Principal Issues: Asked for more information regarding renovations that will qualify for the home renovation tax credit (HRTC).
Position: Provided general information pertaining to the HRTC and examples of eligible expenditures
Reasons: Taxpayer asked for general information regarding the HRTC.
XXXXXXXXXX
Dear XXXXXXXXXX :
The office of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, forwarded to me a copy of your correspondence asking for more information about the new home renovation tax credit (HRTC) and about what renovations are eligible. Please accept my apology for this delayed response.
The proposed HRTC will provide individuals with a temporary 15% non-refundable income tax credit on eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009, and before February 1, 2010, for agreements entered into after January 27, 2009. Taxpayers can claim this credit for the 2009 tax year on eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000, but not more than $10,000, which will result in a non-refundable tax credit of up to $1,350.
The legislation regarding the new HRTC, which was introduced in the federal budget tabled on January 27, 2009, has not yet been made public. However, the Honourable James M. Flaherty, Minister of Finance, has publicly announced that expenditures will qualify if they relate to a renovation or an alteration of an eligible dwelling, including land that forms part of the eligible dwelling, and if the renovation or alteration is of an enduring nature and is integral to the eligible dwelling. Such expenditures will include the cost of labour and professional services, building materials, fixtures, equipment rentals, and permits.
An eligible dwelling is a housing unit that is eligible at any time after January 27, 2009, and before February 1, 2010, to be an individual's principal residence. In general, a housing unit is considered to be eligible to be an individual's principal residence if it is owned by the individual and ordinarily inhabited by the individual, his or her spouse or common-law partner, or his or her children. Therefore, any housing unit that an individual owns and uses personally, including a home and a cottage, qualifies for the HRTC.
The following are examples of expenditures that will be eligible for the HRTC:
- Renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or basement
- New carpet or hardwood floors
- Building an addition, deck, fence, or retaining wall
- Purchasing a new furnace or water heater
- Painting of the interior or exterior of a house
- A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway
- Laying new sod
Further information on the credit is available on the Canada Revenue Agency and the Department of Finance Canada Web sites at www.cra.gc.ca/hrtc and www.budget.gc.ca/2009/pamphlet-depliant/pamphlet-depliant3-eng.asp, respectively.
I trust that the information I have provided will be helpful.
Sincerely,
Jean-Pierre Blackburn, P.C., M.P.
Ananthy Mahendran
(905) 721-5204
2009-030956