2019 Tax Info: Medical Expense Claims & T4/T4A Receipts

This year’s tax filing season is about to start. A question that often arises is how to claim medical expenses. Which expenses can I claim? What documents do I need? We hope to give some light to these questions here.

How to claim medical expenses on your tax return

You may be eligible to claim expenses if you or your eligible dependents have any extended health and/or dental care claims from the 2019 calendar year that were not reimbursed by Sun Life or other benefits plans. This also depends on your or your dependents’ net income.

You may be able to claim unreimbursed medical expenses on your tax return if:

• You (or your spouse) have unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 3% of your net income or the amount of $2,352, whichever is less;
• Your eligible dependents have unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 3% of their net income or the amount of $2,352, whichever is less.

For more information on the types of medical expenses for which you can claim and how to do it, please visit the Canada Revenue Agency website.

Note: any Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums you pay cannot be claimed on your tax return.

If you have questions about claiming medical expenses, please contact the Canada Revenue Agency or your financial advisor directly.

2019 tax receipts now available

Faculty, staff and student employees can download their 2019 T4 and T4A statements for their tax returns via the Faculty and Staff Self-Service portal.

How to download your statement:

1. Log in to the Faculty and Staff Self-Service portal at www.msp.ubc.ca, using your Campus-Wide Login (CWL). If you are off-campus, you will need to connect using VPN;
2. Click on HRMS Self-Service;
3. In the My Pay section, select Year End Slips to access your statement for the current and previous years. If you have not previously accessed your slips online, you will be required to acknowledge a consent agreement.

Note: Faculty and staff who choose not to accept the agreement will have their T4/T4A statements mailed in late February, consistent with the requirements of the Canada Revenue Agency. Please ensure that your mailing address is up-to-date.

What are T4 and T4As?

T4 and T4As are tax slips or receipts prepared by your employer, payer or administrator:

• T4 slip is the Statement of Remuneration Paid, which is issued for employees who received salary, wages, tips or gratuities, bonuses, vacation pay, employment commissions, other remuneration and taxable benefits.
• T4A slip is the Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income, which is issued for employees who received other amounts related to employment such as research grants, fellowship, bursary and retiring allowances etc.

For more information on your taxes or obtaining your tax slips, please visit https://finance.ubc.ca/payroll/your-taxes.