CMTA CAMPAIGN FOR GST/HST EXEMPTION

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many elements of the CMTA’s tax exemption campaign have been delayed, this remains a priority for the CMTA and all organizations that are a part of it.  As massage therapists gradually move towards a new normal and the government begins to consider other issues beyond the pandemic, the CMTA will be able to move forward with many elements of this campaign.

In order for this campaign to be successful, we need to demonstrate that we have the support of the majority of massage therapists across Canada. We want to provide massage therapists with as much information as possible about the impacts of tax exemption in order to ensure that there is an understanding of what this change will mean in practice.

We know that many massage therapists are very supportive of this initiative as they want massage therapists to be perceived as more equal partners in the health care landscape and want to do everything possible to make massage therapy more accessible to the public. However, we want to acknowledge the potential financial impact, although it will likely be minimal for most massage therapists. In speaking with other health professions, they have found that once they obtained tax exemption the financial impact on their practice was even smaller than they expected, as they experienced an increased demand from patients. 

Impact of GST/HST Exemption on Massage Therapists 

Impact of GST/HST Exemption on Patients

The Process of Obtaining Tax Exemption

Bringing It All Together 

All of these elements will be essential if massage therapists across Canada will be exempt from charging and remitting tax, like most other Canadian health professionals. By becoming tax exempt, massage therapists will be treated equally to most other health professions in Canada. This equal treatment is essential to ensure that massage therapists remain recognized and respected as health care professionals. 
 
However, the most important argument is that tax exemption for massage therapy will make massage therapy treatment more affordable and accessible to patients. Canadians should be able to easily access the health care they need, which is our primary argument in support of tax exemption for massage therapy.