Claiming Medical Expenses: Free Healthcare?

Free Health Care? Did you know that Canadians spend on average more than $1,000 on medical expenses each year? It’s estimated that government programs, via our taxes, cover about 72% of medical expenses, which means that we pay for the rest. Your clients may be over-paying on their taxes because they don’t know about medical expense deductions. 

Filing tax returns for unincorporated small businesses is in growing demand. Whether retirees are going back to market as consultants or Millennials are choosing to be their own boss, demographic changes are increasingly pointing to a shift from full-time employment to self-employment as a way to leverage time and money. For advisors, learning tax preparation for proprietors is a worthwhile investment.

My knowledge and comfort level have grown:  Denis Marcon, Master Financial Advisor™, Manitoba

“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.” Milton Berle

A new non-refundable credit is available on the 2016 tax return, which will help families who needed to spend money to make a home accessible to a disabled person.  It’s one of those credits for which you have to dig out receipts, however, but it’s worth up to $1500, and more if you double dip – which is possible and legal!

According to numbers from 2013 reported by Statistics Canada, 82% of Canadians made a financial contribution to a charitable or non-profit organization, down by 2% from 2010. However, although fewer Canadians donated, those who did donated more—14% more in fact, for a total of $12.8 billion.

Over 500 respondents weighed in to Knowledge Bureau Report’s March poll with a definitive message to the federal government: 95% said it was a bad idea to cancel the education and textbook credits in the 2017 tax year. The commentary was voluminous and frank: