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Cross-Border Tax and Investment Specialist
UPDATE:
CRA recently sent the following email with new information on how to apply for dental benefits under the program:
Applications for the new Canada Dental Benefit are now open!
Seeing a dental professional is important not only for oral health, but for overall health and wellbeing too. In Canada, a third of people do not have dental insurance, and many are unable to visit a dental health professional to get oral health services. That’s why the Government of Canada has taken action to help those who need it most access dental care, starting with children under 12, by reducing cost barriers through the new interim Canada Dental Benefit.
We are excited to announce that as of December 1, 2022, applications for the new interim Canada Dental Benefit are now open, and that you may be eligible to apply! To make it as easy as possible for families to get the financial support they need for dental care, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is leveraging its experience in administering essential benefits to Canadians to deliver a smooth, secure, and user-friendly application process.
The information below will help guide you through some of the important questions that you might have when it comes to eligibility, how to apply, and how you can get your payments quickly:
Who is eligible and how much money can I receive?
The Canada Dental Benefit provides eligible families up-front, direct payments of up to $650 per year per eligible child for two years (totalling up to $1,300 ) for dental care services. Dental care costs retroactive to October 1, 2022 could be covered for qualifying children and families who were eligible as of December 1, 2022. In order to access the benefit, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You have a child or children under 12 as of December 1, 2022;
- You have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000;
- Your child does not have access to private dental insurance
- You incur out of pocket expenses for your child to receive dental care services between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, the costs of which are not fully covered or reimbursed by another program provided by any level of government;
- You are currently receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for that child; and
- You have filed your 2021 tax return.
How to Apply
You can apply for this new benefit now through your CRA My Account. If you apply online and are signed up for direct deposit, you can get your payment within five business days. Did you know that you can also securely access CRA’s My Account from your My Service Canada Account without having to sign in again or revalidate your identity? The link will take you directly to your CRA My Account within a single secure session.
If you are unable to apply for this new benefit online, you can call us at 1-800-715-8836 to get your application started. Before calling, check the approximate wait times on Canada.ca and to validate your identity, make sure you have your SIN, address, date of birth, and a copy of your most recently assessed tax return.
When applying, you’ll need to provide:
- the name, address and telephone number of your child or children’s dental care professional;
- the name, address and telephone number of your employer and your spouse’s or common-law partner’s employer; and
- the date (or expected date) of your child or children’s dental appointment.
How will I need to prove that I am eligible?
When applying for the benefit for the first benefit year, parents or guardians of eligible children will need to attest that:
- the child does not have access to private dental care coverage;
- the child has received, or will receive, dental care services between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023
Parents and guardians must keep their dental receipts for 6 years in case the CRA contacts them in the future to validate eligibility. Applicants that are found to be ineligible for the benefit during the verification processes will be will be required to repay the benefit they received.
How can I get ready to apply?
Here are some ways you can get ready before you apply so that you can get your money faster:
Sign up for My Account: My Account is quickest, easiest and most secure way for you to apply for the Canada Dental Benefit. It also allows you to view and manage all of your tax information in one place. Register now using one of our convenient sign-in options.
Sign up for direct deposit: If you are signed up for direct deposit, you can receive your payment within 5 business days! Sign up for direct deposit today in My Account or through many financial institutions.
Make sure your personal information is up to date: To make it easier to apply and get your payment, make sure your personal information such as your address, banking, marital status, and child information are up to date. You can quickly view and manage your personal information in My Account.
File your 2021 tax return: In order to receive the Canada Dental Benefit, you will need to make sure you have filed your 2021 tax return. Filing taxes is easy with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or using NETFILE-certified software. You can also file online through a tax preparation service provider that is certified to use our EFILE service.
Your account security is our top priority!
The CRA continues to enhance the security of its digital services to further protect Canadians from fraudulent activity. When signing in or registering for My Account, you may notice security features such as multi-factor authentication and that you are required to provide an email address. These security enhancements help you feel confident and safe using our digital services to view and manage your tax and benefit information.
Additional Resources
For more information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and payment amounts for the new Canada Dental Benefit, visit canada.ca/dental.
Delivering dental care for children now | Prime Minister of Canada (pm.gc.ca)
Applications for the new Canada Dental Benefit are now open! – Canada.ca
Interim Canada Dental Benefit – walkthrough – YouTube
On November 17th, 2022 Canadian Prime Ministry Justin Trudeau announced a national dental plan benefit program for Canadians. Everything you need to know about the new program is contained below:
What is the new Canadian dental benefit program?
Under Bill C-31 the Canadian government will now help low income families with certain dental expenses.
When will the program start and become available and when can I apply?
The government is setting a tentative start date for the program for December 1, 2022 for Canadians to be able to sign up for the Canada dental benefit program. The government also is allowing expenses to be claimed retroactively to October 1, 2022.
Who is eligible for the dental benefits?
The program will be available to families with children under the age of 12 that have family incomes of less than $90,000.
How much with the dental payments be?
The amount of payments available for each family will depend on family overall net income:
- $650 will be available for each child for families with net income under $70,000
- $390 will be available for each child for families with net income between $70,000 and $79,999
- $650 will be available for each child for families with net income between $80,000 and $89,999
What type of dental expenses are covered?
We are still awaiting specifics, however the government outlined that they will be covering basic dental expenses such as dental exams, cleanings, x-rays and fillings.
Will this new benefit program reduce or change any existing benefits that families are receiving such as the child tax benefit?
According to the government release, no.
Is the Canada dental benefit taxable?
No.
How will the program actually work?
We are still awaiting details, however this is what we know so far:
- The program will be administered with the help of CRA using CRA online
- Taxpayers will have to attest that they are not already covered under a private dental plan, may need to provide out of pocket receipts and the use of the funds need to go towards eligible dental expenses
- You can try the new eligibility calculator here
Where can I get more information on the Canada Dental Benefit program?
- You can check back here for updates.
- You can visit the government page here
