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The First-time Home Buyers' Tax Credit was introduced as part of 'Canada's Economic Action Plan' to assist Canadians in purchasing their first home. It is designed to help recover closing costs such as legal expenses, inspections, and land transfer taxes.
The Home Buyers' Tax Credit, at current taxation rates, works out to a rebate of $750 for all first-time buyers. After you buy your first home, the credit must be claimed within the year of purchase and it is non-refundable. In addition, the home you purchase must be a 'qualified' home, described in more detail below. If you are purchasing a home with a spouse, partner or friend, the combined claim cannot exceed $750.1
To receive your $750 claim, you must include it with your personal tax return under line 369.2
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In order to be eligible for the First-time Home Buyers' Tax Credit, your home must meet the following requirements:
In order to be eligible for the First-time Home Buyers' Tax Credit, your home must meet the following requirements:
If you have a disability and are purchasing a home, you do not need to be a first-time home buyer to claim the Home Buyers' Tax Cedit, where a person with a disability is defined as a person who can claim a disability amount on their tax return in the year the home is purchased. The Home Buyers' Tax Credit can be claimed if the home purchased is suitable for the disabled person's needs, and the disabled person occupies the home within one year from the date of purchase.
Another tax credit available to first time homebuyers in Ontario, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island is the land transfer tax rebate. Each province has its own rules about who is eligible to claim the land transfer tax rebate. The amount of the rebate depends on which province you live in, the value of the home, and whether one or both buyers has owned a home before.
First-time homebuyers in the City of Toronto can also get a rebate of up to $3,725 on the municipal land transfer tax as long as they meet the necessary criteria. This rebate is applicable whether you're buying a Toronto townhouse, condo or house.
If you buy your home before it’s built, or if you substantially renovate an existing home, you could qualify for a rebate a portion of the sales tax. The amount of the GST/HST new housing rebate depends on the purchase price of the home, and can only be claimed if the net purchase price is $450,000 or less. While this rebate is often taken advantage of by first-time buyers, this rebate is available to all Canadians who qualify regardless of whether they’ve owned a home before.