Tax credits caregivers miss

Kevin Tran is forty-five and works on the computer help desk at a hospital in Mississauga. His mother, Lan, is seventy-six. She moved in with him three years ago, when arthritis made the stairs in her own place too hard, and she runs his kitchen now, which Kevin calls a fair trade. Last week a co-worker asked if he claims the caregiver credit. Kevin had never heard of it.

So here's the question. What tax credits exist for families like this, and which ones do caregivers most often miss?

This is general information, not tax advice, and the amounts change every year. Check with the Canada Revenue Agency, at 1-800-959-8281, or with a tax professional. And remember, these are amounts you claim, not cheques. The tax they save is a smaller share of that amount.

Start with the Canada caregiver amount. If a parent depends on you because of a physical or mental impairment, you may be able to claim up to $8,601 for 2025, or $8,773 for 2026. That year, it starts to shrink once the parent's own net income passes about $20,600. They don't have to share your home.

Next, the disability tax credit, an amount of $10,138 for 2025. A medical practitioner certifies the form, and the agency must approve it. If your parent can't use all of it, the rest can transfer to a family member who supports them. You can ask for adjustments up to ten years back. And approval opens other doors.

Then medical expenses. For 2025, you can claim costs above 3% of net income or $2,834, whichever is less, and a child who supports a parent can claim the parent's costs. Keep every receipt. With the disability credit, you can also claim up to $10,000 a year of part-time attendant care.

Then the house. The Home Accessibility Tax Credit covers up to $20,000 a year of renovations that make a home safer or easier to get around, for a parent who is sixty-five or older or qualifies for the disability credit. The refundable Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit covers up to $50,000 of costs to build a self-contained unit for a parent, once per parent.

Now, their side. A proud parent may not like the idea of being claimed, as if they were a burden on the household. It helps to explain it plainly. These are amounts the tax rules already set aside for families who share care, and nothing is taken from your parent. You might ask, would you help me find last year's receipts?

Let's change one fact. Lan has her own apartment across town, and Kevin pays part of her rent and drives her to every appointment. The caregiver amount doesn't depend on sharing a home. The test is dependency, meaning she regularly relies on him for basics like food, shelter and clothing, because of an impairment. So he may still qualify. Ask the agency how the test applies to you.

The mistake families make is thinking these credits are only for a parent in a wheelchair. The caregiver amount and the disability credit are about an impairment and how it affects daily life. And the medical expense credit is about ordinary costs that add up over a year.

Here's the rule, in one breath. If you help support a parent with an impairment, check the caregiver amount, the disability credit and medical expenses every tax season.

This week, put last year's medical receipts in one envelope, your parent's and your own. Next time, your parent's own money: pensions, top-ups and Ontario programs.