Tax receipts and slips

For tax purposes, you need a report that lists all the health and dental expenses your benefits plan paid for – plus amounts you paid out of pocket – for the whole year.

That document is called a Claims history or Claims summary report. It’s available once you log in to your secure account.

After you log in, follow these steps to find the report:

1. Look for the “Claims” button in the top menu bar
2. Under “Claims History” click on “Search my claims”
3.  In the date fields, enter the date range (e.g., January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022)
4. Select the date type, benefit type, and patient/claimant name(s)
5. Click “Search”

• A complete list of your claims, including claimant name, type of service, statement date, amount submitted, benefit paid, and status appears online.
• In the top right corner of that chart, there’s an icon and the words ‘Printable Summary’. Click that icon to load the PDF and prepare to print.
• At the bottom of the table, you will find a summary of the amount you submitted under claims, the benefit paid out on your behalf, and the difference between the two amounts (which is your out-of-pocket amount).

While this report is not a tax report, it may help you prepare your annual tax return. It’s recommended you consult with a certified tax professional regarding your taxes.

Filing taxes each year is required by law. In Canada, you must file your income tax return by April 30 each year at the latest. But, when April 30 falls on a weekend day, the deadline gets extended to the next business day.

For example, in 2023, April 30 falls on a Sunday. Therefore, filing a tax return must occur by end of day, May 1, to make your income tax filing deadline for the 2022 tax year.

Saving receipts is a smart thing to do, however doing so for a full year can seem overwhelming. Still, with a year's worth of important receipts in hand, you may be in a position to reduce your tax bill, when the time comes. So it may be worth it in the end.

Here's a list of just a few of the different kinds of receipts you may want to get in the habit of filing away throughout the year to help with your income tax filing:

• Rent or property cost receipts
• Medical receipts
• Transit pass receipts
• Contribution receipts for your RRSP
• Charitable donations
• Children's fitness receipts
• Attendant expenses for persons with a disability

We recommend you seek the advice of a professional who can look at your specific situation to help you minimize your tax liability.

Tax slips are prepared by employers or investment companies that issue income to you. But you may be able to obtain a copy of your slips for the current and previous years through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Generally, you should receive all of your slips by the end of February. To obtain copies of slips, you will need to set up an online account with the CRA. Called an MSCA, it stands for My Service Canada Account. Once you register for an MSCA and select 'Tax slips', you can access the current, and previous six years of tax slips.

For more information, visit the CRA website.

Each person has their own preferences when it comes to organizing personal paperwork for filing a tax return. However one simple, recognized approach involves using file folders and labelling them according to categories that match the kinds of expenses a person makes.

Examples of categories include the following:

• Rent or property costs
• Medical
• Transportation
• RRSP / investments
• Charities
• Children’s extra-curricular activities

With file folders in hand, throughout the year as receipts pile up, they have a place to go, and they’re easily retrieved at tax time.