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Income Tax & Claiming My Daughters Foods

vampella

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vampella Contributor
vampella
Posted

I would like to claim e's foods on our income tax but we need a note from the dr. Has anyone had a doctor write it up with only AMAZING dietary response? I am sure Emmah's ped will want to but I'm not 100 % sure if he can without breaking some law or oath.

TIA

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Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Many times a doctor will view a positive dietary response and consider that a diagnosis.

Taxes claims are not all that easy. You can claim the DIFFERENCE in cost between regular bread and gluten free bread, as well as other products that are gluten free. And accounting can be very difficult, but possible.

Others have said, that might send a red flags for an audit. It is legal to do so.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Char, some people have tried deducting their foods, and found it wasn't worth the time and effort. You can only claim the difference between what regular food costs, and what gluten-free food is. So, then for every loaf of bread, every pack of cookies, every pizza, you'd have to go and find the prize of the normal item, and deduct it from what you paid for the gluten-free item.

You have to keep all the receipts, do all that research on what normal items are that are like the gluten-free items, do all that calculating, and in the end, if the difference between her foods and regular foods doesn't exceed a certain amount (which I think is quite a lot), you don't even qualify for a tax deduction.

Anyway, you can give it a try. I have my doubts that her doctor would break any law if he puts 'gluten intolerant', as it's obvious and true.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Total medical expenses must be more than 7.5 percent of your gross to claim anything at all.

richard

GFmum Newbie
GFmum
Posted

You can claim gluten-free foods on your tax????

Wow...wish we had that here in Australia!!

Good to see the govt acknowledge the extra financial burdeon placed on families! :)

Viola 1 Rookie
Viola 1
Posted

I've done the tax claim for the last three years. It does make a big difference with our taxes as we are a household of two on a single persons pensions.

It does take some work though, so you'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it to you with your individual income.

Note, that I am doing taxes in Canada. We treat it the same way you do with your other medical deductions.

vampella Contributor
vampella
Posted
  • Author
I've done the tax claim for the last three years. It does make a big difference with our taxes as we are a household of two on a single persons pensions.

It does take some work though, so you'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth it to you with your individual income.

Note, that I am doing taxes in Canada. We treat it the same way you do with your other medical deductions.

Ya we are in Canada too I should have noted that. I have all my recipts so I am hopeful that the Dr will give me a letter. I know that I also only get the difference.

I'm getting my taxes done at H&R this year lol I'm not attempting that myselfLOL.

Thanks everyone for your advice, you guys ar ethe best!!!!

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Felidae Enthusiast
Felidae
Posted
I would like to claim e's foods on our income tax but we need a note from the dr. Has anyone had a doctor write it up with only AMAZING dietary response? I am sure Emmah's ped will want to but I'm not 100 % sure if he can without breaking some law or oath.

TIA

I would love to claim my food too, but I don't have an official diagnosis. My doctor wants me to eat gluten because she is sure that I have celiac, but I don't want that pain.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Canada and the U.S. are VERY different on this subject.

richard

Michi8 Contributor
Michi8
Posted
Ya we are in Canada too I should have noted that. I have all my recipts so I am hopeful that the Dr will give me a letter. I know that I also only get the difference.

I'm getting my taxes done at H&R this year lol I'm not attempting that myselfLOL.

Thanks everyone for your advice, you guys ar ethe best!!!!

According to CRA, you must have a diagnosis of celiac to be able to claim gluten free food. I understand that this does not include non-celiac gluten intolerance or wheat allergies. It may be worth contacting CRA for further clarification.

Michelle

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

In Canada, you need a documented diagnosis of celiac disease. You can them make a medical expense claim for the difference between the cost of gluten-free food and "normal" food, but only for that portion of the gluten-free food actually eaten by the celiac.

I am a celiac, but my wife is not. We both mostly eat gluten-free food--it is just simpler that way. I can claim the difference in cost for a gluten-free loaf of bread, compared to regular bread, but must pro-rate it based on the number of slices I eat compared to what Jacquie eats. If, for example, the loaf I buy has 20 slices for $6 (.30 per slice) compared to a regular loaf of 24 slices for $3.60 (.15 per slice) and I eat 10 of the 20 slices, then I can claim fifteen cents per slice for each of those slices, that is, $1.50.

[The numbers are for illustrative purposes only]

Then, on line 330 of your tax return, you can claim this expense IF it exceeds 3% of your net income, or $1884, whichever is less

Keep detailed records of how many slices of bread, or English muffins, or bagels, or whatever each member of the household ate--you can only claim the ones eaten by a diagnosed celiac, and only the difference in cost compared to an ordinary comparable product.

All in all, a royal pain in the @$$.

Viola 1 Rookie
Viola 1
Posted
In Canada, you need a documented diagnosis of celiac disease. You can them make a medical expense claim for the difference between the cost of gluten-free food and "normal" food, but only for that portion of the gluten-free food actually eaten by the celiac.

I am a celiac, but my wife is not. We both mostly eat gluten-free food--it is just simpler that way. I can claim the difference in cost for a gluten-free loaf of bread, compared to regular bread, but must pro-rate it based on the number of slices I eat compared to what Jacquie eats. If, for example, the loaf I buy has 20 slices for $6 (.30 per slice) compared to a regular loaf of 24 slices for $3.60 (.15 per slice) and I eat 10 of the 20 slices, then I can claim fifteen cents per slice for each of those slices, that is, $1.50.

[The numbers are for illustrative purposes only]

Then, on line 330 of your tax return, you can claim this expense IF it exceeds 3% of your net income, or $1884, whichever is less

Keep detailed records of how many slices of bread, or English muffins, or bagels, or whatever each member of the household ate--you can only claim the ones eaten by a diagnosed celiac, and only the difference in cost compared to an ordinary comparable product.

All in all, a royal pain in the @$$.

:lol: Peter, I don't have that problem as my hubby refuses to eat gluten free. But it is still a pain making up the summary chart.

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