Tax Information
Meal Plan funds (including Standard, +Plus Account and Tax Exempt) may only be used to purchase meals. A meal is considered food and beverage ordinarily eaten at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Taxable Food Items
Your Meal Plan/+Plus Account cannot be used to purchase items such as taxable snacks, groceries or consumer goods. Flex or Carry Forward funds can be used to purchase all items that don't qualify as an eligible meal.
In accordance with the Excise Tax Act, snack and beverage items cannot be purchased with Meal Plan funds, unless they are purchased as part of a prepared meal. If you are purchasing these items separately, Flex Funds or Carry Forward must be used. In order to maximize your savings and the use of your Meal Plan funds, snack and beverage items should be purchased as part of a prepared meal whenever possible.
Common Questions
When will my Meal Plan be charged?
When will my Flex/Carry Forward Account be charged?
What items are considered taxable?
The following are taxable when purchased as stand alone items and will be charged to your Flex/Carry Forward Account:
- Carbonated beverages
- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
- Non-carbonated beverages other than natural fruit juice
- Candies and confectionary items, such as chewing gum and chocolate
- Chips, crisps, popcorn, pretzels, granola products, snack mixtures and similar snack foods
- Fruit leather or similar fruit-based snack foods
- Frozen treats including ice cream, sherbert, frozen yogurt, or frozen pudding
- Cakes, muffins, pastries, cookies, doughnuts, croissants with sweetened filling or coating, or similar
- Products (but not including bread products, such as bagels, English muffins, croissants or bread rolls, without sweetened filling or coating)
Can I purchase a bottled drink or hot beverage on my Meal Plan?
Yes, if paired with another item and eaten as a meal this can be purchased on the Meal plan. If you are purchasing the drink on its own, it is considered taxable and will be charged to your Flex/Carry Forward Account.
It can be helpful to purchase additional items at the same time to make your purchase a meal that can then be charged to your Meal Plan instead of Flex/Carry Forward Account.
What if I only want to buy a coffee?
This is considered taxable and will be charged to your Flex/Carry Forward Account.
It can be helpful to purchase additional items at the same time to make your coffee purchase a meal that can then be charged to your Meal Plan instead of Flex/Carry Forward Account.