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The MADTI team is excited to feature one of the newest members to its network of Partners and Collaborators!
The MADTI team is excited to feature one of the newest members to its network of Partners and Collaborators!
Meet Audrey Veltri
Meet Audrey Veltri
Empowering Success and Ensuring long-term Financial Security for Canadians Living with a Disability and the families and caregivers that support them.
Audrey Veltri believes in financial well-being for all Canadians. She leads a wealth management practice centered on providing financial advice and strategies for families supporting dependents with a disability. She ensures families have effective access to supports and programs through periods of transition and at all life-stages. Creating solutions that transcend generations so families can secure a comfortable and healthy future.
Living with a disability can be expensive. Families can face higher costs in addressing medical needs, personal care aides, support programs, technical devices, and specialized equipment. There are programs to mitigate some of these costs but even with these supports in place, added expenses can create financial strain and concern for the future. Canadians with a disability are more likely to age into poverty and are burdened with higher costs than non-disabled seniors. A comprehensive wealth plan can address these challenges and provide security for today and tomorrow.
FULL WEALTH PLANNING Includes support in the following areas:
ACCESSING GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
Disability Tax Credit Applications & Appeals
Registered Disability Savings Plans
Family Supports for Children with Disabilities
Child Disability Benefit
Medical Expense Credit
TRANSITIONING TO ADULTHOOD
PDD & AISH
Guardianship & Trusteeship
Student and Education Supports
Disability Supports Deduction
Trusts to Protect Future Social Assistance
AGING WITH DIGNITY
CPP, Canada Pension Plan
OAS, Old Age Security
Managing Inheritances
Rollovers to RDSP's
A little more about Audrey:
A little more about Audrey:
Audrey believes in living a life of service, wholeheartedly dedicated to ensuring everyone has the right to financial security and confidence. She fosters this through advocacy, education and leadership. She volunteers across many organizations delivering workshops on financial programs and available supports designed to improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Audrey provides a free service to all families and individuals applying for the Disability Tax Credit. Working in a volunteer capacity with medical practitioners and doctors - gatekeepers of the program - she assists in streamlining the processes, saving them time and ensuring the success of applications for their patients. She is heavily involved in policy change, advocating at the federal level for changes to the supports for Canadians living with a disability and the families and caregivers that support them.
Audrey also serves as a volunteer member with Junior Achievement providing financial literacy for youth in schools across Calgary. She was the recipient of The Calgary Learns "Facilitator and Educator of the Year" Award in 2002. She has been recognized for her dedication to wealth planning and fostering financial confidence for Canadians earning the "Pillar Platinum" awards in 2017, 2018 and "Pillar" awards in 2019 and 2020. In recognition for her commitment to advocacy and inclusion she was graciously awarded the "Everyone Belongs" award from DDRC in 2019.
"It is always great to collaborate with like-minded people, and even better is when they are also like-hearted, making the experience of collaboration wonderful and easier. " Estela Dalayoan-Pinlac
Estela and Audrey first met during the 2019 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) event that was held at Calgary City Hall. They formed an immediate connection both personally and professionally, as they share similar experiences as mothers and professional women who continue to navigate and advocate for their children with needs. Since then, Audrey has been an incredible resource and support to the See To Hear Parent group by holding an informational session focusing on Disability Financial Support; by sharing relevant information and updates regarding changes to disability benefits during the challenging times of COVID-19; and by always finding time to either check in or answer any questions.
In fact, the MADTI team reached out to Audrey to find out if the See To Hear (STH) Safety Face Mask and Mid-Face Shield would be considered as a medical expense for customers who qualifies for disability coverage. Since the STH masks provides features and functions that helps remove accessibility barriers, which majority of the masks do not address.
See To Hear: Accessible Transparency Mask
See To Hear: Accessible Transparency Mask
Learn more about what features and functions that make the See To Hear Safety Masks accessible.
Eligibility for Medical Expenses
Eligibility for Medical Expenses
Here's what Audrey provided based on her experiences and learning from other cases.
Canadian federal tax legislation permits taxpayers to claim a non-refundable tax credit for eligible medical expenses paid by the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse or common-law partner. Medical expenses can be claimed if they were paid within any 12-month period ending in the current tax year, not claimed in the prior tax year, and meet the expense threshold for the given year. A listing of eligible medical expenses can be found on the Government of Canada website. COVID masks are not specifically listed as an eligible expense. However, providing an individual with a disability requires an adapted mask, as prescribed by a doctor or that individual is eligible for the DTC, sections of the legislation suggest that the incremental costs associated with buying an accessible mask could be deducted as a medical expense.
For example, if a regular priced mask is $10.00 and the adaptive mask is $50.00, the incremental amount of $40.00 could be submitted as a potential deductible medical expense.
Additionally, COVID related PPE supplies which are used during employment or self-employment may also be deductible as an employment or self-employment expense. The items deducted must fall into the definition as outlined by the CRA which includes that the materials must be directly required and solely used for their employment and no other purpose. Should an employee be required to purchase a mask for the course of employment and chooses to deduct that expense on their personal tax return, a T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment, must be completed and signed by the employer.
If a tax audit should occur the onus would fall on the individual to demonstrate they had to purchase the mask, that is was used solely for employment purposes and that no reimbursement was received or will be received in the future.
For corporations, businesses and the self-employed who provide PPE masks in an effort to maintain the safety and health of both employees and/or customers, the CRA has not released an official statement. But it can be assumed that reasonable expenses would be deductible from employment or corporate income.
Connect with Audrey VeltriAudrey.Veltri@ig.ca
Mob 403-619-0410 Tel 403.253.4840 Fax 403.256.5483 Toll Free 1.866.835.1706
Mob 403-619-0410 Tel 403.253.4840 Fax 403.256.5483 Toll Free 1.866.835.1706
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