How old do I have to be, to be considered a senior for specific tax credits?
You may be anxious about being declared a ‘senior’ in your everyday life, but when it comes to your taxes, being a senior comes with some well-deserved benefits.
This table shows you what the qualifying age is to be considered a ‘senior’ for specific tax credits both federally and in each province and territory.
Note: Some of these tax credits have additional eligibility criteria than just your age and some are not necessarily restricted to seniors.
| Tax credit, deduction, or amount | Age on December 31, 2024 | |
| Federal |
Note: all provinces and territories offer a corresponding age amount benefit with the identical age criteria to be considered a senior |
65 or older |
|
Note: all provinces and territories offer a corresponding pension income amount benefit with the identical age criteria to be considered a senior |
The types of pension income eligible for this tax credit differ depending on whether you were 65 or older, or 64 and younger |
|
| Pension income splitting | 65 or older | |
| Home accessibility expenses | 65 or older | |
| Alberta | n/a | n/a |
| British Columbia | BC home renovation tax credit for seniors and persons with disabilities | 65 or older |
| Manitoba | Seniors’ school tax rebate | 65 or older |
| New Brunswick | New Brunswick seniors’ home renovation tax credit | 65 or older (or were living with, or expecting to live with, someone 65 years of age or older) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Newfoundland and Labrador seniors’ benefit | 64 or older |
| Northwest Territories | n/a | n/a |
| Nova Scotia | n/a | n/a |
| Nunavut | n/a | n/a |
| Ontario | Ontario seniors’ public transit tax credit | 65 or older |
| Ontario senior homeowners’ property tax grant (OSHPTG) | 64 or older | |
| Prince Edward Island | n/a | n/a |
| Québec | Tax credit for home-support services for seniors | 70 or older |
| Tax credit for seniors’ activities | 70 or older | |
| Independent living tax credit for seniors | 70 or older | |
| Grant for seniors to offset a municipal tax increase | 65 or older | |
| Tax credit for career extension | 60 or older | |
| Saskatchewan | Senior supplementary amount | 65 or older |
| Yukon | n/a | n/a |
