Canadians are not always aware of what they can claim on their income tax return with regards to their medical expenses. I have outlined below some of the items that you need to be aware of in order to ensure you are claiming your medical expenses properly.
Medical Mileage
You can only claim mileage for distances greater than 40kms one way. Note, if your hometown offers the same medical service, then you cannot claim mileage if you choose to go to a different location. For instance, if your hometown has a dentist, then if you go to a dentist in a different town you cannot claim mileage for that trip. You don’t need to keep your fuel receipts as accountants use a simplified method to figure out how much you can claim for mileage.
Medical Meals
You can claim meals when you travel a distance of 80kms or more one way for a medical service. Once again, however, you cannot claim meals if you have the option of obtaining the same medical service in your hometown. Ideally, it’s a good idea to keep a medical travel log indicating when and where you went, what the trip was for, etc. That way it’s easier to claim your medical travel and meals come tax time. You don’t need to keep your meal receipts as accountants use a simplified method to figure out how much you can claim for meals.