Although April 30 is usually the deadline for filing taxes in Canada, I’m always eager to get my tax return prepared within the first 60 days of the year (that's March 3, 2025 this year).
It allows me to figure out where I stand with the “tax man,” while still giving me ample time to make smart tax planning moves to maximize my tax refund (and minimize what I owe the government).
Most tax planning is fairly straightforward. You’re already taking advantage of the best tax shelters if you own your home and contribute to an RRSP, TFSA and RESP.
But the big question on everyone’s mind is: How to get more money back on taxes in Canada?
To get the most out of your tax return, it’s important to understand that there are two main ways to reduce your taxes owing:
- 1.
Tax deductions
- 2.
Tax credits
Unfortunately, many Canadians aren’t aware of all the tax deductions in Canada or what can you claim on your taxes, leading many Canadians to owe more than they expected at tax time.
This article explains everything you need to know about tax deductions and tax credits in Canada, as well as how to take advantage of the tax benefits in Canada.
Step 1: Maximize your tax deductions
A tax deduction reduces your taxable income. Here's how to get the most from your tax refund for the 2024 tax year.
To begin, it's essential to understand the current tax brackets and effectively utilize available deductions.
The value of a deduction depends on your marginal tax rate. We have a progressive tax system in Canada with different tax brackets for different levels of income. Your marginal rate is the rate of tax incurred on each additional dollar of income.
The chart below shows the federal tax rates for 2025 and will help illustrate the point below:
2025 Canadian income tax brackets
Examples of tax deduction to reduce taxes owed
- If your taxable income is over $253,414, your marginal tax rate is 33%, meaning a $1,000 deduction would save you $330 in federal tax.
- If you earn less than $57,375, taxed at 15%, that same $1,000 deduction would save you $150.
Here are the best ways to reduce your taxable income with tax deductions:
RRSP stands for Registered Retirement Savings Plan.
It’s a registered account in which you can hold cash, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and more.
How much you can contribute to your RRSP is determined by your earned income.
You can contribute 18% of your earned income from the previous year (up to yearly maximum limits), and the contribution room carries forward indefinitely. With that in mind, any Canadian who has earned income should file a tax return and start building RRSP contribution room.
RRSP contribution limit for 2025
The RRSP contribution limit for 2025 is 18% of your 2024 earned income, up to a maximum of $32,490.
If you're 18, and just starting out, don't worry if you can't max out your RRSP.
Each year, the contribution room grows by whatever you haven't contributed, so that contribution room doesn't go away — it rolls over into the next year's available contribution room.
If you aren’t sure what your RRSP contribution limit is, you can check it via the Canada Revenue Agency’s My Account function (and sign in using your bank details).
Canadians put money into RRSPs to primarily save for retirement, but the contribution also provides immediate tax relief – reducing taxable income by the amount of your contribution.
You’re allowed to contribute to your RRSP up until March 3, 2025 and apply the deduction to your prior year’s tax return. That gives smart tax planners a window to maximize their tax deductions by making an RRSP contribution during this period.
A good rule is to contribute to your RRSP when your income is high – say more than $120,000 per year – otherwise, it makes sense to prioritize the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA).
For instance, I use TurboTax during the first 60 days of the year to enter all of my prior year’s tax information and determine how much I owe (if anything).
If a big tax bill is on the horizon, I’ll use TurboTax's RRSP calculator to determine how much I’ll need to contribute to an RRSP to reduce my taxes owing to zero.
Try Turbotax for freeOpening an account and making a contribution is just the first step to building a retirement nest egg in your RRSP.
You’ll want to invest that money in an appropriate mix of stocks and bonds to build wealth for the future. A great option is to open an RRSP investing account with a robo-advisor to save on management fees and let the robo advisor do the work of monitoring and rebalancing your portfolio — at a much lower fee than what traditional financial advisors and mutual funds charge.
Our top choice is Wealthsimple, but if you want to compare robo advisors in Canada head-to-head, check out our page featuing the best robo advisors in Canada.
Visit Wealthsimple managed investing
Pro tip: Do you know approximately how much you’ll contribute to your RRSP this year? Skip the refund at tax time and keep more of your money in your pocket by filling out a T1213 – Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source. This will reduce the tax deductions on your paycheque.
Childcare is one of the largest household expenses for young families. Thankfully, the CRA allows you to claim these expenses as a tax deduction on your tax return.
In most cases, childcare expenses must be claimed by the parent with the lower net income.
Basic limit for childcare expenses:
- Eligible children under the age of seven years at the end of 2024 = $8,000
- Eligible children between the ages of seven and 16 at the end of 2024 = $5,000
Pro tip: In addition to the usual fees from daycares or in-home providers, most overnight camps, after-school programs and summer day camps are also eligible for the childcare deduction (if they enable you to work or study).
You can deduct reasonable moving expenses if you’ve relocated for a new job or to attend a post-secondary program at a university, a college or another educational institution. The home will need to be at least 40 kilometres closer to your new place of employment or school.
Moving expenses may include:
- Vehicle expenses, accommodations and meals for your family
- Any fees incurred for changing your address on documents
- The cost of utility hookups and disconnections
- Title transfer costs for your new home
An Ottawa man recently tested CRA’s limits by moving his belongings in a canoe — and he won.
Complete Form T1-M, Moving Expenses Deduction, to calculate the moving expenses deduction that you are eligible to claim on line 21900 of your return (using online tax software, just type in that line and it'll pop-up for you)
In 2020, about 2.4 million Canadians who do not normally work from home transitioned to remote work, and many workplaces made the change permanent in 2021.
To help those Canadians with the costs associated with a home office, the federal government launched a simplified method to claim home office expenses in 2021 and 2022.
Unfortunately, the rules have changed.
In 2025, remote is here to stay, but whether you're fully remote or hybrid might change things.
First, you must be eligible to claim, meaning "your employer required you to work from home. This requirement does not have to be part of your employment contract, however, it should be a written or verbal agreement."
Second, "You were required to pay for expenses related to the work space in your home."
Claiming your home office expense deduction
- 1.
Determine your eligibility. You must work from home and incur eligible expenses (more below).
- 2.
Choose the right form. Form T777 (all tax years): Use this if you’re claiming home office expenses and other employment expenses (e.g., motor vehicle costs). Form T777S (for 2020-2022 only): Use this if you’re only claiming home office expenses due to COVID-19.
- 3.
Calculate your expenses. Use the CRA home office expense calculator to determine the amount you can claim.
- 4.
Get employer authorization (if required). Your employer must sign Form T2200 or T2200S to confirm you were required to work from home.
- 5.
File your claim. Enter your deduction on Line 22900 ("Other employment expenses") of your tax return.
Note: Keep Form T2200/T2200S and all receipts for six years in case the CRA reviews your claim.
Here are some of the work from home living expenses that can be claimed
- electricity
- heat
- water
- utilities portion (electricity, heat, and water) of your condominium fees
- home internet access fees
- maintenance and minor repair costs
- rent paid for a house or apartment where you live
You cannot claim furniture, mortgage interest or capital expenses (e.g. new windows) to name a few.
There are other qualifications like time spent at home, expenses are tied to work, and if your spouse also works from home, so be sure to read all the details here.
Pro tip: You can also deduct the costs of maintaining a vacant former residence.
You can claim eligible medical expenses on your tax return if they exceed 3% of your net income or $2,759 (whichever is lower) for the 2025 tax year.
These expenses must be for you, your spouse or common-law partner, and your dependents.
What medical expenses can you claim?
✅ Prescriptions & dispensing fees
- The full cost of prescribed medications is eligible, including the dispensing fee charged by pharmacies.
✅ Dental & vision care
- Dental work (excluding cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening)
- Prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses
- Laser eye surgery
✅ Medical services & treatments
- Fertility treatments, in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Ambulance services
- Physiotherapy, massage therapy (if prescribed by a doctor)
- Mental health therapy (psychologists, social workers)
✅ Medical equipment & assistive devices
- Hearing aids, insulin pumps, CPAP machines
- Wheelchairs, prosthetics, orthopedic shoes
✅ Medical travel expenses
- Transportation & accommodation costs if you need to travel more than 40 km (one way) for essential medical treatment not available in your area.
- If traveling more than 80 km, you can also claim meals, accommodations, and parking fees.
✅ Health insurance premiums
- Out-of-pocket premiums for private health insurance (e.g., Blue Cross, employer-sponsored health plans).
What you can’t claim
❌ Expenses reimbursed by insurance (only the portion you paid out-of-pocket is eligible).
❌ Cosmetic procedures (e.g., Botox, teeth whitening, liposuction).
❌ Non-prescription medications, vitamins, or supplements.
How to claim medical expenses on your taxes
- Add up all eligible medical expenses for any 12-month period ending in the tax year.
- Enter the total on Line 33099 (for yourself, spouse, and dependents).
- If claiming for a dependent, use Line 33199.
Note: Keep all receipts and supporting documents for six years in case of CRA review.
Step 2: Maximize your tax credits
Tax credits are different than tax deductions and come in two flavours: refundable and non-refundable.
- 1.
A non-refundable tax credit is applied directly against your tax payable. That means if you have tax owing of $500 and get a tax credit of $100, you now only owe $400. If you don’t owe any tax, non-refundable credits are of no benefit.
- 2.
A refundable tax credit, such as the GST/HST credit, means you will receive the credit even if you have no tax owing.
Here are the best ways to take advantage of tax credits:
Other eligible tax credits:
These credits reduce the amount of tax you owe, but they don’t result in a refund if your tax liability is already zero (except where transfer or carry-forward options apply).
| Tax credit | Amount | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Disability tax credit (DTC) | $9,428 | Individuals with a severe and prolonged disability certified by a medical professional |
| Home buyers' amount | $10,000 tax credit (translates to $1,500 in tax savings) | First-time homebuyers or those with disabilities purchasing a home |
| Home accessibility tax credit (HATC) | Up to $20,000 in eligible home renovations (15% credit = max $3,000 savings) | Seniors (65+) and individuals eligible for the DTC |
| Greener homes grant | Up to $5,600 for energy-efficient upgrades | Homeowners who upgrade insulation, windows, or heating systems |
| Tuition tax credit | 15% of eligible tuition fees | Post-secondary students; unused amounts can be carried forward or transferred to a spouse, parent, or grandparent (up to $5,000). Unused amounts can be carried forward indefinitely. |
| Student loan interest credit | 15% of interest paid on government student loans | Students repaying eligible student loans. Private loans (bank lines of credit) don't qualify. Unused amounts can be carried forward for up to 5 years. |
| Canada training credit | 50% of eligible course fees, up to $250 per year ($5,000 lifetime)t | Workers aged 26-65 paying for eligible courses |
| Eligible exam fees | Tuition tax credit also applies to professional certification exams | Students or professionals taking qualifying exams for licensing bodies (e.g., CPA, CFA, law, medical) |
| Volunteer firefighter / Search & rescue tax credit | $3,000 (translates to $450 in tax savings) | Volunteer firefighters providing at least 200 hours of eligible service in a year |
| Adoption expense tax credit | Up to $18,210 per child | Adoption agency fees, legal and court costs as well as travel and accommodation related to the adoption of any child under 18. |
| Charitable donations tax credit |
15% credit on the first $200 donated
29% credit on amounts over $200 (or 33% if in the highest tax bracket) |
Anyone donating to a registered Canadian charity. Donations can be carried forward for up to 5 years. Spouses can combine donations for larger tax credit. |
| Political contributions tax credit |
Donate up to $400, get a tax credit of 75% up to $300 max.
Donations between $401 to $750 get a tax credit of 50% up to $475 max. Donates over $750 (up to $1,275) get a tax credit of 33.33% to a max of $650. |
Donations to federal political parties or candidates |
- Brokerage fees. Fees paid for stocks that were bought or sold in your non-registered account in the past 10 years can be deducted from your tax return. Better yet, open an account with Questrade and don’t pay any fees for ETF purchases.
- Investment management fees & financial planning costs. While you can't deducte MER fees on mutual funds and ETFs, you can deduct investment counsel fees for non-registered accounts and fees paid to a financial planner (only for investment advice, not general planning).
- Capital losses. If you sold shares in a stock or ETF for less than the price you paid, you should record the capital loss for that year even if there are no capital gains in the same year to offset it. That’s because a capital loss can be carried forward to future years and eventually be used to offset any capital gains in the future.
- Foreign tax credit (for US stocks and investments). Did you pay a foreign tax on dividends or income? You can claim up to 15% of foreign taxes paid. For example, if you own US stocks in a taxable account (e.g. TFSA), you likely had a 15% withholding tax on dividends which you can claim back. Note that US dividends are tax-free in an RRSP.
- Carrying charges and interest expense to earn business or investment income. With a non-registered account, you can deduct interest on loans used to invest and fees for tax advice and filing income tax returns related to investments. If you borrow to invest, your interest costs are tax-deductible.
- Union or professional dues. If you pay union dues or professional licensing fees, even required liability insurance for some professions may be deductible. If you're a CPA, CFA, lawyer, engineer or nurse, for example, and pay annual union dues, be sure to claim the expense.
- Spousal support payments. If you pay $1,500 per month in spousal support ($18,000 per year), you deduct $18,000 from your taxable income. The recipient must report $18,000 as taxable income. You can't deduct payments made voluntarily (without a legal agreement) and lump-sum settlements (e.g. one-time divorce payouts) are not deductible.
- Child support payments. If you pay $12,000 per year in child support, you can’t claim it, and the recipient doesn’t have to report it as income. Payments must be clearly separated into spousal and child support in your court order. If your agreement doesn’t specify which payments are for child support, the CRA assumes all payments are child support (and not deductible).
- Teacher and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) school supply tax credit. If you buy supplies or your classroom, such as art supplies, science kits and technology items (e.g. USB drives, headphones), you can claim 25% of eligible expenses, up to $1,000. The school/board must sign off that the supplies were used for students.
Step 3: Amend prior tax returns
Did you know you can amend tax returns from up to 10 years ago?
Perhaps you’ve missed tax credits or deductions from prior years — it’s easy to do, and I’m sure most of us have made simple mistakes on our tax returns.
Modifying your return could trigger a refund from a previous year, so if you suspect you’ve made a mistake, you may want to adjust your tax return.
The good news is that you can easily adjust your tax return by completing a form called T1-ADJ (T1 Adjustment Request).
Note: you may be able to make changes online with the “Change my return” service available in CRA’s My Account. Make sure you’re amending a prior return and not filing a second tax return for that year.
Step 4: Use online tax software
These days, you can DIY your tax return and save a bundle on tax filing fees.
Online tax software, like TurboTax, makes it easy: You can instantly import tax information from the Canada Revenue Agency with Auto-Fill my return. The software includes a complete list of tax deductions to make it easy for customers to find the deductions that apply to them.
Forget the paperwork. Do it online with TurboTaxOnce your information is entered, a review section offers suggestions on credits and deductions that may apply to your situation, as well as ones that definitely apply.
The software then asks simple questions to determine if you qualify and applies credits and deductions automatically based on your responses.
The bottom line? TurboTax offers a cheap and easy way to file your taxes and get the most out of your tax return. Whether you’ve got a straightforward tax return or a complicated one involving business income and expenses, TurboTax has software suited to your needs at an affordable price.
In particular, TurboTax Self-Employed is the only software in Canada designed specifically for people with self-employed income and provides expert guidance specific to these individuals.
TurboTax is free to tryWhen does NETFILE open for 2025 (2024 tax year)?
NETFILE opened on February 24, 2025, and will stay open until April 30, 2025, for filing personal tax returns for the 2024 tax year. To file online, you must use CRA-certified tax-filing software products that use the NETFILE web service. You can also file previous tax years back to 2017, but earlier returns (2016 and older) must be done on paper.
Visit TurboTaxWhat to do if you have tax owing (or think you will)
Here’s what to do if you suspect you may owe money at tax time.
- Prepare your return promptly – if you think you might owe money at tax time, prepare your return as soon as possible. Preparing early will show you exactly how much you owe, and give you time to plan to pay it back
- File on time – if you owe a tax balance, don’t delay filing because of it. Filing after the deadline results in a late filing penalty and won’t affect your taxes owing – you’ll need to pay those anyway.
- Make a plan to pay your taxes – if you don’t have the cash on hand to pay your tax bill, consider tapping your cash resources. Emergency funds are there for a reason and paying an outstanding tax bill is one of them.
- Consider paying in installments – If you don’t have the cash on hand to pay your tax bill by the April 30th deadline, consider making payments in installments. The Canada Revenue Agency will charge interest on your outstanding balance, but the interest rate is low.
FAQs
Final thoughts
For most of us, the best way for us to get more out of our tax returns is to contribute to an RRSP.
You have until March 3, 2025 to make RRSP contributions that can be used for the 2024 tax year. However, there are reasons why not everyone should contribute to an RRSP and should look at a TFSA instead (namely if you're making under $70,000 a year).
Other than that, look into eligible tax deductions, such as childcare and moving expenses, and tax credits, such as the basic amount, spousal amount and age amount, to find legitimate ways to reduce your taxes owing. Don’t forget to comb through your records for eligible expenses that you may have missed claiming on previous years’ tax returns. You can go back up to 10 years and file an amendment with CRA.
Lastly file your taxes using reputable online tax preparation software, like TurboTax. With TurboTax, it’s not only incredibly affordable but the software also automatically catches any deductions and loopholes to maximize your tax refund. And that’s something worth spending money on.
Go to TurboTax
Robb Engen is a leading expert in the personal finance realm of Canada and is also the co-founder of Boomer & Echo, an award-winning personal finance blog.
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