# Are these write offs?



## swoop_ds (Mar 2, 2010)

My fiancé is an advanced care paramedic. She has to pay 500$ish a year to the college of paramedics, and has to take 500$-1000$ worth of continuing education courses in order to stay current. Are these expenses writeoffs? Is the receipt the only thing that is needed?

Also, she has bad feet so has opted to buy 400$ workboots (it's surprisingly hard to find good cheap female workbooks), is this a writeoff? What about driving to the station in the middle of the night whenever she gets a call? (I think this is a long shot but you never know)

And finally, she moved from Regina to Strasbourg (only about 70km) for employment, are her moving expenses a write off?

Thanks!
-Dave


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## stardancer (Apr 26, 2009)

$500/year to the College of Paramedics: is this a professional membership fee that is required in order to stay licensed/registered? Like Nursing Association or Teacher's Association fees? If so, it can go on line 212 (same as union dues)

$500-1000 continuing education: Not sure of other provinces, but in Ontario- if the course fees are over $100 and are paid to an accredited school (by the Ministry), then the tuition fees are eligible for the tuition/education credit on schedule 1 and 11. She should receive a receipt marked 'official receipt for income tax purposes' or a proper T2202. She does need the receipt or T2202 for backup. If her employer paid any part of the tuition, she would have to deduct that part and only claim what she paid. If her employer paid some or all AND included it in income on her T4, then she can claim all of the tuition. See this link:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300-350/323/menu-eng.html

$400 workboots: no, not a write off. This would be eligible only if she were self-employed.
Ditto to driving to the station in the middle of the night.

Moving expenses: she must complete T1M. A move must be a minimum of 40km in order to be eligible. See this link for other criteria:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns206-236/219/q/q1-eng.html


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Stardancer pretty much covered the bases.

Re: $400 workboots: FYI, there is (on line 363) a Canada Employment Amount non-refundable tax credit of up to $1019. This generic deduction was intended to recognize the cost of things like work-related clothing & tools. So although there is no separate line item, she is getting a tax credit to help offset the cost.

Re: driving to the station in the middle of the night whenever she gets a call. Most employees are not paid for getting themselves to work. However, if she is someone who is expected to be on standby for calls at all hours, there might be something in her collective agreement, or maybe in provincial labour legislation to compensate her. But that would vary between employees & provinces.


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## swoop_ds (Mar 2, 2010)

Thanks for the quick replies: 
1. So the general employment tax credit, does she just need to provide receipt for the boots or how does this work? (we use h r block for taxes so I'm unfamiliar about some of this stuff)?
2. Her professional fee to the college for upkeep of her paramedic license is required for employment, so just provide the receipt and full in the line?
3. She does not have any t2202 forms but may have receipts for the courses, are these good enough? I suppose we should phone the college of paramedics to get this answer(I believe they run the small continuous education courses that are required)

Thanks guys!

-Dave


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

_1. So the general employment tax credit, does she just need to provide receipt for the boots or how does this work? (we use h r block for taxes so I'm unfamiliar about some of this stuff)_

No, it's a non-accountable credit. No receipts required. You claim the lesser of $1019 or your employment income. I just mention it as background, because the government brought it in as a kind of blanket "allowance" to do away with millions of small receipts and endless lists (and arguments) over what could be claimed as work-related expenses.


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## swoop_ds (Mar 2, 2010)

Oh okay that makes sense!


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## stardancer (Apr 26, 2009)

swoop_ds said:


> Thanks for the quick replies:
> (we use h r block for taxes so I'm unfamiliar about some of this stuff)?


Being an H&R Block employee, you can bring all the receipts to them when they do your taxes. That's what I tell my clients. Then I sort everything out and try to educate them on whether the item is useable or not.


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## Franky Jr (Oct 5, 2009)

Little different angle but can I claim the $750 I paid in premiums to my sun life medical/dental plan at work?


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## wealthyboomer (Feb 1, 2010)

stardancer said:


> Being an H&R Block employee, you can bring all the receipts to them when they do your taxes. That's what I tell my clients. Then I sort everything out and try to educate them on whether the item is useable or not.


1. Are you an 'aggressive' tax-preparer?

2. Do you know how to work within the tax laws to allow a person to pay the least amount of taxes?
(an example--a bike courier writing-off 'energy-bars' that he eats while doing his job).

3. How much did you pay in taxes last year? 

4. How do you handle 'grey' areas of law? Do you deduct them? remembering that deducting 'grey' areas does not constitute tax evasion. Grey areas are simply areas of ambiguity & uncertainty about what the tax laws really mean.


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## wealthyboomer (Feb 1, 2010)

You can also write-off Botox injections, liposuction, nose jobs and fake breasts as medical expenses if the procedures are practiced by a licensed medical professional. The write-off is related to how these types of procedures makes a person feel. Someone who is self-conscious about their breasts may have a significant mood boost following augmentation. That takes the pressure off the medical system treating someone for depression. Massages don't make the cut, unless you live in British Columbia, where massage therapists are considered medical 
practitioners.


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