Align Massage Therapy Tax With Health Care

Summary#

This bill tells Ontario’s Minister of Health to make sure massage therapy by registered massage therapists gets the same tax treatment as similar care from other health practitioners. It does not change any tax on its own, but it directs the Minister to take steps, including new laws if needed, to make that happen. It takes effect once it becomes law.

• Directs the Minister of Health to align the tax treatment of massage therapy with other health services.
• Applies to services provided by registered massage therapists (RMTs).
• No immediate change to taxes; further government action is required.
• Could lead to lower or different sales tax on massage therapy, depending on what steps follow.

What it means for you#

• Patients

  • No change right away. You will still pay the same until the government makes specific changes.
  • If taxes on RMT services are lowered or removed later, your total bill for a massage therapy visit could go down.
  • If you have benefits through work, your coverage could stretch further if each visit costs less.

• Registered Massage Therapists and clinics

  • Nothing changes immediately in how you bill or charge tax.
  • If tax rules change later, you may stop charging certain sales taxes on eligible services, which could make prices lower and attract more clients.
  • You may need to update billing systems and receipts if new rules take effect.

• Other health practitioners

  • Little direct change. The bill aims to match massage therapy tax rules to the ones you already follow.

• Insurers and benefit plans

  • If patient bills drop in the future, claim amounts per visit may fall, which could change plan costs or coverage use.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• It’s about fairness: treat massage therapy like other regulated health services for tax purposes.
• Lower out-of-pocket costs would help more people afford care for pain, injuries, and stress.
• Could ease pressure on family doctors and emergency rooms if people can access timely massage therapy.
• Helps small businesses and independent RMTs by reducing a price barrier for clients.
• Supporters say any loss in tax revenue could be offset by health system savings and economic activity.

Opponents' View#

• Could reduce government tax revenue, with no firm estimate of the impact.
• The bill is broad and does not name the specific tax or exact change, which creates uncertainty.
• Aligning tax rules may require steps beyond this bill, which could take time.
• May set a precedent for other professions to ask for similar tax changes.
• Even if taxes drop, clinics might not lower prices by the full amount, so patient savings could be smaller than expected.