if he gives you a prescription or not (I am Pre-op), it is claimable as a medical expense with a prescription or a letter explaining that you have to have it. The same would hold true for the protein shakes (with a letter).
Travel - you can claim mileage to and from all of your appointments (to the tune of 57 cents per km) if your appointment is more than 40 km away. Plane fares, cab rides, hotels (one day either side of surgery) are all claimable.
Parking - you can claim all parking expenses - preferably with a receipt (without a receipt it may be disallowed)
Assistant - you can claim travel expenses for someone to assist you
Meals - you can claim meals (without receipts) for both you and your assistant while on the trips to these appointments.
PLEASE - everyone - be sure to have a qualified individual help you with this - it is a huge non-refundable deduction that can make a big difference to the amount of taxes owing.
Good Luck!
Ann
Optifast - not sure if he gives you a prescription or not (I am Pre-op), it is claimable as a medical expense with a prescription or a letter explaining that you have to have it. The same would hold true for the protein shakes (with a letter).
Travel - you can claim mileage to and from all of your appointments (to the tune of 57 cents per km) if your appointment is more than 40 km away. Plane fares, cab rides, hotels (one day either side of surgery) are all claimable.
Parking - you can claim all parking expenses - preferably with a receipt (without a receipt it may be disallowed)
Assistant - you can claim travel expenses for someone to assist you
Meals - you can claim meals (without receipts) for both you and your assistant while on the trips to these appointments.
PLEASE - everyone - be sure to have a qualified individual help you with this - it is a huge non-refundable deduction that can make a big difference to the amount of taxes owing.
Good Luck!
Ann
Great info Ann, thanks! Any idea if we can claim our vitamins if we have a note from the the doc stating that our health depends on them?
Lisa
St.Joes Hamilton- Dr. Hong- Duodenal Switch (DS)
ref-Aug /11 ultrasound-March/12 internist- April/12
info sess-Jan/12 soc worker-March/12 surgeon app. May/12
nurse & dietician-Feb/12 scope- March/12 surgery- Sept 21/12
St.Joes Hamilton- Dr. Hong- Duodenal Switch (DS)
ref-Aug /11 ultrasound-March/12 internist- April/12
info sess-Jan/12 soc worker-March/12 surgeon app. May/12
nurse & dietician-Feb/12 scope- March/12 surgery- Sept 21/12
(deactivated member)
on 2/17/12 9:49 pm - Bumfuknowhere, Canada
on 2/17/12 9:49 pm - Bumfuknowhere, Canada
Vitamins are not a medical expense. Here is an excerpt from the CRA website .
Prescription drugs and medications that can lawfully be acquired for use by the patient only if prescribed by a medical practitioner. Also, the drugs or medications must be recorded by a pharmacist. You cannot claim over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or supplements, even if prescribed by a medical practitioner.
Prescription drugs and medications that can lawfully be acquired for use by the patient only if prescribed by a medical practitioner. Also, the drugs or medications must be recorded by a pharmacist. You cannot claim over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or supplements, even if prescribed by a medical practitioner.
Too bad... some DS'ers would die without them and they pay over a thousand per year. Thanks anyway Tracey
Lisa
St.Joes Hamilton- Dr. Hong- Duodenal Switch (DS)
ref-Aug /11 ultrasound-March/12 internist- April/12
info sess-Jan/12 soc worker-March/12 surgeon app. May/12
nurse & dietician-Feb/12 scope- March/12 surgery- Sept 21/12
St.Joes Hamilton- Dr. Hong- Duodenal Switch (DS)
ref-Aug /11 ultrasound-March/12 internist- April/12
info sess-Jan/12 soc worker-March/12 surgeon app. May/12
nurse & dietician-Feb/12 scope- March/12 surgery- Sept 21/12
(deactivated member)
on 2/18/12 7:58 am - Bumfuknowhere, Canada
on 2/18/12 7:58 am - Bumfuknowhere, Canada
You can claim anything you like but if you get asked for proof then you may end up having to repay. I know some people have put their Optifast on there even though it's not a prescription but it is a medically supervised diet, which is eligible.
Exactly, I would put through the vitamins for a client and hope that it doesn't get challenged. However, if it did and CRA disallowed it, we would fight it as a medically supervised diet - just to give it a shot. In the end they could disallow the vits, but you never know. We usually beg for forgiveness rather than asking for permission on medical - IF - we can make a good argument.
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