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Tax Break For Celiacs

Skittles

By Skittles
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Skittles Enthusiast
Skittles
Posted

I know that celiacs get some sort of tax refund or something for being celiac and having to buy expensive foods. Do we have to save our recipts or do we just have to have a dr note stating that we are celiac?

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~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

Really? I've not heard of this, that's interesting! :)

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

A topic from a year ago may be informative:

Also:

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

A topic from a year ago may be informative:

Also:

I'm a bit unclear, is this only possible in Canada? A lot of the posters were Canadian in one of the threads. It sure seems like a lot of work, makes me wonder if it would be worth it.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

I'm a bit unclear, is this only possible in Canada? A lot of the posters were Canadian in one of the threads. It sure seems like a lot of work, makes me wonder if it would be worth it.

There is, I recall, an opportunity for a medical expense claim in the US, but I do not know anything about the details. Maybe someone who files a Form 1040 can comment.

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

Things get pretty complicated with making the claims in the US. Honestly I can only speak for the most recent year as nothing is set in stone for the upcoming filing year. In short, you'll need medical expenses meeting or exceeding 7.5% of your AGI and medical documentation stating that a gluten free diet is necessary. You would deduct the difference in cost between regular and gluten free replacement foods, so if bread is $2 and gluten free bread is $7 you'd get a $5 deduction. It's quite complicated and I would highly recommend speaking with a tax professional immediately if you are interested in the deduction. (If you wait until tax time it will be too late to bother for this year.)

Lfrost Explorer
Lfrost
Posted

There is, I recall, an opportunity for a medical expense claim in the US, but I do not know anything about the details. Maybe someone who files a Form 1040 can comment.

If I remember correctly, with the medical expense you have to itemize your deductions. If you just claim the standard deduction, it would not matter. If you do itemize, I believe that it then depends on how much you make as to whether it makes a difference.

I am not 100% on this, but I know we were checking into since we put 3 kids in braces last year!

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~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

Things get pretty complicated with making the claims in the US. Honestly I can only speak for the most recent year as nothing is set in stone for the upcoming filing year. In short, you'll need medical expenses meeting or exceeding 7.5% of your AGI and medical documentation stating that a gluten free diet is necessary. You would deduct the difference in cost between regular and gluten free replacement foods, so if bread is $2 and gluten free bread is $7 you'd get a $5 deduction. It's quite complicated and I would highly recommend speaking with a tax professional immediately if you are interested in the deduction. (If you wait until tax time it will be too late to bother for this year.)

Oh goodness, it does seem as though this could get pretty hairy rather quickly. I do have a tax professional, so I'll question her and see what she thinks. Thank you for the input, not sure if it's for me but definitely worth looking in to!

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

Oh goodness, it does seem as though this could get pretty hairy rather quickly. I do have a tax professional, so I'll question her and see what she thinks. Thank you for the input, not sure if it's for me but definitely worth looking in to!

I used to be a "tax professional" but frankly it drives me up a wall. My best friend is a CPA and I let her keep me in the loop but this past season was my last, I've thrown in the towel. I don't even want to do my own!

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

Haha yes, one of my friends is a CPA and she had a rough time this year as well! She dreads tax season every year!

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

When claiming that a regular loaf of bread costs $2 and the gluten-free one costs $7, you would need a receipt for the loaf you purchased and proof that a comprable loaf is only $2. I thik these sort of deductions will make you more likely to be audited, so this proof is important. I would imagine there could be an argument that store brand $2 bread is really not the gluten equivalent of a $7 loaf of Canyon Bakehouse Seven grain bread.

If you have enough medical expenses, maybe it would be worth it.

This would be for the US.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

My husband is a chartered accountant and tax specialist and we did this. It didn't really help a great deal - I believe a $400 credit (not a refund). But it is easy for me to track - I keep all receipts and do a simple spreadsheet itemizing everything. Then you just claim what is "reasonable". Revenue Canada cannot refute that. And as stated above, if you do not have lots of other health claims it is not worth doing (I must have weekly massage, physiotherapy, chiro and so on).

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

My husband is a chartered accountant and tax specialist and we did this. It didn't really help a great deal - I believe a $400 credit (not a refund). But it is easy for me to track - I keep all receipts and do a simple spreadsheet itemizing everything. Then you just claim what is "reasonable". Revenue Canada cannot refute that. And as stated above, if you do not have lots of other health claims it is not worth doing (I must have weekly massage, physiotherapy, chiro and so on).

Great info, thank you all for your input.

Skittles Enthusiast
Skittles
Posted
  • Author

Thanks guys! I'm thinking I may not do it haha seems like too much work!

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

Thanks guys! I'm thinking I may not do it haha seems like too much work!

I agree with you there, Skittles!

PennyH Newbie
PennyH
Posted

You can deduct the difference between regular food and gluten-free food. For instance, My gluten-free bread is $6.50. If regular bread is $3.50 then you can deduct $3.50. You do need to keep receipts. You can also deduct the mileage for gluten-free shopping and doc appts and nutritionists. Hope this helps.

~**caselynn**~ Enthusiast
~**caselynn**~
Posted

Oo I didn't even think about mileage, my gastro is 4 hrs from me, good to know!

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