6 June 2011
The Government recognizes the sacrifices that many Canadians make to care for their children, spouses, parents and other family members with infirmities—often while caring for other family members and holding down a job.
Budget 2011 proposes to provide new tax support for caregivers of infirm dependent family members by introducing a new Family Caregiver Tax Credit. This 15-per-cent non-refundable credit on an amount of $2,000 will provide tax relief for caregivers of all types of infirm dependent relatives, including, for the first time, spouses, common-law partners and minor children.
Caregivers will benefit from the Family Caregiver Tax Credit by claiming an enhanced amount for an infirm dependant under one of the following existing dependency-related credits: the Spousal or Common‑Law Partner Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Eligible Dependant Credit, the Caregiver Credit or the Infirm Dependant Credit. It is estimated that over 500,000 caregivers will benefit from the Family Caregiver Tax Credit.
This measure will apply for the 2012 and subsequent taxation years. It is estimated to reduce federal revenues by $40 million in 2011–12 and $160 million in 2012–13.
