Children’s Fitness Tax Credit  Information Page

As most parents are already aware, the Canadian Government has created a new tax credit to help encourage physical activity in children. This credit comes into effect for the 2007 tax year.

The government has outline criteria for what must appear on an official receipt in order for parents to be able to claim the credit. This new receipt is now available to all LMBA parents currently using Online Registration.

How the Credit Works 

The children’s fitness tax credit will allow parents to claim a maximum of $500 per year for eligible fees paid for each child under 16. The government has defined an eligible fee as only the registration and/or membership portion of a fee. Registration and membership costs can include the costs of administration, instruction, and the rental of facilities. 

All receipts issued manually require an authorized signature. Any electronically generated receipt does not require the signature.

What Parents Need to Know

Only children under the age of 16 are eligible for the tax credit. So long as your child is 15 years old on January 1^st of the tax year, they are eligible. Essentially, if you child is under 16 at any point during that year, they qualify.

Only programs that have been paid for in the current tax year will be eligible. If you paid for a sports program in 2006, it is not eligible, even if the program runs in 2007. The government has based program eligibility on the date it was paid for rather than the date(s) the program takes place.

Links

For more information or to contact a government official with questions/comments/complaints, please visit the links below:

To find/contact your member of Parliament, please click here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/PostalCode.asp?Source=SM

The Minister of Finance, The Honourable Jim Flaherty, can be reached via email at: jflaherty@fin.gc.ca

The Minister of National Revenue, The Honourable Carol Skelton, can be reached at: www.carolskelton.ca/craemail.html

The Prime Minister can be reached via email at: mailto:pm@pm.gc.ca

More information on the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit can be found at:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/fitness/

More information on which sports/activity programs are eligible for the credit can be found at: http://www.fin.gc.ca/news06/06-084e.html