Ontario

Ontario Seniors’ Public Transit Tax Credit

Easy application

Tax filing required

The Ontario Seniors’ Public Transit Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit to help seniors with public transit costs. You can claim up to $3,000 in eligible public transit expenses and receive up to $450 each year.

You can claim the fare you pay on eligible Ontario or municipally-operated public transit services, including transit services offered by Metrolinx.

The service paid for must also be:

  • A short-haul service people would commonly use for a return trip in a single day.
  • Offered to the general public.
  • Operated by a bus, subway, train or tram.

This includes public transit services that run from within Ontario to a destination outside Ontario, such as those departing from Windsor to Detroit or Ottawa to Gatineau.

You can claim expenses for specialized public transit services that are designed to transport people with disabilities. Specialized public transit services must generally meet the same conditions as conventional public transit services.

To qualify for the credit, you must:

  • Be 65 years old or older on the last day of the previous tax year that you're claiming the credit.
  • Live in Ontario by the end of that year.

For example, to qualify for the credit when filing your tax return in 2023, you must be:

  • 65 years or older on December 31st, 2021.
  • a resident of Ontario on December 31, 2022.

Apply for Ontario Seniors' Public Transit Tax Credit:

  • Save your receipts and proof of payments to submit your claim.
    • If you need to provide a receipt and it doesn’t show your name, you’ll need to provide your receipt plus a credit card or bank statement that shows proof of payment.
    • Cash fare paid in a fare box for a single ride is eligible for the tax credit only if it was used to pay for specialized transit service.
  • Submit a claim when you file your personal income tax.

Last updated: March 15, 2023