ARCHIVED - General Income Tax and Benefit Guide - 2017 - Federal tax and credits (Schedule 1)

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• Step 5 – Federal tax and provincial or territorial tax
  • Calculation of federal tax (Schedule 1)
    • Minimum tax
• Step 1 of Schedule 1 – Federal non-refundable tax credits
  • Newcomers to Canada and emigrants
  • Amounts for non-resident dependants
  • Canada caregiver amount
  • Line 300 – Basic personal amount
  • Line 301 – Age amount
  • Line 303 – Spouse or common-law partner amount
  • Line 304 – Canada caregiver amount for spouse or common-law partner, or eligible dependant age 18 or older
  • Line 305 – Amount for an eligible dependant
  • Line 307 – Canada caregiver amount for other infirm dependants age 18 or older
  • Line 308 – CPP or QPP contributions through employment
  • Line 310 – CPP or QPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings
  • Line 312 – Employment insurance premiums through employment
  • Line 313 – Adoption expenses
  • Line 314 – Pension income amount
  • Line 316 – Disability amount (for self)
  • Line 317 – Employment insurance premiums on self-employment and other eligible earnings
  • Line 318 – Disability amount transferred from a dependant
  • Line 319 – Interest paid on your student loans
  • Line 323 – Your tuition, education, and textbook amounts
  • Line 324 – Tuition amount transferred from a child
  • Line 326 – Amounts transferred from your spouse or common-law partner
  • Line 330 – Medical expenses for self, spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children born in 2000 or later
  • Line 331 – Allowable amount of medical expenses for other dependants
  • Line 349 – Donations and gifts
  • Lines 352 and 367 – Canada caregiver amount for infirm children under 18 years of age
  • Line 362 – Volunteer firefighters' amount (VFA) and Line 395 – Search and rescue volunteers' amount (SRVA)
  • Line 363 – Canada employment amount
  • Line 364 – Public transit amount
  • Line 369 – Home buyers' amount
  • Line 375 – Provincial parental insurance plan (PPIP) premiums paid
  • Line 376 – PPIP premiums payable on employment income
  • Line 378 – PPIP premiums payable on self-employment income
  • Line 398 – Home accessibility expenses

Step 5 – Federal tax and provincial or territorial tax

Calculation of federal tax (Schedule 1)

To calculate your federal tax, follow the instructions in this section to complete Schedule 1, Federal Tax.

Minimum tax

Minimum tax limits the tax advantage you can receive in a year from certain incentives. You have to pay minimum tax if it is more than the federal tax you calculate in the usual manner. When calculating your taxable income for this tax, which does not apply to a person who died in 2017, you are allowed a basic exemption of $40,000.

To find out if you have to pay this tax, add the amounts shown in B later in this section and 60% of the amount on line 127 of your return. If the total is $40,000 or less, you probably do not have to pay minimum tax. If the total is more than $40,000, you may have to pay it.

Use Form T691, Alternative Minimum Tax, to find out if you have to pay minimum tax. You also have to complete Form 428 to calculate additional provincial or territorial tax for minimum tax purposes.

Here is a list of the most common situations where you may have to pay minimum tax:

1. You reported a taxable capital gain on line 127 of your return.
2. You claimed any of the following on your return:
   • a loss (including your share of a partnership loss) resulting from, or increased by, claiming capital cost allowance on rental properties;
   • a loss from a limited partnership that is a tax shelter;
   • most carrying charges (line 221) on certain investments;
   • a loss from resource properties resulting from, or increased by, claiming a depletion allowance, exploration expenses, development expenses, or Canadian oil and gas property expenses;
   • a deduction on line 248 for an employee home relocation loan; or
   • a deduction on line 249 for security options.
3. You claimed any of the following tax credits on Schedule 1:
   • a federal political contribution tax credit on line 410;
   • an investment tax credit on line 412;
   • a labour-sponsored funds tax credit on line 414; or
   • a federal dividend tax credit on line 425.

Step 1 of Schedule 1 – Federal non-refundable tax credits

These credits reduce your federal tax owing. However, if the total of these credits is more than your federal tax owing, you will not get a refund for the difference.

Newcomers to Canada and emigrants

If you became or ceased to be a resident of Canada for income tax purposes during 2017, enter the date of your move in the "Information about your residence" area on page 1 of your return. You may have to reduce your claim for the amounts on lines 300, 301, 303, 304, 305, 307, 316, 318, 324, 326, and 367. For more information, see Pamphlet T4055, Newcomers to Canada, or go to Individuals - Leaving or entering Canada and non-residents.

Amounts for non-resident dependants

You may be able to claim an amount for certain dependants who live outside Canada if they depended on you for support.

If the dependants already have enough income or assistance for a reasonable standard of living in the country where they live, we do not consider them to depend on you for support. Gifts are not support.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents (proof of your payment of support) in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your documents. Proof of payment must show your name, the amount and the date of the payment, and the dependant's name and address. If you sent the funds to a guardian, the guardian's name and address must also show on the proof of payment.

NewCanada caregiver amount

If you have a spouse or a common-law partner, or a dependant with an impairment in physical or mental functions, you may be entitled to claim the Canada caregiver amount.

For your spouse or common-law partner, you may be entitled to claim an amount of $2,150 in the calculation of line 303. You could also claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883 on line 304. See lines 303 and 304.

For an eligible dependant 18 years of age or older, you may be entitled to claim an amount of $2,150 in the calculations of line 305. You could also claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883 on line 304. See lines 304 and 305.

For an eligible dependant under 18 years of age at the end of the year, you may be entitled to claim an amount of $2,150 on line 367 or in the calculation of line 305. See lines 305 and 367.

For each of your or your spouse’s or common-law partner’s children under 18 years of age at the end of the year, you may be entitled to claim an amount of $2,150 on line 367. See line 367.

For each other dependant 18 years of age or older, who is not your spouse or common-law partner or an eligible dependant for whom an amount is claimed on line 305, you may be entitled to claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883 on line 307. See line 307.

The CRA may ask for a signed statement from a medical practitioner showing when the impairment began and what the duration of the impairment is expected to be. For children under 18 years of age, the statement should also show that the child, because of the impairment in physical or mental functions, is, and will likely continue to be, dependent on others for an indefinite duration. Dependent on others means they need much more assistance for their personal needs and care compared to children of the same age. You do not need a signed statement from a medical practitioner if the CRA already has an approved Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, for a specified period.

Line 300 – Basic personal amount

Claim $11,635.

Line 301 – Age amount

Claim this amount if you were 65 years of age or older on December 31, 2017, and your net income (line 236 of your return) is less than $84,597.

If your net income was:

• $36,430 or less, claim $7,225 on line 301; or
• more than $36,430 but less than $84,597, complete the chart for line 301 on the federal worksheet to calculate your claim.

Line 303 – Spouse or common-law partner amount

Claim this amount if, at any time in the year, you supported your spouse or common-law partner and his or her net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return) was less than $11,635 ($13,785 if he or she is dependent on you because of an impairment in physical or mental functions). Complete the appropriate parts of Schedule 5 to calculate your claim and attach a copy to your return.

Note
NewIf your spouse or common-law partner has an impairment in physical or mental functions, you may also be entitled to claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883 on line 304. See line 304.

In certain situations, your spouse's or common-law partner's net income must be stated even if your marital status has changed. See Net income of spouse or common-law partner. Both of you cannot claim this amount for each other for the same year.

If you had to make support payments to your current or former spouse or common-law partner and you were separated for only part of 2017 because of a breakdown in your relationship, you have a choice. You can claim the deductible support amounts paid in the year to your spouse or common-law partner on line 220 or an amount on line 303 for your spouse or common-law partner, whichever is better for you. If you reconciled with your spouse or common-law partner before the end of 2017, you can claim an amount on line 303 and any allowable amounts on line 326.

 Net income of spouse or common-law partner

This is the amount on line 236 of your spouse's or common-law partner's return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return.

If you were living with your spouse or common-law partner on December 31, 2017, use his or her net income for the whole year. This applies even if you got married or got back together with your spouse in 2017 or you became a common-law partner or started to live with your common-law partner again.

If you separated in 2017 because of a breakdown in your relationship and were not back together on December 31, 2017, reduce your claim only by your spouse's or common-law partner's net income before the separation. In all cases, enter in the "Information about your spouse or common-law partner" area on page 1 of your return the amount you use to calculate your claim, even if it is zero.

NewLine 304 – Canada caregiver amount for spouse or common-law partner, or eligible dependant age 18 or older

If you are eligible for the Canada caregiver amount for your spouse or common-law partner, or an eligible dependant 18 years of age or older, and his or her net income is between $6,902 and $23,046, you may be able to claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883. However, you must first claim the amount of $2,150 in calculating the spouse or common-law partner amount on line 303; or the amount on line 305 for an eligible dependant 18 years of age or older.

How to claim this amount

Calculate his or her net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return). Complete line 304 on Schedule 5 to calculate your claim and attach a copy to your return.

Line 305 – Amount for an eligible dependant

If you have claimed an amount for the year on line 303, you cannot claim this amount. If you have not claimed an amount for the year on line 303, you may be able to claim this amount for one other person if at any time in the year you met all the following conditions at once:

• You did not have a spouse or common-law partner or, if you did, you were not living with, supporting, or being supported by that person.
• You supported a dependant in 2017.
• You lived with the dependant (in most cases in Canada) in a home you maintained. You cannot claim this amount for a person who was only visiting you.

In addition, at the time you met the above conditions, the dependant must also have been either:

• your parent or grandparent by blood, marriage, common-law partnership, or adoption; or
• your child, grandchild, brother, or sister by blood, marriage, common-law partnership, or adoption and under 18 years of age or had an impairment in physical or mental functions.

Even if all the preceding conditions have been met, you cannot claim this amount if any of the following applies:

• You or someone else is claiming a spouse or common-law partner amount (line 303) for this dependant.
• The person for whom you want to claim this amount is your common-law partner. However, you may be able to claim the amount on line 303.
• Someone else is claiming an amount on line 305 for this dependant. If you and another person can both claim this amount for the same dependant (such as shared custody of a child) but cannot agree who will claim the amount, neither of you can make the claim.
• Someone else in your household is making this claim. Each household is allowed only one claim for this amount, even if there is more than one dependant in the household.
• The claim is for a child for whom you had to make support payments for 2017. However, if you were separated from your spouse or common-law partner for only part of 2017 because of a breakdown in your relationship, you may be able to claim an amount for that child on line 305 (plus any allowable amounts on lines 304 and 318) if you do not claim any support amounts paid to your spouse or common-law partner on line 220. You can claim whichever is better for you.

How to claim this amount

You can claim this amount if your eligible dependant's net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return) was less than $11,635 ($13,785 if he or she is dependent on you because of an impairment in physical or mental functions). Complete the appropriate parts of Schedule 5 to calculate your claim and give certain details about your dependant. Attach a copy of this schedule to your return.

NewLine 307 – Canada caregiver amount for other infirm dependants age 18 or older

You can claim an amount up to a maximum of $6,883 for each of your or your spouse’s or common-law partner’s dependent children or grandchildren only if that person was dependent on you because of an impairment in physical or mental functions and was 18 years of age or older.

You can also claim an amount for more than one person if each one meets all the following conditions. The person must have been:

• your or your spouse’s or common-law partner’s parent, grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew;
• 18 years of age or older;
• dependent on you because of an impairment in physical or mental functions; and
• a resident of Canada at any time in the year. You cannot claim this amount for a person who was only visiting you.

Notes
You cannot claim an amount on line 307 for dependants who do not have an impairment in physical or mental functions, including a parent or grandparent who was 65 years of age or older.

A parent includes someone on whom you were completely dependent and who had custody and control of you when you were under 19 years of age.

A child can include someone older than you who has become completely dependent on you for support and over whom you have custody and control. 

If anyone (including you) is claiming an amount on line 305 for the dependant, you cannot claim an amount on line 307 for this dependant.

You can claim an amount only if the dependant’s net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return) is less than $23,046.

If you had to make support payments for a child, you cannot claim an amount on line 307 for that child. However, if you were separated from your spouse or common-law partner for only part of 2017 because of a breakdown in your relationship, you may be able to claim an amount for that child on line 307 if you do not claim any support amounts paid to your spouse or common-law partner on line 220. You can claim whichever is better for you.

How to claim this amount

For each of your dependants, calculate his or her net income (line 236 of his or her return, or the amount it would be if he or she filed a return). Complete the appropriate part of Schedule 5 to calculate your claim and give certain details about each of your dependants. Attach a copy of this schedule to your return.

The CRA may ask for a signed statement from a medical practitioner indicating the nature of the impairment, when it began, what its duration is expected to be, and that the person is dependent on others because of this impairment in physical or mental functions.

Claims made by more than one person – If you and another person support the same dependant, you can split the claim for that dependant. However, the total amount of your claim and the other person’s claim cannot exceed the maximum amount allowed for that dependant.

Line 308 – CPP or QPP contributions through employment

Claim, in dollars and cents, the total of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) contributions shown in boxes 16 and 17 of your T4 slips.

If you were a resident of a province other than Quebec on December 31, 2017, and contributed only to the CPP, do not claim more than $2,564.10 on line 308. If you contributed more, claim the overpayment on line 448 of your return. We will refund this overpayment to you or use it to reduce your balance owing.

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, and contributed only to the QPP, do not claim more than $2,797.20 on line 308. If you contributed more, claim the overpayment on your provincial income tax return for Quebec.

If you contributed to the QPP in 2017 but resided outside Quebec on December 31, 2017, or if you contributed to the CPP in 2017 but resided in Quebec on December 31, 2017, complete Form RC381, Inter-provincial calculation for CPP and QPP Contributions and Overpayments for 2017, to calculate your claim at line 308 and your overpayment, if any. Attach to your paper return your Relevé 1 slip.

CPP working beneficiaries

If you are 60 to 70 years of age and employed or self-employed and you are receiving a CPP or QPP retirement pension, you must make contributions to the CPP or the QPP.

However, if you are at least 65 years of age but under 70, you can elect to stop contributing to the CPP or revoke a prior-year election:

• if you are employed. You must complete Form CPT30, Election to Stop Contributing to the Canada Pension Plan, or Revocation of a Prior Election.
• if you are self-employed. You must complete the applicable part of Schedule 8 or Form RC381, Inter-provincial calculation for CPP and QPP contributions and overpayments for 2017, whichever applies.
• if you are employed and self-employed and you completed and submitted Form CPT30 when you became employed in 2017 but your intent was to elect in 2017 to stop paying CPP contributions or revoke an election made in a previous year on your self-employment income before you became employed, complete Schedule 8 or Form RC381, whichever applies.

Request for refund of CPP contributions

Under the Canada Pension Plan, you must ask for a refund of CPP over-contributions within four years after the end of the year for which the request is being made. See line 448.

Making additional CPP contributions

You may not have contributed to the CPP for certain income you earned through employment or you may have contributed less than required. This can happen if any of the following apply:

• You had more than one employer in 2017.
• You had income, such as tips, from which your employer did not have to withhold contributions.
• You were in a type of employment not covered under CPP rules, such as casual employment.

Generally, if the total of your CPP and QPP contributions through employment, as shown in boxes 16 and 17 of your T4 slips, is less than $2,564.10, you can contribute 9.9% on any part of the income on which you have not already made contributions. The maximum income for 2017 on which you can contribute to the CPP is $55,300.

To calculate and make additional CPP contributions for 2017, complete Form CPT20, Election to Pay Canada Pension Plan Contributions, and Schedule 8 or Form RC381, Inter-provincial calculation for CPP and QPP contributions and overpayments for 2017, whichever applies, and claim the appropriate amounts on lines 222 and 310. Form CPT20 lists the eligible employment income on which you can make additional CPP contributions. If you were not a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017 and contributed only to the CPP, or if you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017 and contributed only to the QPP, you must complete Schedule 8 to calculate your claim. Otherwise, complete Form RC381 to calculate your claim.

Supporting documents – Attach a copy of Form CPT20 and Schedule 8 or Form RC381, whichever applies, to your paper return, or send Form CPT20 to the CRA separately on or before June 15, 2019.

Tax‑exempt employment income earned by a registered Indian or a person entitled to be registered as an Indian under the Indian Act – If you are a registered Indian, or a person entitled to be registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, with tax‑exempt employment income and there is no amount shown in box 16 or 17 of your T4 slips, you may also be able to contribute to the CPP on this income. For more benefit and tax information for aboriginal peoples, go to Aboriginal peoples.

Line 310 – CPP or QPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings

Claim, in dollars and cents, the same amount you claimed on line 222 of your return.

Line 312 – Employment insurance premiums through employment

If you were not a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, claim, in dollars and cents, the total of the amounts shown in box 18 of all your T4 slips. If you contributed to a provincial parental insurance plan (PPIP) in 2017, also include the total of the amounts shown in box 55 of all your T4 slips on this line. Do not claim more than $836.19. Attach to your paper return your Relevé 1 slip.

If you contributed more than $836.19, claim, in dollars and cents, the excess contribution on line 450 of your return. We will refund this overpayment to you or use it to reduce your balance owing.

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, and worked only in Quebec during the year, claim, in dollars and cents, the total of the amounts shown in box 18 of all your T4 slips. Do not claim more than $651.51. If you contributed more than $651.51, claim, in dollars and cents, the excess contribution on line 450 of your return. We will refund this overpayment to you or use it to reduce your balance owing.

If during the year you were a resident of Quebec, you worked outside Quebec, and your employment income is $2,000 or more, you must complete Schedule 10 and attach it to your paper return. Claim on this line, in dollars and cents, the lesser of your EI premiums from line 22 and line 23 of Schedule 10.

Insurable earnings

This is the total of all earnings on which you pay EI premiums. These amounts are shown in box 24 of your T4 slips for 2017 (or box 14 if box 24 is blank).

You may have an overpayment of your premiums even if the total is $836.19 or less (if you were not a resident of Quebec), or $651.51 or less if you were a resident of Quebec. This can happen when your insurable earnings are less than the total of all amounts shown in box 14 of all your T4 slips. You can calculate your overpayment using Form T2204, Employee Overpayment of 2017 Employment Insurance Premiums. If you were a resident of Quebec and had to complete Schedule 10 because you worked outside Quebec, do not use Form T2204. Calculate the overpayment by completing Part C of Schedule 10.

If your insurable earnings are $2,000 or less, we will refund all your premiums to you or use them to reduce your balance owing. In this case, do not enter any premiums on line 312. Instead, enter the total on line 450 of your return.

You may also have an overpayment if your insurable earnings are more than $2,000 and less than $2,033 if you resided outside Quebec on December 31, 2017, or if your insurable earnings are more than $2,000 and less than $2,025 if you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017. Calculate your overpayment using Form T2204.

Request for refund of EI contributions

Under the Employment Insurance Act, you must ask for a refund of EI overpayment within three years after the end of the year for which the request is being made.

Line 313 – Adoption expenses

You can claim an amount for eligible adoption expenses related to the adoption of a child who is under 18 years of age. The maximum claim for each child is $15,670.

Two adoptive parents can split the amount if the total combined claim for eligible expenses for each child is not more than the amount before the split.

Parents can only claim these incurred expenses in the tax year including the end of the adoption period for the child. The adoption period:

• begins either when an application is made for registration with a provincial or territorial ministry responsible for adoption (or with an adoption agency licensed by a provincial or territorial government) or when an application related to the adoption is made to a Canadian court, whichever is earlier; and
• ends when an adoption order is issued by, or recognized by, a government in Canada for that child or when the child first begins to live permanently with you, whichever is later.

Eligible adoption expenses

Eligible adoption expenses you can claim are:

• fees paid to an adoption agency licensed by a provincial or territorial government;
• court costs and legal and administrative expenses related to an adoption order for the child;
• reasonable and necessary travel and living expenses of the child and the adoptive parents;
• document translation fees;
• mandatory fees paid to a foreign institution;
• mandatory expenses paid for the child's immigration; and
• any other reasonable expenses related to the adoption required by a provincial or territorial government or an adoption agency licensed by a provincial or territorial government.

Reimbursement of an eligible expense – You must reduce your eligible expenses by any reimbursements or other forms of assistance you received.

Supporting documents – Do not send any supporting documents when you file your tax return. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 314 – Pension income amount

You may be able to claim up to $2,000 if you reported eligible pension, superannuation, or annuity payments on lines 115, 116, or 129 of your return.

Report your pension or annuity income on the applicable line. To calculate your claim, complete the chart for line 314 on the federal worksheet.

If you and your spouse or common-law partner elected to split pension income, follow the instructions at Step 4 on Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income, to calculate the amount to enter on line 314 of your and your spouse's or common-law partner's Schedule 1.

Note
Amounts such as old age security benefits, Canada Pension Plan benefits, Quebec Pension Plan benefits, death benefits, retiring allowances, excess amounts from a RRIF transferred to an RRSP, another RRIF, or an annuity, amounts shown in boxes 18, 20, 22, 26, 28, and 34 of your T4RSP slips, and amounts distributed from a retirement compensation arrangement shown on your T4A-RCA slips do not qualify.

Line 316 – Disability amount (for self)

If you are eligible for the disability tax credit, you may be able to claim the disability amount.

To be eligible, you must have had a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions during 2017. An impairment is prolonged if it has lasted, or is expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12 months. You may be able to claim $8,113 if a medical practitioner certifies on Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, that you meet certain conditions.

Note
You can send the Form T2201 to us at any time during the year. Sending us your form before you file your income tax and benefit return may help avoid a delay in getting your assessment.

For more information, see Guide RC4064, Disability-Related Information or go to Tax credits and deductions for persons with disabilities. To view your disability tax credit information, go to My Account for Individuals.

Supplement for persons under 18

If you qualify for the disability amount and were under 18 years of age at the end of the year, you can claim up to an additional $4,733. However, this supplement may be reduced if in 2017 someone claimed child care expenses (on line 214) or attendant care expenses (as a medical expense on line 330 or 331) for you. It will also be reduced if you claimed attendant care expenses on line 215 or 330 for yourself.

How to claim this amount

If this is a new claim for this amount, you must send a completed Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, certified by a medical practitioner or your claim will be delayed. We will review your form before we assess your return to see if you are eligible.

If you were eligible for the disability tax credit for 2016 and you still meet the eligibility requirements in 2017, you can claim this amount without sending us a new Form T2201. However, you must send us one if the previous period of approval ended before 2017 or if we ask you to.

If you were 18 years of age or older at the end of the year, claim $8,113. Otherwise, complete the chart for line 316 on the federal worksheet.

Line 317 – Employment insurance premiums on self-employment and other eligible earnings

If you were self-employed, you can choose to pay EI premiums to be eligible to receive EI special benefits.

For more information, contact Service Canada.

If you have entered into an agreement with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission through Service Canada to participate in the EI program for access to EI special benefits, you must complete Schedule 13, Employment Insurance Premiums on Self-Employment and Other Eligible Earnings, to calculate your premiums payable. Claim the amount from line 10 of your Schedule 13 on line 317 of your Schedule 1 and on line 430 of your return. 

Line 318 – Disability amount transferred from a dependant

You may be able to claim all or part of your dependant's (other than your spouse's or common-law partner's) disability amount (line 316) if all the following apply:

• your dependant is eligible for the disability tax credit;
• your dependant was resident in Canada at any time in 2017; and
• he or she was dependent on you on a regular and consistent basis for all or some of the basic necessities of life (food, shelter, and clothing).

In addition, one of the following situations has to apply:

• You claimed an amount on line 305 for that dependant, or you could have if you did not have a spouse or common-law partner and if the dependant did not have any income (see line 305 for conditions).
• The dependant was your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew and you claimed an amount on line 307 for that dependant, or you could have if he or she had no income and had been 18 years of age or older in 2017.

How to claim this amount

If this is a new claim for this amount, you must send a completed Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, certified by a medical practitioner or your claim will be delayed. We will review the form before we assess your return to see if your dependant is eligible.
 

If your dependant was eligible for the disability tax credit for 2016 and still meets the requirements in 2017, you can claim this amount without sending us a new Form T2201. However, you must send us one if the previous period of approval ended before 2017 or if we ask you to. If you are not attaching a Form T2201 for a dependant, attach to your paper return a note stating the dependant’s name, social insurance number, and relationship to you.

If your dependant was under 18 years of age at the end of the year, first complete the chart for line 316 on the federal worksheet to calculate the supplement that dependant may be able to claim.

Complete the chart for line 318 on the federal worksheet to calculate your claim for each dependant and enter the amount on line 318 of your Schedule 1.

For more information about different amounts you may be able to claim, see Guide RC4064, Disability-Related Information or go to Tax credits and deductions for pensions with disabilities .

Line 319 – Interest paid on your student loans

You may have a loan under the Canada Student Loans Act, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, the Apprentice Loans Act, or similar provincial or territorial government laws for post‑secondary education. For more information about the Canada Apprentice Loan if you are training as a registered Red Seal apprentice in a designated trade, contact Employment and Social Development Canada or visit Service Canada.

Only you can claim an amount for the interest you, or a person related to you, paid on that loan in 2017 or the preceding five years.

You can claim an amount only for interest you have not already claimed. If you have no tax payable for the year the interest is paid, it is to your advantage not to claim it on your return. You can carry the interest forward and apply it on your return for any of the next five years.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your documents for the amounts you are claiming for 2017.

Line 323 – Your tuition, education, and textbook amounts

NewFor 2017 and later tax years, the federal education and textbook amounts have been eliminated. However, unused federal tuition, education, and textbook amounts from 2016 and previous years can still be carried forward.

Complete Schedule 11 to calculate your total eligible tuition amount for 2017 and any unused tuition amount that you may want to transfer to another person. Also use Schedule 11 to calculate your unused tutition, education, and textbook amounts to carry forward to a future year. Enter the amount you are claiming on line 323.

For more information, see Transfer of your unused tuition amount and Carryforward of your unused tuition, education, and textbook amounts or Guide P105, Students and Income Tax.

Eligible tuition fees

Generally, a course qualifies if it was taken at the post-secondary level or (for persons 16 years of age or older at the end of the year) if it develops or improves skills in an occupation and the educational institution has been certified by Employment and Social Development Canada. In addition, you must have taken the course in 2017.

NewEligible tuition fees paid for courses taken after 2016 at a post-secondary educational institution in Canada that are not at the post-secondary school level (for example, training in a second language or in basic literacy and numeracy) will also qualify for the tuition amount as long as the student is: 

• at least 16 years of age at the end of the year; and
• enrolled in the educational institution to obtain skills for, or improve the student’s skills in, an occupation.

Not all fees can be claimed. To qualify, the fees you paid to attend a Canadian educational institution must be more than $100. For fees paid to an educational institution outside Canada, see Guide P105 and Information Sheet RC192, Information for Students – Educational Institutions Outside Canada. In addition, you cannot include in your claim the amounts paid for other expenses, such as board and lodging, students' association fees, or textbooks.

If the fees were paid or reimbursed by your employer or an employer of one of your parents, you can claim them only if the payment or reimbursement was included in your or your parent's income.

Forms

To claim tuition fees paid to an educational institution in Canada, you will need an official tax receipt or a completed Form T2202A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate, which your institution has to give you.

To claim tuition fees paid to an educational institution outside Canada, you will need Form TL11A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – University Outside Canada, or Form TL11C, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – Commuter to the United States. Ask your institution to complete and give you the applicable form.

To claim tuition fees paid to a flying school or club in Canada, you will need a completed Form TL11B, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – Flying School or Club, which your school or club has to give you.

You can get these forms from us.

Transfer of your unused tuition amount

You must claim your tuition amount first on your own return, even if someone else paid your fees. However, you may transfer up to a maximum of $5,000 of your 2017 unused tuition amount to your spouse or common-law partner (who would claim it on line 326 of his or her Schedule 1) or to your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parent or grandparent (who would claim it on line 324 of his or her Schedule 1).

You can designate who can claim an unused amount and specify the amount that person can claim. To do this, complete the “Transfer or carryforward of unused amount” section of Schedule 11 to calculate this transfer. Also, complete the back of any of the following applicable forms: 

• T2202A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate;
• TL11A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate - University Outside Canada;
• TL11B, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate - Flying School or Club; or
• TL11C, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate - Commuter to the United States.

Attach Schedule 11 to your return even if you are transferring all of your total tuition amount.

Carryforward of your unused tuition, education, and textbook amounts 

You can carry forward and claim in a future year the part of your 2017 tuition amount you cannot use (and do not transfer to another person) for the year, as well as your unused tuition, education, and textbook amounts from 2016 and previous years. However, if you carry forward an amount, you will not be able to transfer it to anyone. You must claim your carry-forward amount in the first year you have to pay federal tax. Calculate the carry-forward amount on Schedule 11. To view your carry-forward amount, go to My Account for Individuals.

Supporting documents

If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your completed Schedule 11 but do not send your other documents. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 324 – Tuition amount transferred from a child

If you are the parent or grandparent of a student or his or her spouse or common-law partner, the student may be able to transfer to you all or part of his or her unused tuition amount for 2017. The maximum transferable amount from each student is $5,000 minus the amounts he or she uses, even if there is still an unclaimed part.

How to claim this amount

The student has to complete the “Transfer or carryforward of unused amount” section of Schedule 11 and attach the schedule to his or her return. The student must also complete the back of any of the following applicable forms to designate you as the person who can claim the amount:

• Form T2202A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate;
• Form TL11A, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – University Outside Canada;
• Form TL11B, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – Flying School or Club; or
• Form TL11C, Tuition and Enrolment Certificate – Commuter to the United States.

If the amount being transferred to you is not shown on these forms, you should have a copy of the student's official tuition fee receipt.

Amounts claimed by student's spouse or common-law partner – If a student's spouse or common-law partner claims an amount on line 303 or 326 for the student, you cannot claim an amount on line 324 for that student. However, the student's spouse or common-law partner can include the transfer on line 326.

No amounts claimed by student's spouse or common-law partner – If the student's spouse or common-law partner does not claim an amount on line 303 or 326 for the student, or if the student does not have a spouse or common-law partner, the student can choose which parent or grandparent will claim an amount on line 324.

Only one person can claim this transfer from the student. However, it does not have to be the same parent or grandparent who claims an amount on line 305 or 307 for the student.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically or filing a paper return, do not send any documents. Keep them in case we ask to see them later. The student must attach Schedule 11 to his or her paper return.

Line 326 – Amounts transferred from your spouse or common-law partner

You may be able to claim all or part of the following amounts for which your spouse or common-law partner qualifies if he or she did not need the whole amount to reduce his or her federal tax to zero:

• the age amount (line 301) if your spouse or common-law partner was 65 years of age or older;
• the pension income amount (line 314);
• the disability amount for self (line 316); and
• the tuition amount for 2017 (line 323) your spouse or common-law partner designates to you. The maximum amount your spouse or common-law partner can transfer is $5,000 minus the amounts he or she uses even if there is still an unused part; and
• the Canada caregiver amount for infirm children under 18 years of age (line 367);

Complete Schedule 2 to calculate your claim.

If the amount on this line includes a new claim for the disability amount, attach a completed and certified Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate. We will review your claim before we assess your return to see if your spouse or common-law partner is eligible for the disability tax credit. If he or she was eligible for 2016 and still meets the requirements in 2017, you can claim this amount without sending us a new Form T2201. However, you must send us one if the previous period of approval ended before 2017 or if we ask you to.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach to your return your completed Schedule 2, and if your spouse or common-law partner is not filing a return, attach the information slips that show his or her income. Do not send your other supporting documents, but keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 330 – Medical expenses for self, spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children born in 2000 or later

You can claim on line 330 the total eligible medical expenses you or your spouse or common-law partner paid for:

• yourself;
• your spouse or common-law partner; and
• your or your spouse's or common-law partner's children born in 2000 or later.

Medical expenses for other dependants must be claimed on line 331.

You can claim eligible medical expenses paid in any 12-month period ending in 2017 and not claimed for 2016. Generally, you can claim all amounts paid, even if they were not paid in Canada. Your total expenses have to be more than 3% of your net income (line 236 of your return) or $2,268, whichever is less.

Eligible medical expenses

Some eligible medical expenses you can claim are:

• payments to a medical doctor, dentist, nurse, or certain other medical professionals or to a public or licensed private hospital;
• premiums paid to private health services plans (other than those paid by an employer, such as the amount shown in box J of your Quebec Relevé 1 slip);
• premiums paid under a provincial or territorial prescription drug plan, such as the Quebec Prescription Drug Insurance Plan and the Nova Scotia Seniors' Pharmacare Program (amounts or premiums paid to provincial or territorial government medical or hospitalization plans are not eligible);
• payments for artificial limbs, wheelchairs, crutches, hearing aids, prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, dentures, pacemakers, prescription drugs, and certain prescription medical devices; and
• Newpayments for certain reproductive technologies are eligible, even if you do not have a medical condition that prevents you from conceiving a child.

Reimbursement of an eligible expense – You can claim only the part of an expense for which you have not been or will not be reimbursed. However, you can claim the full expense if the reimbursement is included in your income, such as a benefit shown on a T4 slip, and you did not deduct the reimbursement anywhere else on your return.

Travel expenses – If medical services are not available to you within 40 kilometres of your home, you may be able to claim the cost of your transportation to get these services somewhere else. You can choose to simplify the way you calculate this amount. For more information, use Info-Tax, one of our Tax Information Phone Services.

If you use the simplified method, you can find the rate per kilometre for each province or territory by going to Meal and vehicle rates used to calculate travel expenses.

If you had to travel at least 80 kilometres from your home, you can claim accommodation and meal expenses in addition to transportation expenses.

For more information about medical expenses, go to Lines 330 and 331 – Eligible medical expenses you can claim on your return or use Info‑Tax, one of our Tax Information Phone Services. You can also see Guide RC4065, Medical Expenses, and Income Tax Folio S1-F1-C1, Medical Expense Tax Credit.

The following example shows you how to calculate your claim.

You may be claiming expenses that would be allowable only for a person who is eligible for the disability tax credit. For information about the disability amount, see line 316.

Supporting documents – Do not send any supporting documents when you file your tax return. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 331 – Allowable amount of medical expenses for other dependants

Claim on line 331 the part of eligible medical expenses you or your spouse or common-law partner paid for the following persons who depended on you for support:

• your or your spouse's or common-law partner's children born in 1999 or earlier or grandchildren; and
• your or your spouse's or common-law partner's parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, or nephews who were residents of Canada at any time in the year.

The expenses must meet the criteria in the section Eligible medical expenses at line 330. They have to cover the same 12-month period that was used for line 330.

For more information, see Guide RC4065, Medical Expenses.

Calculate for each dependant the medical expenses you are claiming on this line. The total of these expenses must exceed the lesser of $2,268 and 3% of the dependant's net income for the year.

Use the following chart for each dependant:

Total eligible expenses

Claim on line 331 the total of all allowable amounts for each dependant.

Line 349 – Donations and gifts

You can claim donations either you or your spouse or common-law partner made. Enter your claim from the calculation on Schedule 9. See Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax, for more information about donations and gifts or if you made any of the following:

• gifts of property other than cash (gifts in kind);
• gifts to qualified donees outside Canada; or
• gifts to Canada, a province, or a territory.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your completed Schedule 9 but do not send your other documents. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Allowable charitable donations (line 340 of Schedule 9)

Add up all the eligible amounts of your donations to registered charities and other qualified donees made in 2017 plus donations made in any of the previous five years that have not been claimed before. This includes gifts to Canada, a province, or a territory. For a list of qualified donees, use Info-Tax, one of our Tax Information Phone Services, or see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax.

The eligible amount is the amount by which the fair market value of your gift exceeds any advantage you received or will receive for making the gift. Generally, an advantage includes the value of certain property, service, compensation, use, or any other benefit. For more information, see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax.

Generally, you can claim on line 340 all or part of the eligible amount of these donations, up to a limit of 75% of your net income for the year. You may be able to increase this limit if you donate capital property (including depreciable property). For more information, see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax. For the year a person dies and the year before that, this limit is 100% of the person's net income.

Donations of certain flow-through share properties may result in a deemed capital gain that is subject to an inclusion rate of 50%. For more information, see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax and Guide T4037, Capital Gains.

For deaths that occur after 2015, donations made by will and designation donations are no longer deemed to be made by an individual immediately before the individual’s death. For more information, see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax.

Cultural and ecological gifts (line 342 of Schedule 9)

Unlike other donations, your total eligible amount claimed for these types of gifts is not limited to a percentage of net income. You can choose the part you claim in 2017 and carry forward any unused part for up to five years.

For donations of ecologically sensitive lands made after February 10, 2014, the carry-forward period is up to 10 years.

NewUnder proposed changes, a gift of ecologically sensitive land cannot be made to a private foundation after March 21, 2017. 

For donations of certified cultural property made after February 10, 2014, special rules apply when the property was acquired through a gifting arrangement that is a tax shelter.

For more information about these gifts and the amounts you can claim, see Pamphlet P113, Gifts and Income Tax.

First-time donor’s super credit (FDSC) (line 343 of Schedule 9)

For 2013 to 2017, if you are a first-time donor, you can claim up to $1,000 of donations of money made after March 20, 2013, for the FDSC. This is the last year to claim the FDSC as it expired at the end of the 2017 tax year. This credit is calculated by multiplying the eligible amount of these donations by 25%. This is in addition to the credit already allowed for these same donations that you and your spouse or common-law partner claimed on line 340 of Schedule 9.

To qualify as a first-time donor, neither you nor your spouse or common-law partner can have claimed and been allowed a charitable donations tax credit for any year after 2007. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, you can share the FDSC, but the total combined donations claimed cannot exceed $1,000.

Enter the amount of the gift on line 343 of Schedule 9. For more information, go to First-time donor’s super credit.

Lines 352 and 367 – Canada caregiver amount for infirm children under 18 years of age

You can claim an amount for each of your or your spouse’s or common-law partner’s children who:

• are under 18 years of age at the end of the year;
• lived with both of you throughout the year; and
• are dependent on others because of an impairment in physical or mental functions and will likely continue to be dependent on others for an indefinite duration. Dependent on others means the child needs significantly more assistance in attending to his or her personal needs and care when compared to children of the same age.

The full amount can be claimed in the year of the child’s birth, death, or adoption.

If you are making this claim for more than one child, either you or your spouse or common-law partner may claim the credit for all the eligible children or you can each claim separate children but each child can only be claimed once.

Note
If you have shared custody of the child throughout the year, the parent who claims the amount for an eligible dependant (see line 305) for that child can make the claim on line 367. If you have shared custody of the child throughout the year but cannot agree who will claim the amount, neither of you can make this claim.

If the child did not live with both parents throughout the year, the parent or the spouse or common-law partner who claims the amount on line 305 for that child can make the claim on line 367. However, the claim can still be made on line 367 for the child, if the parent or the spouse or common-law partner could not claim an amount on line 305 because:

• the parent claimed an amount on line 305 for another eligible dependant;
• someone else in the parent’s household is making a claim on line 305 for another eligible dependant; or
• the eligible dependant’s income is too high.

If you and another person had to make support payments for the child in 2017 and, as a result, no one would be entitled to claim this amount or the amount for an eligible dependant for the child, you can claim this amount if you and the other person(s) paying support agree you will be the one making the claim. If you cannot agree who will claim this amount for the child, no one can make the claim for that child.

A child includes:

• your or your spouse’s or common-law partner’s biological or adopted child;
• a person who is wholly dependent on you for support and of whom you have custody and control; and
• your child’s spouse or common-law partner.

How to claim this amount

Enter the number of children for whom you are claiming the Canada caregiver amount on line 352 (beside and to the left of line 367). Claim the result of the calculation on line 367.

Line 362 – Volunteer firefighters' amount (VFA) and
Line 395 – Search and rescue volunteers' amount (SRVA)

You can claim $3,000 for the VFA or the SRVA (but not both) if you meet the following conditions:

• you were a volunteer firefighter or a search and rescue volunteer during the year; and
• you completed at least 200 hours of eligible volunteer firefighting services or eligible search and rescue volunteer services in the year.

Note
The hours volunteered for both search and rescue and firefighter activities can be combined to claim either the VFA or the SRVA. You cannot claim both. 

However, if you provided services to the same organization, other than as a volunteer, for the same or similar duties, you cannot include any hours related to that organization in determining if you have met the 200-hour threshold.

Eligible volunteer firefighting services with a fire department include:

• responding to and being on call for firefighting and related emergency calls as a firefighter;
• attending meetings held by the fire department; and
• participating in required training related to preventing or suppressing fire.

Eligible search and rescue volunteer services with an eligible search and rescue organization include:

• responding to and being on call for search and rescue and related emergency calls as a search and rescue volunteer;
• attending meetings held by the organization; and
• participating in required training related to search and rescue services.

An eligible organization is a search and rescue organization that is a member of the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada, the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, or the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, or whose status as a search and rescue organization is recognized by a provincial, municipal, or public authority. Your search and rescue organization can tell you if it is eligible.

Supporting documents – Do not send any supporting documents when you file your tax return. Keep them in case we ask to see them later. We may ask you to provide certification from the fire department or the search and rescue organization to confirm the number of hours of eligible volunteer firefighting or search and rescue volunteer services you performed.

Line 363 – Canada employment amount

Claim the lesser of:

• $1,178; and
• the total of the employment income you reported on lines 101 and 104 of your return.

Line 364 – Public transit amount

NewYou can only claim the cost of monthly public transit passes or passes of longer duration for travel on public transit for the period of January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017.

These passes must allow unlimited travel on local buses, streetcars, subways, commuter trains or buses, or local ferries within Canada. 

You can also claim the cost of short-term passes if each pass entitles you to unlimited travel for at least 5 consecutive days and you buy enough of these passes for unlimited travel for at least 20 days in any 28-day period.

You can claim the cost of electronic payment cards when you use them to make at least 32 one-way trips over a maximum of 31 consecutive days.

Only you or your spouse or common-law partner can claim the cost of transit passes (if these amounts have not already been claimed) for:

• yourself;
• your spouse or common-law partner; and
• your or your spouse's or common-law partner's children who were under 19 years of age on December 31, 2017.

Reimbursement of an eligible expense – You can claim only the part of the amount for which you have not been or will not be reimbursed. However, you can claim the full amount if the reimbursement is reported as income (such as a benefit shown on a T4 slip) and you did not deduct the reimbursement anywhere else on your return.

Supporting documents – Do not send any supporting documents when you file your tax return. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 367–Canada caregiver amount for infirm children under 18 years of age

See Canada caregiver amount for infirm children under 18 years of age.  

Line 369 – Home buyers' amount

You can claim $5,000 for the purchase of a qualifying home in 2017 if both of the following apply:

• You or your spouse or common-law partner acquired a qualifying home.
• You did not live in another home owned by you or your spouse or common-law partner in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years (first-time home buyer).

A qualifying home must be registered in your and/or your spouse's or common-law partner's name in accordance with the applicable land registration system and it must be located in Canada. It includes existing homes and homes under construction. The following are considered qualifying homes:

• single-family houses;
• semi-detached houses;
• townhouses;
• mobile homes;
• condominium units; and
• apartments in duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, or apartment buildings.

You must intend to occupy the home, or you must intend that the related person with a disability occupy the home, as a principal place of residence no later than one year after it is acquired.

You and your spouse or common-law partner can split the claim, but the combined total cannot exceed $5,000.

When more than one person is entitled to the amount (for example, when two people jointly buy a home), the total of all amounts claimed cannot exceed $5,000.

Supporting documents – Do not send any supporting documents when you file your tax return. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

Line 375 – Provincial parental insurance plan (PPIP) premiums paid

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, and worked in Quebec during the year, claim, in dollars and cents, the total of the amounts shown in box 55 of your T4 slips. The maximum you can claim is $397.30. Claim any overpayment on your provincial income tax return for Quebec.

If your PPIP insurable earnings are less than $2,000, do not claim any PPIP premiums on this line. Instead, claim this amount as an overpayment on your provincial income tax return for Quebec.

Line 376 – PPIP premiums payable on employment income

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, claim, in dollars and cents, the amount from line 19 of Schedule 10 if the following two conditions apply:

• Your employment income (including employment income from outside Canada) is $2,000 or more.
• One of your T4 slips has a province of employment other than Quebec in box 10.

The maximum amount you can claim is $397.30.

Line 378 – PPIP premiums payable on self-employment income

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2017, claim, in dollars and cents, the amount from line 12 of Schedule 10.

The maximum amount you can claim is $397.30.

Line 395 – Search and rescue volunteers' amount (SRVA)

See Search and rescue volunteers' amount. 

Line 398 – Home accessibility expenses

You can claim an amount for eligible expenses for a qualifying renovation of an eligible dwelling, if you are a qualifying individual or an eligible individual making a claim for a qualifying individual.

The total eligible expenses for an eligible dwelling cannot be more than $10,000 for the year.

The total eligible expenses claimed by a qualifying individual and all eligible individuals for a year cannot be more than $10,000 for:

• a qualifying individual; or
• the same eligible dwelling even if there is more than one qualifying individual.

If you cannot agree on what amount each person can claim, the CRA will determine the amounts.

A qualifying individual is an individual who is eligible for the disability tax credit for the year, or an individual who is 65 years of age or older at the end of a year.

An eligible individual is:

1. a spouse or common-law partner of a qualifying individual; or
2. for a qualifying individual who is 65 years of age or older, an individual who has claimed the amount for an eligible dependant (line 305), or the Canada caregiver amount for other infirm dependants age 18 or older (line 307) for the qualifying individual, or could have claimed such an amount if:
   • the qualifying individual had no income;
   • for the eligible dependant amount, the individual was not married or in a common-law partnership; and
   • for the amount on lines 305 and 307, the qualifying individual was dependent on the individual because of mental or physical infirmity.
     OR
3. If b. does not apply, an individual who is entitled to claim the disability amount for the qualifying individual or would be entitled if no amount was claimed for the year by the qualifying individual or the qualifying individual’s spouse or common-law partner.

An eligible dwelling is a housing unit (or a share of the capital stock of a co-operative housing corporation that was acquired for the sole purpose of acquiring the right to inhabit the housing unit owned by the corporation) located in Canada and meets at least one of the following conditions:

• it is owned (either jointly or otherwise) by the qualifying individual and it is ordinarily inhabited (or is expected to be ordinarily inhabited) in the year by the qualifying individual, or
• it is owned (either jointly or otherwise) by the eligible individual and is ordinarily inhabited (or is expected to be ordinarily inhabited) in the year by the eligible individual and the qualifying individual, and the qualifying individual does not throughout the year own (either jointly or otherwise) and ordinarily inhabit another housing unit in Canada.

A qualifying individual may have only one eligible dwelling at any time, but may have more than one eligible dwelling in a year (for example, in a situation where an individual moves in the year). When a qualifying individual has more than one eligible dwelling in a year, the total eligible expenses for all such eligible dwellings of the qualifying individual cannot be more than $10,000.

A qualifying renovation is a renovation or alteration that is of an enduring nature and is integral to the eligible dwelling (including the land that forms part of the eligible dwelling). The renovation must:

• allow the qualifying individual to gain access to, or to be mobile or functional within, the dwelling; or
• reduce the risk of harm to the qualifying individual within the dwelling or in gaining access to the dwelling.

An item you buy that will not become a permanent part of your dwelling is generally not eligible.

Eligible expenses

These expenses are outlays or expenses made or incurred during the year that are directly attributable to a qualifying renovation of an eligible dwelling. The expenses must be for work performed and goods acquired in the tax year.

If you do the work yourself, the eligible expenses include expenses for building materials, fixtures, equipment rentals, building plans, and permits. However, the value of your labour or tools cannot be claimed as eligible expenses.

Expenses are not eligible if the goods or services are provided by a person related to the qualifying individual or the eligible individual, unless that person is registered for goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) under the Excise Tax Act. If your family member is registered for GST/HST and if all other conditions are met, the expenses will be eligible for the home accessibility tax credit (HATC).

Generally, paid work done by professionals such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and architects for eligible expenses qualifies as eligible expenses.

You may have an eligible expense that also qualifies as a medical expense. If so, you can claim the expense as a medical expense and a home accessibility expense. For information about medical expenses see lines 330 and 331.

Ineligible expenses

The following expenses will not be eligible for the HATC:

• amounts paid to acquire a property that can be used independently of the qualifying renovation;
• the cost of annual, recurring, or routine repair or maintenance;
• amount paid to buy household appliances;
• amount paid to buy electronic home-entertainment devices;
• the cost of housekeeping, security monitoring, gardening, outdoor maintenance, or similar services;
• financing costs for the qualifying renovation; and
• the cost of renovation incurred mainly to increase or maintain the value of the dwelling.

Condominium and co-operative housing corporations

For condominium or co-operative housing corporations, your share of the cost of eligible expenses for common areas qualifies for the HATC.

Other government grants or credits

The HATC is not reduced by assistance from the federal or a provincial/territorial government, including a grant, forgivable loan, or tax credit.

Vendor rebates or incentives

Eligible expenses are generally not reduced by reasonable rebates or incentives offered by the vendor or manufacturer of goods or the provider of the service.

Business and/or rental use of part of an eligible dwelling

If you earn business or rental income from part of an eligible dwelling, you can only claim the amount for eligible expenses incurred for the personal-use areas of your dwelling.

For expenses incurred or goods acquired for common areas or that benefit the housing unit as a whole (such as a ramp or hand rails), you must divide the expense between personal use and income-earning use. For more information, see Guide T4002, Business and Professional Income or Guide T4036, Rental Income.

Eligible expenses must be supported by acceptable documentation, such as agreements, invoices, and receipts. They must clearly identify the type and quantity of goods bought or services provided, including, but not limited to, the following information, as applicable:

• information that clearly identifies the vendor/contractor, their business address, and, if applicable, their GST/HST registration number;
• a description of the goods and the date when they were bought;
• the date when the goods were delivered (keep your delivery slip as proof) and/or when the work or services were performed;
• a description of the work done, including the address where it was done;
• the amount of the invoice;
• proof of payment. Receipts or invoices must show that bills were paid in full or be accompanied by other proof of payment, such as a credit card slip or cancelled cheque; and
• a statement from a co-operative housing corporation or condominium corporation (or, for civil law, a syndicate of co-owners) signed by an authorized individual identifying:
  • the amounts incurred for the renovation or the alteration work;
  • as a condominium owner, your part of these expenses if the work is done for common areas;
  • information that clearly identifies the vendor/contractor, their business address and, if applicable, their GST/HST registration number; and
  • a description of the work done or services performed and the dates when the work was done or the services were performed.

To verify whether someone is registered for GST/HST, please consult the GST/HST Registry at Confirming a GST/HST account number.

How to claim this amount

To claim home accessibility expenses complete Schedule 12, Home Accessibility Expenses, and report the amount from line 4 of Schedule 12 on line 398 of Schedule 1, Federal Tax.

Supporting documents – If you are filing electronically, keep all your documents in case we ask to see them later. If you are filing a paper return, attach your completed Schedule 12 but do not send your other documents. Keep them in case we ask to see them later.

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