Each year you can claim medical expenses paid during the tax year on your personal returns.
The minimum you would need to claim medical expenses is the lessor of 3% of your net income or $2,635 (this number varies depending on the tax year). Each province also allows an amount for medical expenses. For Nova Scotia, the limits are the lessor of $1,637 or 3% of your net income.
When filing jointly with a spouse or common law partner it can be advantageous to claim the medical expenses paid by both individuals on the lower income spouse’s return to maximize the amount you can claim.
Examples
Scenario 1: net income of $30,000 and medical expenses of $1,000.
The minimum you could claim would be $900 (3%). In this scenario you could claim a $100 credit against your federal tax amount owing and another $100 on your provincial tax amount owing.
Scenario 2: net income of $60,000 and medical expenses of $1,700.
The minimum you could claim would be $1,800 (3%) for federal taxes. In this scenario you would not have enough medical expenses to claim against your federal tax amount owing however you could claim $63 against your provincial taxes.
Medical expenses can be claimed for dependents, including children under age 18 and any other dependent adults under your care (for example a family member with a disability). You can also claim expenses for a child over the age of 18 who is studying at university or college.
Medical premiums deducted through normal payroll will automatically be added to your medical expense calculations.
