alberta travel pay

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Meal and vehicle rates used to calculate travel expenses for 2023

The rates for 2024  will be available on our website in 2025 . If you are an employer, go to Automobile and motor vehicle allowances .

Meal and vehicle rates for previous years are also available.

The following applies to the 2023 tax year.

To calculate meal and vehicle expenses, you may choose the detailed or simplified method. Your total travel expenses equal the total of the value of travel assistance provided by your employer and the travel expenses incurred by you. Include any travel expenses paid by your employer.

Detailed method – This method allows you to claim the actual amount that you spent. Keep your receipts in case the CRA asks to see them at a later date.

Simplified method – This method uses a flat rate for meals and vehicle expenses. Although you do not need to keep detailed receipts for actual expenses if you choose to use this method, the CRA may still ask you to provide some documentation to support your claim.

Meal expenses

If you choose the  detailed method  to calculate meal expenses, you must keep your receipts and claim the actual amount that you spent.

If you choose the  simplified method , claim in Canadian or US funds a flat rate of $23 per meal , to a maximum of $69 per day (sales tax included) per person, without receipts. Although you do not need to keep detailed receipts for actual expenses if you choose to use this method, the CRA may still ask you to provide some documentation to support your claim.

Vehicle expenses

If you choose the detailed method to calculate vehicle expenses, you must keep all receipts and records for the vehicle expenses you incurred for moving expenses or for northern residents deductions during the tax year; or during the 12-month period you choose for medical expenses.

Vehicle expenses include:

• operating expenses such as fuel, oil, tires, licence fees, insurance, maintenance, and repairs
• ownership expenses such as depreciation, provincial tax, and finance charges

Keep track of the number of kilometres you drove in that time period, as well as the number of kilometres you drove specifically for the purpose of moving or medical expenses, or for the northern residents deductions. Your claim for vehicle expenses is the percentage of your total vehicle expenses that relate to the kilometres driven for moving or medical expenses, or for northern residents deductions.

For example, if you drove 10,000 km during the year, and half of that was related to your move, you can claim half of the total vehicle expenses on your tax return.

Although you do not need to keep detailed receipts for actual expenses if you choose to use the simplified method , the CRA may still ask you to provide some documentation to support your claim. Keep track of the number of kilometres driven during the tax year for your trips relating to moving expenses and northern residents deductions, or the 12-month period you choose for medical expenses. To determine the amount you can claim for vehicle expenses, multiply the number of kilometres by the cents/km rate from the chart below for the province or territory in which the travel begins.

Table of 2023 kilometre rates for the province or territory

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• Well on Your Way

• Choose your destination wisely and research the country you are visiting. Think about things like accessibility, transportation, dietary needs, and past or current medications.
• Contact the association for your condition or one that is like yours and ask if they can connect you with someone who has travel experience. Sometimes the best information comes from people who can share their experience.
• Always have medical coverage and/or travel insurance. To learn more, go to Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan  and Government of Canada trip interruption and travel health insurance  website.
• Follow the advice on MyHealth Alberta when travelling outside of Alberta or Canada.
• Visit immunization and travel to learn about vaccines that may be recommended when you travel.
• The Government of Canada offers resources for travelling outside of Canada:
• Travel Health and Safety
• Take Charge of Your Travel: A Guide for Persons with Disabilities
• A Canadian's Guide to Healthy Travel Abroad
• Organizations like Diabetes Canada or Madison House Autism Foundation have tips about travelling with a specific condition or disability.
• Check out the  Canadian Air Transport Security Authority's website. You can also contact your airline about your health needs before you go. For example, some medical equipment (like oxygen tanks) needs special permits that may take time to get.
• Airlines can provide a wheelchair in the airport and help with boarding the plane if you let them know ahead of time. You may have to use their wheelchair to board the plane and check yours at the gate.
• For tips on booking wheelchair accessible hotels, go to simple tips for booking the best wheelchair accessible hotels .

Travel Tips

• Ask your doctor for a letter to help you get through customs or security when travelling with specialized medical devices, supplies, or medicine.
• Give yourself more time for check-in and going through security.
• Wear a medical alert bracelet and know the location of the nearest hospital and healthcare facility.
• For rare or complex conditions, ask your doctor or nurse practitioner for a letter outlining your health needs and an emergency care plan.
• Ask your pharmacy for a list of the medicine you take and keep it in your wallet.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist if time zone changes will affect your medication schedule.
• Remember to adjust your watch or device to the correct time zone and set reminders to take your medicine or follow your treatment plans on schedule.
• Keep all medicine in the original bottle or package.
• If your medicine needs to be refrigerated, make sure you have access to a fridge during your travels. You can look into buying a 24-hour travel cooler if needed.
• Research food and water options. Check to see if you need a power and/or plug adapter for the area you are going.
• Think about booking a bulkhead seat. Let the airline and the flight attendants know about any health-related needs or concerns.
• Make a list of emergency and healthcare provider contacts, as well as insurance information.
• Check out Smarter Travel  for more travel tips. Note that we do not endorse any businesses that advertise on this site.
• Pack all medicine and equipment in your carry-on luggage.
• Pack your back-up medicine in your checked baggage.
• Bring a sharps container if you normally use one.
• Take more medicine and equipment than you need. Other provinces or countries do not accept prescriptions from Alberta.
• Have a backup plan in case your equipment is damaged.
• Take any special food you need with you. There is no guarantee the place you are going will have it.
• Take an emergency kit with supplies to treat your health condition or disability if you become sick.
• Buy lightweight, rolling luggage.

Have fun and enjoy your trip.

Our work takes place on historical and contemporary Indigenous lands, including the territories of Treaty 6, Treaty 7 & Treaty 8 and the homeland of the Métis Nation of Alberta and 8 Métis Settlements. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous communities that have been forged in urban centres across Alberta.

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Alberta to pay nurse practitioners up to 80 per cent of what family doctors make

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EDMONTON – The Alberta government announced Thursday a new payment model that would allow nurse practitioners to make 80 per cent of what family doctors are paid.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said nurses eligible for the payment plan must commit to caring for 900 patients and operate their clinics on weekends, evenings and holidays. They also must accept walk-ins.

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She said compensation will depend on how many patients are being served, with pay being higher for nurses with more patients.

“Roughly 80 per cent of what a physician can do is roughly what a nurse practitioner will be doing,” LaGrange said.

“We want this program to be successful, so we are providing numerous incentives and supports for nurse practitioners to take part.”

She said one of those supports is providing nurse practitioners an additional $75 per patient once they reach the 900-patient mark.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Albertans have struggled to access primary care services and the program should help address the problem.

“This is an exciting step forward in our journey to refocus the health-care system and expand primary health care,” Smith said.

“Certainly there’s much more work to be done. But make no mistake, we’re on our way.”

LaGrange said the program is to be made available to 50 nurse practitioners this year. Those practitioners have two years to get 900 patients.

“Once the program is fully implemented, they will be able to serve at minimum approximately 45,000 patients, which is an amazing number and will go a long way to address current access issues,” LaGrange said.

The province is to review the program in five years to ensure it’s meeting primary care needs. There will also be an audit process for accountability reasons, LaGrange said.

Jennifer Mador, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta, said the plan offers an opportunity to remove obstacles.

She said there aren’t enough family doctors in the province to offer primary care, and nurse practitioners can help.

“There will be some growing pains, but I’m excited for the potential this model provides,” Mador said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.

— By Jeremy Simes in Regina

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City of calgary asks province to offset low-income transit pass cuts.

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Alberta government cuts funding for Edmonton, Calgary low-income transit pass, mayors say

Statement from provincial government did not address whether funding for the program had been discontinued.

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The Alberta government is cutting funding for transit programs in Edmonton and Calgary that subsidize fares for low-income residents, according to the mayors of the province's two largest cities.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he was informed Tuesday the province would discontinue its portion of funding for the Low Income Transit Pass program.

"The decision to defund this program in Edmonton and Calgary shows that the province's priorities are in the wrong place," he said.

Sohi said the program is accessed each month by over 25,000 Edmontonians. He noted it had originally been set up as a three-year pilot in 2017.

A response from a spokesperson for Jason Nixon, minister for seniors, community and social services, did not directly address whether funding for the program had been discontinued.

"Alberta's government is investing $5 million to support transportation programs for low-income Albertans in rural communities where transportation options are limited," Nixon's press secretary, Alexandru Cioban, said in an emailed statement. 

"Alberta's government also provides over $3.5 million to low-income Albertans on social benefits to support them getting transportation across the province, including in Edmonton and Calgary."

Cioban also highlighted funding for LRT projects and core services.

Calgary mayor appalled

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said in a statement that she was appalled by the decision.

"Rather than spend $6.2 million to help low-income Calgarians and seniors get around now, this provincial government would rather spend more time dreaming about private-public partnerships for trains decades from now," she said, referring to Monday's announcement of a $9-million feasibility study on passenger rail in the province.

An Edmonton Transit Service adult monthly pass is currently $100. 

The program offers reduced-cost tiers — at either $35 or $50 — depending on several criteria, including household income, number of family members or enrolment in certain benefit programs like AISH.

A single person would have to make $33,579 or less annually to qualify for the lower-tier pass.

• Updated Mayors say province cutting funding from low-income transit passes in Calgary and Edmonton
• Program for low-income Calgarians to apply for city discounts grows by 34% in 2023

Lorne Dach, NDP transportation critic, called the province's decision "extremely cruel" in a news release.

"Municipalities are already grappling with insufficient funding from the province, and now the UCP is downloading further responsibility onto them by callously ripping funding away from services that assist low-income Albertans to access transit."

In September, Nixon announced a $1.7 investment into expanding low-income transit programs in Camrose, Hinton, Leduc, Lethbridge, Red Deer and Spruce Grove. 

A news release from that announcement cited a price tag of $6 million each for Calgary and Edmonton to operate their programs.

City councillors question strategy

Coun. Ashley Salvador, who represents Ward Métis in Edmonton, said in an interview Tuesday she didn't know why this was happening now.

"I think the last few weeks, we've really seen a ramping up of actions from the provincial government that are harming cities."

• Alberta Municipalities blasts province for Bill 20 'power grab'
• Municipal-federal deals to face provincial oversight under proposed Alberta law

Salvador said she sees such a cut as a continuation of downloading onto municipalities, with the city having to pick up the tab. Last week, city council approved an 8.9 per cent property tax increase for 2024.

She said many Edmontonians rely on the passes, including newcomers, seniors and students.

Coun. Aaron Paquette said the province discontinuing the funding would hurt the city's most vulnerable at a time when they need the most help. The program sold 250,000 passes in 2023 — a 20 per cent increase from 2019, Paquette said.

"Because since 2019, people have found it harder and harder to make ends meet. And instead of assisting people with that, this government is making it even more difficult to make ends meet," he said.

Paquette questions the strategy behind the province's actions but said cuts ultimately punish residents.

"This government is running a surplus on the backs of the least fortunate."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Cook is a reporter with CBC Edmonton. He has covered stories on a wide range of topics with a focus on policy, politics, post-secondary education and labour. You can reach him via email at [email protected].

• Follow Stephen Cook on Twitter

With files from Natasha Riebe

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