Can You Claim A Chiropractor On Your Taxes?
You're Wondering If This Cuts Your Tax Bill
Short answer: yes — generally. Chiropractic care from a licensed practitioner is recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as an eligible medical expense for the Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC), so the unreimbursed portion of what you paid out of pocket can usually be claimed on your tax return.
The longer answer involves a couple of practical details — the threshold, which 12-month window to use, who to claim it on if you're a couple, and how things change if you have a Health Spending Account through your business. Here's the practical version.
Quick note up front: this post is general information based on current CRA rules, not personalized tax advice. For anything beyond the basics, talk to a qualified tax professional — they handle the specifics, the edge cases, and the rules that change year to year.
The Quick Version
For most Canadians paying out-of-pocket for chiropractic care, the answer is:
Yes, chiropractic visits are eligible for the METC when provided by a licensed practitioner — that includes anywhere in Canada, Alberta included
You claim the unreimbursed portion only — what you actually paid after any extended health benefits reimbursement
You choose a 12-month period ending in the tax year (it doesn't have to be the calendar year)
The credit applies above a threshold — the lesser of 3% of your net income or a fixed dollar amount that changes each year (verify the current figure with CRA)
For couples, the lower-income spouse often claims to maximize the credit
Business owners with a Health Spending Account / PHSP can usually pay these costs pre-tax through the business instead
Who Can Be On The Claim
The CRA recognizes chiropractors in Alberta as authorized medical practitioners for METC purposes — your visits to a licensed chiropractor are eligible regardless of where in Calgary you go.
You can include eligible medical expenses for yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, and your children under 18 on line 33099 of your tax return. For other dependants you support — for example, a parent — those expenses go on line 33199. A reasonably common move for couples: pool the family's eligible expenses on the lower-income spouse's return, which often makes the threshold easier to clear. Your accountant can confirm whether that helps in your specific situation.
What Receipts Look Like
A good receipt makes tax time easy. It should include your name, the practitioner's name and licence or registration number, the clinic address, the date of service, what the service was (initial assessment, adjustment, etc.), and the amount you paid.
Regulated chiropractic care is generally GST/HST-exempt in Canada, so you typically won't see sales tax added to the treatment fee. Keep your receipts for six years after filing — that's the CRA's standard records retention period.
If your insurer reimburses some of the cost, only the unreimbursed portion is claimable. Timing matters: paid in December but reimbursed in January? You claim the net amount you ultimately paid out of pocket for the 12-month period you choose.
A Quick Worked Example
A simple illustration of how the threshold works:
Out-of-pocket chiropractic in your chosen 12-month window: $800
Extended health insurance reimbursed: $300
Net amount you paid: $500
Your net income: $60,000 → 3% = $1,800 (the threshold is the lesser of this or the CRA's fixed amount, so here it's $1,800)
METC calculation: $500 minus the threshold = $0 from chiropractic alone
The chiropractic portion didn't clear the threshold by itself in this example. But — and this is the practical point — most people have other eligible medical expenses too (dental, prescription medications, vision, physiotherapy, etc.). Pool everything together for the 12-month window and the combined total is what actually matters for clearing the threshold.
This is exactly the kind of thing where a tax professional adds value — they'll pool everything correctly and pick the optimal 12-month window for you.
Business Owners: Consider A Health Spending Account
If you run a corporation or own a business, there's often a cleaner option than the personal METC.
A Health Spending Account (also called a Private Health Services Plan / PHSP) lets your business reimburse medical expenses — including chiropractic — on a pre-tax basis at the corporate level. The amounts the HSA reimburses are generally a non-taxable benefit if the plan meets the CRA's PHSP criteria, and you don't claim a personal METC on amounts that were reimbursed pre-tax (you weren't actually out of pocket).
The structure varies depending on your corporation setup, so this is genuinely an accountant conversation — but it's worth raising if you're a small business owner currently paying for healthcare out of personal after-tax dollars.
A Few Practical Reminders
Eligible expenses are claimed for any 12-month period ending in your tax year — pick the window that gives you the most benefit
Only the unreimbursed portion counts — subtract what your insurance covered
Keep receipts for six years in case CRA asks for them
Verify the current threshold figure annually with CRA's website or your accountant — the fixed-dollar threshold updates each year
An accountant is worth their fee for anything more complex than a simple claim — pooling family expenses, business owner setups, or first-time METC claims especially
The Bottom Line
Yes, chiropractic care is generally claimable on your Canadian taxes through the Medical Expense Tax Credit, when you paid out-of-pocket and have proper receipts. Pool your family's medical expenses, pick the right 12-month window, and verify the current threshold — and for anything more involved than the basics, talk to a tax professional.
If you need an itemized receipt or a duplicate for a past visit, we're happy to email you one. Axiom Chiropractic is in Hillhurst at 113 19 St NW, free parking on all sides. Book an assessment — and ask the front desk if you ever need receipts re-sent.
