[opie]

Does anyone have any experince in claiming these as a medical expense? I see clients with "articles" that tout the need to keep these receipts to exploit a "grey area" blah, blah. Of course these articles are generally written by people either in or in support of the natural medicine industry. Everyhting I have ever read in tax law indicates that these do not qualify.

One of the three critera where these seem to fail is that the item must be lawfully acquired only by prescription by a medical practitioner. Can you not get this stuff witout said prescription?

The other failing is that the item must be recorded by a pharmacist. These supplements are not (unless, of course, your homeopath qualifies as a pharmacist).

[Bill W]

Hi,

They just have to be "paid" to a medical Practitioner.

http://www.cra-arc.g...tml#homeopathic


Thanks,

Things you can NOT claim:

http://www.cra-arc.g...tllwbl-eng.html

[BrentM]

I believe that a registered homeopath is a "medical practitioner" according to CRA's guide. I know its not law but I believe CRA guide published by CRA should be taken as policy and used. So yes i think you can claim those expenses as medical.

IMHO

[unknown]

BrentM, on 24 March 2010 - 03:35 PM, said:

a registered homeopath is a "medical pratistioner" according to CRA's guide.

I must strongly disagree with you Brent...

Hate to do this to an oldtimer here...

but, the CRA guide says no such thing...

[BrentM]

Bert_Mulder_CGA, on 24 March 2010 - 03:49 PM, said:

I must strongly disagree with you Brent...

Hate to do this to an oldtimer here...

but, the guide says no such thing...

Sorry Bert, I was mistakenly thinking of a Naturopath (IT-519R2). Not sure what the difference is but there you go. It does also depend on the provincial registration of the association as well. The list in IT-519 is not all inclusive either so I would be questioning the homeopath to provincial registration requirements as one never knows. If a Naturopath is allowable, then logically, (I know I know) a homeopath might be as well.

Brent

[unknown]

Who is the moderator that will not let us have a leetle bit of fun here?

[ChrisG]

Bert, you owe Brent an apology. Pratistioners are recognized medical professionals. Here is one notable example:

http://www.okcupid.c...66/as-of-lately

[unknown]

I apologize....

but in Alberta massage pratistioners are not on the list....

[BrentM]

Bert_Mulder_CGA, on 25 March 2010 - 05:39 AM, said:

I apologize....

but in Alberta massage pratistioners are not on the list....

As they are NOT in Saskatchewan even with a provincial association. Might be busier with the Sask govt dropping the chiropractor subsidy with yesterday's budget.

[ChrisG]

opie, on 22 March 2010 - 03:47 PM, said:

Does anyone have any experince in claiming these as a medical expense? I see clients with "articles" that tout the need to keep these receipts to exploit a "grey area" blah, blah. Of course these articles are generally written by people either in or in support of the natural medicine industry. Everyhting I have ever read in tax law indicates that these do not qualify.

One of the three critera where these seem to fail is that the item must be lawfully acquired only by prescription by a medical practitioner. Can you not get this stuff witout said prescription?

The other failing is that the item must be recorded by a pharmacist. These supplements are not (unless, of course, your homeopath qualifies as a pharmacist).

It seems that this thread got sidetracked and no one addressed the question. Opie was not asking whether homeopathic services were eligible for the the medical expenses credit, but whether the products they prescribe or sell are. And he answered his own question. Unless the remedy is dispensed through a pharmacist, it cannot be claimed. This is part of an ongoing misinformation campaign telling people that vitamins, supplements, colon cleansing concoctions qualify. Medical practitioners also dispense wrong tax advice to patients. In the past I've had clients who were told by cancer clinic physicians that vitamins could be claimed and last year a client was prescribed massive amounts of COQ10, an over-the-counter product, that it too was eligible.

[unknown]

Actually Chris, it was answered above, in the link to the CRA infosheet, post #2:

Quote

Homeopathic services if paid to a medical practitioner.

Medical practitioner is also defined there:

Quote

Medical practitioner - To verify if a specific profession is recognized, see Authorized medical practitioners by province or territories for the purposes of claiming medical expenses. See IT519, Medical Expense and Disability Tax Credits and Attendant Care Expense Deduction, for details.

see this list:
http://www.cra-arc.g...0/ampp-eng.html


Oh, by the way, Homeopath is NOT on the list....

In any province....

[Michèle L.]

Hi,

In quebec homeopath are on the list.

Michèle

[Arliss]

Lets muddy the waters a little more.

http://www.cra-arc.g.../llwbl-eng.html

Under H

Homeopathic services if paid to a medical practitioner.

So if someone has one of the designations here:

http://www.cra-arc.g...0/ampp-eng.html

Then their homeopathic services should qualify but not their vitamins and supplements.

[Bill W]

Hi,

Which was my inital reply to the first posting....if you had read it.

[Arliss]

So sorry Bill. I hope you will forgive me.

[The Skuj]

I laughed for a good while when I read that homeopathy was allowable in Ontario. :lol:

On what basis can the CRA now argue that anything else can't be written off? Watch for psychic healing next...

Youtube: Richard Dawkins vs Homeopathy

Wikipedia: Homeopathic Dilutions

[The Skuj]

The Skuj, on 29 March 2010 - 12:10 AM, said:

I laughed for a good while when I read that homeopathy was allowable in Ontario. :lol:

On what basis can the CRA now argue that anything else can't be written off? Watch for psychic healing next...

Youtube: Richard Dawkins vs Homeopathy

Wikipedia: Homeopathic Dilutions

New Age terrorists develop homeopathic bomb