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. 

Millennials – rather than boomers - are rocking the retirement planning landscape. But they’re leaving a lot of money on the table because they favour DIY approaches that don’t pay off. This demographic can benefit from professional advice; the challenge is engaging them.

Entrepreneur Lilian da Silva of Cambridge, Ontario is a recent graduate of two Knowledge Bureau’s courses, Bookkeeping for Small Business and Advanced Payroll for Small Business. She is so excited about her future, and ready to start her third course for her first diploma. Here’s her story:

The results of a mid-month survey of CRA tax auditors by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) highlight the challenges of keeping Canada’s tax system fair for all. One of them is the easy headlines that pit one group of taxpayers – generally the “wealthy” - against another. But a deeper read of the survey uncovers relevant and possibly more purposeful insights.

The vast majority of Canadians caring for sick and disabled family members are missing out on lucrative tax assistance and paying for expensive care costs out of pocket, according to a CIBC poll. Worse, only 12 percent of caregivers are accessing available tax deductions, credits, and benefits on their tax returns.

Entrepreneur Amanda McAskill, of AJM Bookkeeping and Business Services is a recent graduate of Knowledge Bureau’s Bookkeeping for Small Business course. She found herself re-energized by the course, and inspired to tackle her career goals. Here’s her story:

Nearly 90 percent of Canadians filed their tax returns online this year. Despite this, low adoption rates show that some of the CRA’s automated programs are missing the mark - at least so far - and may be failing to improve the rates of taxpayer filing delinquency.