Death and Taxes - Lets talk about the latter

There is a popular saying in life that nothing is certain in life but death and taxes.  Lets talk about the latter.

I talk about taxes every year and I'm probably not going to be saying much new, but some may not know that if you have a Celiac Diagnosis, there is some medical expenses you can claim every year.

Revenue Canada has changed their website this year, so they no longer have a page dedicated to the Celiac Tax Expense on gluten free products, but it is still all laid out on their Details of the Medical Expense page.

It is probably one of the more sophisticated claims, so I'm not sure why they removed a dedicated page on it.  But if you scroll down on the page (Click here for the Details of the Medical Expense page), this is what you will see:

Gluten-free products – Persons with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) can claim the incremental costs associated with buying gluten-free products as a medical expense. The incremental cost is the difference in the cost of gluten-free products compared to the cost of similar products with gluten. It is calculated by subtracting the cost of a product with gluten from the cost of a gluten-free product. 
Generally, the food products are limited to those produced and marketed specifically for gluten-free diets, such as gluten-free bread. Other products can also be eligible if they are used by the person with celiac disease to make gluten-free products for their own use. These include, but is not limited to, rice flour and gluten-free spices.
If several people eat the product, only the costs related to the part of the product that is eaten by the person with celiac disease may be claimed as a medical expense. 
Do not send any supporting documents. Keep them in case we ask to see them later. You will need to keep all of the following:

  • A letter from a medical practitioner that certifies that the person has celiac disease and needs a gluten-free diet
  • Receipts for each gluten-free food product that is claimed
  • A summary of each food product that was bought during the 12-month period for which the expenses are being claimed (see example below)

Example of summaryFood product: Bread
Number of products bought (for the 12-month period): 52
Average cost of product with gluten: $3.49
Average cost of gluten-free product: $6.99
Incremental cost: $6.99 - $3.49 = $3.50
Amount to claim: $3.50 x 52 = $182.00
So what does all mean?  It means, if you keep all of your receipts for the upcoming year, you can get some money back.



A lot of people will argue that it is not worth it.  A lot of people also hesitate because of the third paragraph "If several people eat the product, only the costs related to the part of the product that is eaten by the person with celiac disease may be claimed as a medical expense.".  But I still say it is worth going forward because why not get back some money if you can.

I'm assuming if you are newly diagnosed, you don't have any receipts, but if you want to start, 2018 is just around the corner!

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