HOME BUYERS & ACCESSABILITY

Two federal credits are tied to the home: the first-time home buyers' amount on line 31270 and the home accessibility expenses credit on line 31285.

HOME BUYERS' AMOUNT (LINE 31270)

• A $10,000 amount, worth $1,400 federally in 2026 (14 percent).

• Available when the taxpayer or spouse acquired a qualifying home in the year, and neither lived in another home they owned in the year of purchase or the previous four calendar years.

• Also available without the first-time requirement to a person eligible for the disability tax credit (or buying for a related person who is), if the new home is more accessible or better suited to their needs.

• The home must be registered in the name of the taxpayer or spouse, and they must intend to occupy it within one year.

• The $10,000 can be split between spouses but not exceed $10,000 in total.

HOME ACCESSIBILITY EXPENSES (LINE 31285)

• Up to $20,000 of eligible expenses per year for renovations that make a dwelling safer or more accessible, or allow a qualifying individual to be more mobile or functional in it.

• Qualifying individual: someone 65 or older at year end, or eligible for the disability tax credit.

• Can be claimed by the qualifying individual, or by an eligible relative who lives with them.

• Eligible: grab bars, walk-in bathtubs, ramps, stair lifts, wider doorways, non-slip flooring, lowered counters.

• Not eligible: routine repairs and maintenance, appliances, security systems, housekeeping, and expenses that mainly increase the home's value.

• From 2026, an expense claimed under the medical expense credit cannot also be claimed here.

RELATED CREDITS

• The refundable Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit for building a secondary suite for a senior or disabled family member.

• Land transfer tax refunds for first-time buyers in Ontario (administered by the province, not the CRA).