Ask Akiva

CEO & Founder of The National Benefit Authority answers your questions!

With the mammoth number of initiatives and projects always on the go, it’s tough keeping up with Akiva Medjuck’s work with The National Benefit Authority, and the other organizations he sponsors & supports.

Even with his philanthropic lifestyle, there’s nothing Akiva loves more than chatting with clients, and members of the differently-abled community. Considering Akiva’s decorated background in Canadian disability benefits, he’s constantly peppered with questions, queries, and interview requests about his many projects centered around helping differently-abled Canadians.

Check out a few of the common questions Akiva’s received, and his responses below!

How did The National Benefit Authority begin?

My involvement started when I assisted my two siblings in filing Disability Tax Credit claims. After helping their friends and others, I realized how challenging the process was, and how many deserving Canadians didn’t know there was help available to them. Even when they did know, the process of filing for Canadian disability benefits and having to deal with CRA on their own was too intimidating. It was then I had the realization there were people who I could help.

Our company was launched in 2008 to aid disabled Canadians and their families in navigating the complex Disability Tax Credit process. We employ over one hundred people in more than 15,000 square feet of office space, using state-of-the-art systems to process claims – The National Benefit Authority is the largest tax advisory service in this field!

What does The NBA do to generate awareness about the DTC?

The Disability Tax Credit is an important program designed to help Canadians in need. Unfortunately, many potential beneficiaries are not aware of its existence. We spent over $1.3 million last year raising public awareness. Most of that budget went towards online advertising, utilizing popular platforms like Google and Facebook. We sponsor events that we feel will be a good conduit to get ‘the word out’. Most importantly, we excel at what we do, resulting in half of our clients being referred to us by past, satisfied clients. Our over 40,000 successful claims and counting speak for themselves!

These Canadians have now become Disability Tax Credit Ambassadors, helping others learn about this generous, little-known-about program. Of the 1000 calls we receive daily, 40% are from word of mouth.

What's The NBA's fee for a Disability Tax Credit application process, and how is it justified?

Our 30% contingency fees apply only to current and past tax credits recovered for our clients. In typical cases, our clients receive credits for five to ten future years. We do not charge for those future credits. As a result, our fee is a percentage of the total credit received by our clients for previous years that have gone unclaimed – but doesn’t apply to the future claims they’ll receive.

The National Benefit Authority spends approximately three months compiling the claim, and another three months monitoring and assisting with the application. Our fees fall within the accepted range for similar professional advisory services, such as lawyer contingency arrangements, SR and ED refunds, EI refunds, and property tax reassessments. We accept the risk that the months of work on behalf of a client may go uncompensated after a complete CRA assessment.

Our over 1200 online testimonials demonstrate the value & support our clients receive!

Are you the same Akiva Medjuck that was poked fun of on Jay Leno?

Yes… Those were my 5 minutes of fame.

What's one challenge The NBA regularly faces, but isn't really talked about?

One of the biggest challenges is defining disability. You think of someone with a disability who is missing a limb, blind, deaf, or in a wheelchair. There are many other conditions which one would not define per se as a disability, but yet may qualify for this credit. Maybe it’s Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or a senior with difficulty walking.

How the heck did you get Paul Rosen to be the ambassador of The National Benefit Authority? His Paralympic win in Torino is legendary!

How ‘Rosey’ and I crossed paths is an interesting story – I think it’s fate, if you believe in that sort of thing.

To be honest, Rosey became the ambassador for The NBA through a series of coincidental events. I was actively looking for an ambassador & spokesperson for some time – someone that saw eye-to-eye with our company’s goals, and was passionate about helping Canadians.

A friend of mine told me about Rosey, about his decorated Paralympic career, and that he was an outspoken, caring member of the disabled community. So, I asked him to come in for an interview on a whim.

I knew he was the perfect fit just minutes into our conversation. I’d never – and still haven’t – met anyone with such a positive attitude. You could tell he was from a hockey background; he was tough, gritty, and a team player. He really embodied that Canadian spirit. Above all that, after getting to know him more, I saw a bit of myself in him: he genuinely cared about the livelihood and well-being of Canada’s disabled community.

This is getting lengthy, but I feel this is important to add: Paul was a former client of ours, and I wasn’t even aware of it when he walked through the door. Nor did he mention it – he wanted to get the position on his own merit, yet another glimpse of his character. Having been through the vexing DTC application process himself, he could empathize with our clients’ frustrations.

So, I couldn’t think of anyone better to represent my brand, the community, and myself, as the ambassador & spokesperson of The National Benefit Authority. He’s a pretty good motivational speaker, too!

You seem to be very passionate about giving back to the community - what other charities, associations, and partnerships help further The National Benefit Authority's cause?

There are so many amazing groups & causes that empower the disabled community in more ways than assisting with the Disability Tax Credit. Because I am passionate about helping Canadians with disabilities, building a cooperative network with employees, clients, and organizations is important.

The NBA proudly sponsors both True Patriot Love and Volleyball Canada’s Para-Volleyball Team. We’re also involved with many charities, like the Canadian Cancer Society, Mully Children’s Family, Regesh Family & Child Services, and many other organizations.

The National Benefit Authority also manages affiliated sites dedicated to generating awareness & providing information for the disabled community. HelpCanadians, PaulRosen.ca, NBA.org, and ACDBP all offer valuable insights for disabled Canadians, from raising children with disabilities, to inspirational stories of families that we’ve helped change their lives.

So let's say I wanted a fine-leather, custom couch delivered to my Toronto home...

Ask Jay Leno.

If you have a question to Ask Akiva, whether it pertains to The National Benefit Authority, the Canadian Disability Tax Credit, the DTC application process, or Canadian Disability Benefits, Akiva will be happy to answer!