Students, full-time or part-time, have access to several tax credits during their post-secondary studies. It is important to know them well to benefit from them.
First, you can recoup a portion of the tuition fees you pay each session. Your educational establishment will send you a T2202/A form, which will indicate the amount of the tax credit granted to you. You may not have received this form yet: more and more educational institutions are asking you to look for the form in your electronic file.
You also receive a tax credit for each month you are a student. Since the hours spent at your educational institution and devoted to studies prevent you from earning an income, the government grants you an education tax credit, calculated each month according to your status (full-time or part-time). You will therefore receive $400 per month of full-time studies and $120 per month of part-time studies. This calculation is different for each province but, in general, each province follows the same rules regarding full-time and part-time studies.
You can also recoup some of the money you spend on your textbooks, which these days is often a considerable amount. Like the education tax credit, this credit is calculated based on the number of months of full-time or part-time studies. You will therefore benefit from a credit of $65 or $20 per month, depending on your student status, on your income tax return. However, this credit is not valid in all provinces and the calculation may be different depending on location.
Another tax credit to which many students are entitled is the tax credit for the use of public transportation. By submitting your monthly pass receipts, you can get a tax credit for the total amount you spent.
Some universities and colleges now offer university transit passes; Transportation costs are therefore included in your tuition fees. By asking the student office for a copy of your receipt, you can still obtain the public transportation tax credit.
Other tax credits are available to you depending on your situation. The best way to find them all is to use specialized software, like TurboTax Student Online. This software allows you to easily file your tax return online and benefit from additional information on student tax credits. Plus, it’s free for those with less than $20,000 in annual income!
