Gluten-Free Isn’t Free. That’s Why People With Celiac Disease Deserve a $1000 Tax Credit.

Everybody is feeling it right now—inflation. Since 2024 grocery prices have risen by nearly 11%! Ouch. But for people living with Celiac Disease, that spike is even higher—like, Mount Everest high: Think 200-500%!

Yes, that’s a lot.

That’s because gluten-free groceries are way more expensive than the traditional options. For example, if you’re standing in line to buy gluten-free bread or pasta, then you’re probably paying 4 times more than the price for “regular” items.

“Then stop buying gluten free!” is what some folks might say. Our response: If it were only that easy. You see, Celiac Disease is just that—a disease. Specifically, it’s an autoimmune disorder resulting in the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking itself. In the case of Celiac Disease, when a person eats anything containing traces of gluten, their immune system attacks the small intestine, leading to even more health problems such as anemia, liver disorder, or even cancer, to name just a few. This is why someone with Celiac Disease avoids gluten literally at all costs, even when it means quadrupling their grocery bill. It’s also why CELIAC CANADA has jump-started a recent tax credit petition to help Canadians living with Celiac Disease get some of that grocery money back!

The way things stand now, getting a similar tax exemption from the government is nothing short of a nightmare. It requires mind-numbing documentation that includes keeping EVERY receipt for EVERY gluten-free item EVER purchased and then calculating the difference with their “regular” alternatives. To be clear, we’re being asked to keep tabs on not one, but TWO prices—gluten-free prices and regular prices.

And then there’s the medical paperwork to prove your Celiac diagnosis.

The entire ordeal is so complicated, it would make even the most experienced accountants reach for gluten-free drinks (and let’s hope they remembered to keep the receipts!)

But CELIAC CANADA’S proposed tax credit is meant to simplify this process. Their petition is simple: if you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, then you’re pre-eligible for a flat $1000 tax refund. An additional $600 is included for every Celiac child in the household. End of story. No receipts. No math. Just food security.

Image Source: Dine Find

Not only would this make applying for medical exemptions easier, but it would offset the ballooning grocery bill that comes from having to eat and live gluten free.

So here’s what we want you to do: Join the Gluten-Freedom Movement and Sign the House of Commons Food Affordability e-Petition. The petition opened on October 7th, and already we’ve obtained nearly half of the 30,000 needed signatures, but we only have until December 6, 2025 to get the remaining half—so please add your name today!