N.S. couple seeks more clarity around fertility and surrogacy tax credit

Figuring out how to claim Nova Scotia's fertility tax credit has been creating stress for a Dartmouth couple who turned to in vitro fertilization last year.

'There has been a lot of confusion around what the process is,' says Dartmouth woman

Gareth Hampshire · CBC News · Posted: Mar 13, 2023 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 13, 2023

A man and woman are shown in a health care setting wearing blue face coverings and plastic covers over their hair. — Kristie and Marcellinus Gillis are shown at a Halifax fertility clinic last year. They are waiting to start an application to claim back some of the costs of the treatment through Nova Scotia's Fertility and Surrogacy Tax Credit. (Kristie Gillis)

Having paid about $18,000 for fertility treatment, Kristie and Marcellinus Gillis are eager to claim the tax credit now available for the procedure in Nova Scotia.

But they say there has not been clear enough direction about how to actually do it.

"There has been a lot of confusion around what the process is," said 33-year-old Kristie Gillis.

She and her 34-year-old husband, who live in Dartmouth, turned to in vitro fertilization about a year ago after experiencing several pregnancy losses.

They're grateful Nova Scotia's program, announced last March, provides a refundable tax credit equal to 40 per cent of those medical expenses.

Proactive communication sought

However, figuring out the application process, and what the overlap is with federal income tax, has been difficult for the couple to navigate.

Gillis has been in contact with the province's department of health to ask for help.

N.S. drops 'discriminatory' charge for same-sex couples, single people seeking fertility help

B.C. Liberals call for public funding of in-vitro fertilization

She has been impressed with the speed of their responses, but questions why detailed information was not provided well in advance of tax time.

The Department of Finance makes it clear on its website that the province's fertility and surrogacy tax credit is not part of personal income tax forms administered by the Canada Revenue Agency.

It says the program will be administered by the province because that is the most cost-effective way to provide the credit.

However, it says additional information about the application process is still to come.

"In what is already a very stressful and sensitive situation, having to reach out for guidance and more information just adds to the stress, and so a little bit more proactive communication would have been great," Gillis said.

A woman is shown in a video call wearing headphones. — Carolynn Dubé, with Fertility Matters, says people pay up front for expensive treatments and are looking for more information about how to claim the tax credit. (CBC)

She has been posting in an online support group of people in the same situation. She says many have the same questions.

The group is run through the national charity Fertility Matters, based in New Brunswick.

The organization works for more equitable fertility care in Canada. It confirmed it is hearing from a number of people with similar concerns.

"We're feeling the crunch now because it is tax time," said Carolynn Dubé, the executive director, who has three sons conceived through in vitro fertilization.

Fertility treatment just got more affordable in Nova Scotia, but wait-times remain long

Advocates decry high cost of in vitro fertilization in Nova Scotia

Dubé estimates several hundred people in Nova Scotia will be eligible for the provincial tax credit. She said people are anxious for the details given the cost associated with fertility treatment.

"Patients have paid up front and out of pocket for these very expensive medical treatments," she said. "They can get up to $8,000 returned to them and that is significant if they have got personal lines of credit that they have used to pay for these things."

Province expects announcement soon

Fertility Matters has posted links to five Canadian provinces that offer some financial assistance for fertility treatment, but is still waiting for details before adding one from Nova Scotia.

In a statement the province said it understands the "excitement around the new fertility and surrogacy tax credit."

It anticipates opening the program soon and will make an announcement when applications are available.

In the meantime, anyone planning to claim the tax credit should file their taxes with CRA to receive their Notice of Assessment, the statement said, adding "the Notice of Assessment will be required to apply for this provincial tax incentive."

The province said anyone with questions about the tax credit can get information by emailing fstc@novascotia.ca.

A woman wearing a face mask points to an image of an ultrasound confirming she is pregnant. — Kristie Gillis is expecting a baby later in the summer. She conceived naturally after undergoing surgery when a medical issue was noticed during fertility treatment. (Kristie Gillis)

Kristie Gillis has already filed her income tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency. She was able to claim some medical expenses associated with her fertility treatment.

She's now keen to get on with claiming the provincial tax credit she estimates will be $7,200.

"While it has been stressful, at the end of the day I am still very grateful for what is being offered to us," she said.

It was during fertility treatment that additional medical concerns she did not know about were identified and required surgery.

After that, she was able to conceive naturally last November and is now expecting a baby this summer.

"I know I wouldn't be where we are today had we not gone through the whole journey so while IVF wasn't necessarily the answer for me and my partner it led to where we are today."

MORE TOP STORIES