More tax relief for Ontario seniors starting in 2011
New Ontario energy and property tax credit

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced that Ontario seniors will benefit from tax relief to help with household costs and property taxes. Some 740,000 seniors now qualify for credits with the enhancement of the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit. This provides seniors who own or rent a home up to $1,025 in relief for electricity bills and for property taxes.

Seniors homeowners with low-to-moderate incomes will also receive property tax relief through the annual Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant with up to $500 starting in 2010, doubling the amount available in 2009.

These credits are in addition to the new Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, which will give more than four million Ontarians, including seniors, 10 per cent off their monthly electricity bills for the next five years, effective January 1, 2011, to help manage rising electricity costs.

These are some of the measures Ontario has recently introduced to help Ontario seniors with household costs through the Open Ontario plan.