Tax credit for home-support services for seniors

Specific features of the tax credit for home-support services for seniors

The tax credit for home-support services for seniors allows people aged 70 or over, who are residents of Quebec at the end of the year for which the claim is made, to receive tax assistance for certain expenses related to home care services.

The services eligible are varied and extend far beyond personal care services and housekeeping. For example, depending on the type of dwelling, the following expenses may be eligible:

• meal-related services, such as Meals on wheels;
• supply of basic necessities, such as delivery of groceries or medication;
• monitoring and support services, such as remote blood glucose monitoring;
• exterior maintenance services, such as snow removal, leaf raking or window cleaning.

The many services and expenses eligible for the tax credit for home-support services for seniors vary according to the person’s situation. Find out more on the relevant Revenu Québec website.

Mini glossary of the tax credit for home-support services for seniors

• Home. Eligible expenses vary depending on where the senior lives, whether it’s a house, a private seniors’ residence, an apartment building, a condominium, a rental house or condo, or living with a relative;
• Home support. The purpose of the tax credit for home-support services for seniors is to provide financial assistance to people aged 70 or over so that they can remain in their home environment as long as possible, thereby preventing or delaying the need for institutionalization (e.g., in a CHSLD);
• Power of attorney. The person you are caring for can appoint you or another person to represent them with Revenu Québec for advance payments of this tax credit.

Procedure

To claim the tax credit for home-support services for seniors, complete Schedule J of the income tax return or request advance payments to receive the tax credit more quickly.

A number of organizations offer one-on-one assistance with filing your tax return. Find them in the table of practical tools that l'Appui pour les proches aidants has compiled for you.

As a caregiver, you can:

• benefit from tax credits for caregivers, depending on your situation. The Benefits wayfinder and Revenu Québec’s Fair for all program will help you identify these benefits;
• that this process and the management of the finances of the person you’re caring for are adding to your exhaustion or triggering certain emotions. If you’d like to talk about it, contact our Caregiver Support Helpline.