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e-5181 (Taxation)

E-petition
Initiated by Roberta Kramchynsky from Ottawa, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • Celiac disease (CD) is a serious autoimmune disorder in which the ingestion of gluten damages the small intestine and negatively impacts many other organ systems in the body;
  • It is estimated that CD affects one percent of the Canadian population, or 400,000 children and adults;
  • The only known treatment for CD is a strict gluten-free diet for life;
  • The prices of gluten-free foods are 150-500% higher than their gluten-containing counterparts;
  • Under the Medical Exemption Tax Credit (METC), persons with CD can claim the incremental costs associated with buying gluten free-food products as a medical expense;
  • According Celiac Canada’s 2024 State of Celiac Survey, 75% of Canadians with CD find the gluten-free diet to be expensive and only 1 in 5 have claimed the incremental cost of the gluten-free diet on their income tax; and
  • The METC is administratively burdensome, disadvantages patients with low health or financial literacy, and the credit is non-refundable, providing little benefit to the most vulnerable Canadians with CD.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to provide tax relief to Canadians with Celiac disease by amending the Income Tax Act, in the form of an annual $1,000 refundable tax credit, together with a waiver of any requirement to retain receipts.
Open for signature
October 11, 2024, at 4:04 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
November 10, 2024, at 4:04 p.m. (EDT)
Photo - Sonia Sidhu
Brampton South
Liberal Caucus
Ontario