As a senior 65 years or older in Ontario, you could qualify for a tax credit to help with the cost of making your home safer and more accessible.
About the credit
The Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit is a permanent, refundable personal income tax credit for seniors and family members who live with them. If you qualify, you can claim up to $10,000 worth of eligible home improvements on your tax return. The amount of money you get back for these expenses is calculated as 15 per cent of the eligible expenses you claim. For example, if you spend and then claim $10,000 worth of eligible expenses, you could get $1,500 back.
The Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit can help with the costs of improving safety and accessibility in your home. Explore the interactive house below for examples of changes you could make.
Do I qualify?
To qualify for the credit, you need to be:
65 years old or older by the end of the year for which you are claiming the credit; or
living with a family member who is a senior
Your income doesn’t matter — seniors and their family members at all income levels are eligible.
Family members
If you are living with a senior relative in your home, you could qualify for a total tax credit of up to $1,500 every year, regardless of income.
Calculating my credit
Use this online calculator to see how much money you could get back.
How do I get the credit?
You have to claim your total expenses on your personal income tax return. To do this, you will have to complete Schedule ON(S12) of your tax return and put the amount you spent on eligible renovations next to box 6311 on form ON479.
For the 2012 tax year: you can claim expenses related to work billed for between October 1, 2011 and December 31, 2012.
For tax years 2013 and after: each year, you can claim expenses related to work billed for in that year.
Maximum claim
You can claim up to $10,000 worth of eligible expenses per year.
Receipts
Save your receipts for any modifications you make. You will not have to submit them with your tax return. But you will have to keep them in case the Canada Revenue Agency asks you to verify your expenses.
Eligible renovation expenses
Not all renovation work qualifies for this tax credit. Before you start any improvements, check to see that the work qualifies so you can claim the expense.
Examples of work that qualifies:
Non-slip flooring in the bathroom
Installing a hand-held shower
Door locks that are easy to operate
See what other expenses would be eligible
Examples of work that does not qualify:
Renovations or repairs that simply improve the value of a home or are recurring repairs don’t qualify, such as:
Plumbing or electrical work
Repairs to a roof
Installing new windows
See what other expenses would not be eligible
For more information on Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit