Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit is a personal tax credit funded by the Province of Ontario and implemented to help individuals with low- to moderate-income with the sales tax on energy as well as their property taxes.

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit is one of the three credits that make up the Ontario Trillium Benefit.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit

Eligibility

Please click here to confirm your eligibility.

You must fulfill the following requirements to qualify for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit:

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit becomes available for the next year if you live in Ontario as of December 31 of the current year and:

you live in a designated college, university, or private student residence,
you pay rent or property tax for your primary residence for the current year,
you live in a long-term care home, or

you live on a reserve and you pay (or someone pays for you) the home energy costs for your primary residence on the reserve for the current year, and
as of the first day of the payment month, you reside in Ontario and you are at least 18 years old or have previously had a common-law partner, spouse or a parent currently living or previously lived with your child.

The credit amount is based on:

How much property tax or rent you paid for your primary residence in Ontario for the year.

The energy costs paid for your primary residence on a reserve in Ontario,
or the accommodation costs you paid for living in a public long-term care home in Ontario.

grant seniors

To Get This Grant

You must complete the ON-BEN Application for the Ontario Trillium Benefit on your personal tax return.

CRA My Account holders can use the “Benefits and Credits” tab of the online portal to view amounts and payment dates.

Your Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit payments will be issued as part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit, usually on the 10th of every month starting on July 10 of the current year.

Note: If your credit is $360 or more, you can choose to either

receive payments monthly or
a single lump-sum payment.

Your choice is important as the timing of the payments varies greatly.

For example, if you choose the monthly payment option and your 2017 tax return yields a $480 OTB credit; you will receive twelve $40 payments beginning in July this year. On the other hand, choosing the single payment option means you get the entire $480 in June of 2019.

If you are eligible for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, you could also be eligible for the Ontario sales tax credit and Northern Ontario energy credit.

COMPLEMENTARY GRANTS

Complementary Grant

Ontario Sales Tax Credit

This program offers a tax-free payment designed to help low income and moderate-income residents of Ontario with their sales tax.

The CRA automatically determines your eligibility or ineligibility for OSTC based on the information from your income tax and benefit return.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit

This program helps low income and moderate income residents of Northern Ontario with the higher costs of energy they have to pay as a result of living in the north.