Nickel Belt NDP MPP France Gélinas has joined her colleague Jill Andrews (Toronto-St. Paul’s) in co-sponsoring a bill to eliminate HST from “essential mental health services.”
The duo have joined registered psychotherapists and the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals’ executive director in pushing for the elimination of HST when it comes to psychotherapists’ services.
The bill, called Make Psychotherapy Tax-Free Act, 2023, would remove what they describe in a media release as “the unfair tax treatment levied against registered psychotherapists as the only mental health professionals that have to charge their clients 13 per cent HST on the essential mental health services they provide.”
"It has been over 10 years since Ontario's Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions released its report calling for drastic change to mental health services in our province,” Gélinas said in the media release.
“Unfortunately, nearly none of the 23 recommendations have been implemented. The demand for mental health services is steadily increasing. While Registered Psychotherapists and mental health professionals have demanded this change in tax treatment for a decade now, the reality facing our province right now means the government must finally act on it."
In the midst of rising costs and rates of anxiety, depression and addictions, they argue the 13 per cent cost tacked onto mental health care can be the difference between receiving services or doing without.
The two MPPs plan on bringing their private member’s bill to the table within the first week of the legislature returning on Feb. 21.
“Psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, doctors, nurses and, of course, psychiatrists and registered psychiatric nurses can all provide mental health care in Ontario without charging HST,” registered psychotherapist Caroline Rosta said in the media release.
“Only Registered Psychotherapists are obliged to charge HST. For the same service.”
