The second in a series of weekly blog posts till the end of April with some tax items you may not be aware of.
If you are supporting a dependent who is physically or mentally challenged, you may be eligible to claim the Caregiver amount.
From the Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) website: The family caregiver amount (FCA) helps Canadians with the costs of caring for a dependant with a physical or mental impairment.
To claim the FCA, the dependant must be:
- an individual 18 years of age or older who is dependent on you because of a physical or mental impairment; or
- a child under 18 years of age with a physical or mental impairment. The impairment must be prolonged and indefinite, and the child must be dependent on you for assistance in attending to personal needs and care when compared to children of the same age.
You may be asked to provide a signed statement from a medical doctor that provides information on the nature, commencement, and duration of the dependant’s impairment. You can claim the family caregiver amount for more than one eligible dependant.
For more information, check the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) link:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/nwsrm/txtps/2014/tt140320-eng.html