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Thread: Dental and Medical Expenses for Tax Purposes

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    Default Dental and Medical Expenses for Tax Purposes

    I'm thankful to have a medical plan through work that covers 90% of my most prescriptions and dental work but I'm wondering if I can use the 10% that I pay out of pocket on my tax return? Some people i know have a health spending account and use that to cover the 10 percent but what if you don't have one?

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    Medical certainly is a claim on your tax return. Whether you have insurance or not is irrelevant.
    I'm less certain about dental.

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    Medical and dental expenses are claimable, but it has to be OVER @2300 or something. Read this:
    https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...nses-2016.html
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    Medical and dental expenses are claimable, but it has to be OVER @2300 or something. Read this:
    https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...nses-2016.html
    This. Have to spend over a fairly high amount to be able to have any tax benefit. If you pay any portion of the coverage work offers, that amount can be included as a medical expense.

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    Yes - but depending on the dollar value of the 10% it might not meet the threshold to make a difference (lesser of $2,352 or 3% of net income)

    edit: you should be able to deduct workplace health premiums paid - most people don't because it doesn't push anyone over the threshold for it to be usable.
    Last edited by pf0sh0; 02-26-2020 at 09:17 AM.

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    But what would prevent someone from using a health spending account to get it back AND then putting it as a tax benefit? Wouldn't that be be getting double the benefits?

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    Quote Originally Posted by jabjab View Post
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    But what would prevent someone from using a health spending account to get it back AND then putting it as a tax benefit? Wouldn't that be be getting double the benefits?
    Not sure, but would that be like building a garage at my primary residence, but expense it as rental property improvements. You can do it, but would get caught in an audit.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jabjab View Post
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    But what would prevent someone from using a health spending account to get it back AND then putting it as a tax benefit? Wouldn't that be be getting double the benefits?
    Nothing really stops you, but you are not supposed to, since health spending account it tax free. Might get audited but highly unlikely. In reality it's hardly worth it. If your benefits already cover 90%, and you need to hit lesser of $2,352 or 3% of net income, unless you have a ton of expenses for the year, you won't hit that mark. All else being equal, you would need to spend $23,000 on health/dental in a 12 month period (doesn't have to be a calendar year) to get to a point where you can even start claiming anything. It really only makes a difference when you have low income or lots of expenses that aren't covered by benefits. Back when I got my laser eye surgery 13 years ago, I just started working downtown as a casual employee and didn't have any benefits. I paid $3000 out of pocket for the surgery but didn't claim it as I had no idea. A year later I realized it could be claimed and did a change to my return which netted me $600 in a refund. I was low income so it made a difference, but for a normal healthy person it takes a lot to get any benefit out of this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jabjab View Post
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    But what would prevent someone from using a health spending account to get it back AND then putting it as a tax benefit? Wouldn't that be be getting double the benefits?
    nothing is stopping you, but why not take it a step further if you're going to cheat on taxes anyways? just make a fake dental receipt for a massive amount of work and make it like $3000 and just add that on while you're at it.

    basically it's honour system. be prepared to get fucked if you get audited and busted though.

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    "whats stopping people from committing tax fraud?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by jabjab View Post
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    But what would prevent someone from using a health spending account to get it back AND then putting it as a tax benefit? Wouldn't that be be getting double the benefits?
    Canadians don't engage in tax fraud. That's a true fact.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by eblend View Post
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    Nothing really stops you, but you are not supposed to, since health spending account it tax free. Might get audited but highly unlikely. In reality it's hardly worth it. If your benefits already cover 90%, and you need to hit lesser of $2,352 or 3% of net income, unless you have a ton of expenses for the year, you won't hit that mark. All else being equal, you would need to spend $23,000 on health/dental in a 12 month period (doesn't have to be a calendar year) to get to a point where you can even start claiming anything. It really only makes a difference when you have low income or lots of expenses that aren't covered by benefits. Back when I got my laser eye surgery 13 years ago, I just started working downtown as a casual employee and didn't have any benefits. I paid $3000 out of pocket for the surgery but didn't claim it as I had no idea. A year later I realized it could be claimed and did a change to my return which netted me $600 in a refund. I was low income so it made a difference, but for a normal healthy person it takes a lot to get any benefit out of this.
    I don't have a health spending account but many people i know do and I'm thinking that the Gov't would be not allow medical expenses like thos to be submitted if you have a health plan. Just seems like a loop hole but I don't mess with the Gov't. They probably track this post haha

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    slightly off topic, but can you claim what you pay into your health benefits plan? Like I have X amount deducted from my paycheque every 2 weeks for my health plan, can I claim that amount?
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    Quote Originally Posted by spikerS View Post
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    slightly off topic, but can you claim what you pay into your health benefits plan? Like I have X amount deducted from my paycheque every 2 weeks for my health plan, can I claim that amount?
    Yes - thats what I was referring to above - it is just many don't because it doesn't hit the threshold and there is no point, but if you have other medical expenses - it might make sense to add the plan fees

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    Anyone know if you can claim laser eye surgery as a medical expense? I ended up paying 2800 myself after my benefits kicked in.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mostwanted View Post
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    Anyone know if you can claim laser eye surgery as a medical expense? I ended up paying 2800 myself after my benefits kicked in.
    I'm also wondering this!

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    Yes you can. I did it back when I was in school and had low enough income that it actually helped

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    Do people read what others have wrote?

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    Quote Originally Posted by arcticcat522 View Post
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    Do people read what others have wrote?
    Yes I like pizza!
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by arcticcat522 View Post
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    Do people read what others have wrote?
    Silly rabbit...that's not how the internet works!

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