Medical Expenses

Don't forget your medical expenses on your tax return.

You can claim a tax credit for medical expenses for any 12-month period ending in 2007. Just look for the consecutive 12-month period for which the sum of your medical expenses is the highest. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot claim medical expenses already claimed in the previous year.

You can add the medical expenses of your spouse and minor children to your own medical expenses. You can also add the medical expenses of certain other dependents subject to certain restrictions. Medical expenses include payments to private health insurance plans, fees to optometrists, opticians, dentists, medical doctors and chiropractors, and the cost of prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, medical lab tests, hospital services and treatments, prescription medicines, and medical devices such as artificial limbs and dentures. As well, medical expenses include reasonable renovation costs to an existing residence and incremental construction costs to make a new principal residence suitable for a disabled person, provided such costs would not normally be incurred by persons who are not disabled, and would not be expected to increase the value of the property. They also may include reasonable travel costs to obtain medical services not available where you live.  You may not claim the specific portion of any medical expenses that have been reimbursed by a medical plan.

Generally, for 2007, the tax credit is available only on the portion of the medical expenses that exceed the lesser of 3 per cent of your net income and $1,926 for federal tax purposes and $1,877 for B.C. tax purposes.