Delean: What changes, what doesn’t, under RAMQ

No, a tree felling due to Emerald Ash Borer is not eligible for a credit on your Quebec tax return.

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Prescription pricing and the 2022 contribution limit for tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) were among the topics raised in letters from recent readers. This is what they wanted to know.

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Q: “My husband will soon turn 65 and will no longer be eligible for his company’s (medical) insurance plan. We will use the public plan, RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec), for our recipes. I understand that pharmacies charge different fees for filling prescriptions. How should we approach this? “

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TO: If you are among the more than 2 million Quebecers covered by RAMQ, it doesn’t matter which pharmacy you go to if the drugs are covered by RAMQ. Pharmacists’ fees are the same because they have been negotiated with their professional association, as are drug prices. Rate and drug price variations occur when drugs are not covered by the public plan or clients are covered by private health plans. In those cases, you may want to compare prices.

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Q: “I am a senior living in my own home and I am eligible to claim the cost of certain home support services on my Quebec tax return (Schedule J, Home Support Services Tax Credit for people over 70 years old). This year, my municipality told me that I had to cut down a large ash tree on my property, at my expense, due to an infestation of the emerald ash borer (beetle). This could cost up to $ 2,000. The tax guide says that minor cleaning and maintenance jobs outside of your home are eligible for the credit. Would you rate logging?

TO: Revenu Québec says no, because it does not meet the definition of “minor foreign task”. Expenses that include recurring seasonal tasks such as snow removal, lawn mowing, and construction and dismantling of vehicle shelters.

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Q: “Is the contribution limit still set for TFSAs in 2022?”

TO: It has, and remains where it has been since 2019: $ 6,000 for anyone 18 and over. That will bring the cumulative TFSA contribution space to $ 81,500 for those who were at least 18 years old in 2009 and have not yet begun financing what is arguably the best savings and investment vehicle available to Canadians of all income levels.

Q: “I am a Quebec resident, in my 80s and in the process of purchasing a hearing aid that costs around $ 6,000. Is this a medical expense allowed on Canadian and Quebec tax returns? If I get $ 300 towards the purchase of my employer’s health plan, can I claim the balance? “

TO: A hearing aid is in fact a qualified medical expense on federal and provincial tax returns. If it costs $ 6,000 and you get $ 300 toward the purchase of a private health plan, you can use $ 5,700 to calculate your medical expenses. Any money you pay for the health plan is also a qualified expense on your federal and provincial tax returns. In Quebec, an employer’s contribution to a private plan is a taxable benefit in the calculation of provincial income taxes, even for retirees, but it is also an eligible medical expense on the provincial tax return.

The Montreal Gazette invites readers to ask questions about taxes, investments, and personal finance matters. If you have a query that you would like to address, please email it to Paul Delean at [email protected]