Income tax expense

Hi All,

I was self-pay in Mexicali, my accountant doesn't want to include my surgery as an expense on my income tax. He says that it likely won't be accepted and that I'll possibly get flagged by Revenue Canada! But he'll include it if I insist.

Has anyone successfully claimed their self-pay surgery?

I'm not sure what to do, but my mind set is to include it.  I have nothing to lose and nothing to hide.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

I havent had my surgery yet but I will be going to Mexico and only because I can put it on my income tax. There is a whole page on out-of-country medical expenses that your accountant shoul be aware of. I dont have the link handy but he certainly should. I also posted under the Mexico and VSG forums to get information on this. If you do a search you should find all the Canadians who used it on their returns and got a nice refund. Its not huge but it does help offset the cost. You should insist they claim it..I know I fully intend to. good luck!

 I had my surgery in Alberta and had to travel their once a month prior to the surgery and every 3 months for a year after the surgery.  MB Health only paid for the trip that was for the surgery.  The rest of the trips, I wrote off on my income tax.  Yes I was flagged and I felt like I had to jump thru hoops getting letters from my Dr here and the Dr who did the surgery explaining that it was a health issue.  But I got my refund.
Lori

I just had my surgery in February in Tijuana, so I won't be claiming it until next year, but I absolutely will be claiming it. It shouldn't be denied when it's a valid medical expense.  You might have to submit more information to Revenue Canada (as suggested already).  I think your accountant is wrong to suggest you not try to claim it.  You're looking at a substantial amount of money (about 17% of whatever you paid, which should include travel expenses if you paid those separately -- I'm looking at around $1200, not exactly money to throw away because your accountant can't be bothered.)  Maybe he doesn't want the extra hassle it might create for himself? Insist!  Lots of people have claimed successfully.  Anyone who claims it should be successful.

I phoned Revenue Canada a few weeks ago because I have my surgery booked April 30th with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I was told: weight loss surgery is a valid expense. If it's done in your province, no problem. If it's done across Canada, it can be iffy. I was told that out-of-country does not count because the surgery is offered in Winnipeg. It doesn't matter that the wait list is 1-3 years. It's still offered.

Here's the Revenue Canada link:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300-350/330/llwbltrvl-eng.html They catch you on the 1st eligibility point: "substantially equivalent medical services were not available near your home"

I was on the fence about submitting next year too... Blue Cross doesn't cover it for the same reason as above (the surgery is still offered in Wpg). It is a health procedure, so in my mind, it's worth trying, especially when some applicants have been successful in getting a refund.

Hi.  I just took a look at this.  That phrase refers to claiming travel expenses:

To claim transportation and travel expenses, the following criteria must be met:

• substantially equivalent medical services were not available near your home;

To determine if the treatment you received outside of Canada is an eligible medical expense, see Medical services provided outside of Canada....which is this:   Medical services provided outside of Canada - if you travel outside Canada to obtain medical services, you can claim the amounts you paid to a medical practitioner and a public or licensed private hospital. A "medical practitioner" is an individual (such as a doctor or a nurse) who is authorized to practice according to the laws of the jurisdiction that the services are provided in. A "licensed private hospital" is a hospital licensed by the jurisdiction in which it operates. 

This seems pretty clear-cut.  I'm not sure why Revenue Canada would give anyone a hard time about claiming surgery performed in Mexico.

I wonder if you don't meet the criteria for Wpg if you can then claim it, because technically it is not available to you then.  Hmmmm!!

Thank you all for your responses & suggestions.
 
I ended up insisting that my accountant submit my surgery expense. It made the difference from me having to pay to getting a small refund.

I will keep you all updated as to the final outcome.

Take Care