Children’s arts tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit for parents who register their children in certain programs of artistic, cultural, recreational, or developmental activities.
Eligibility
To be eligible for children’s arts amount, the child’s age, the activities and programs must meet certain conditions.
How much is the credit
You can claim the actual fees you paid up to a maximum of $500 per child. For example, if you paid $200 to send your child to a music class and $250 to a tutoring program. The amount you can claim is $450. The tax credit, at the rate of 15%, is $67.50. On the other hand, let’s say you spent $8,000 on piano classes, the amount you can claim is $500, a tax saving of $75 at the tax rate of 15%.
The amount can be shared
You can share the amount with another person, for example, your spouse or common-law partner, as long as the total claimed is not more that the maximum amount that would be allowed if only one of you were claiming it.
How to claim it
The amount is claimed on line 370. And keep the receipts in case the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) asks to see them later.
Children with disabilities
If the child qualifies for disability amount, the age limit is under 18 years old instead of under 16 years old. Moreover, an additional amount of $500 ($1,000 totally) can be claimed as long as a minimum of $100 is paid for registration or membership fees for a prescribed program.
Related credit
If the expenses qualify to be claimed as child care expenses or the children’s fitness amount, they are not eligible for children’s arts amount.
History
The credit started from 2011.