Tools Guide

Home buyers' amount: the first-time home buyer tax credit in 2026

By Alex Francisco Updated Oct 11, 2026 Figures checked Oct 11, 2026 9 min read

What is the home buyers' amount and how much is the first-time home buyer tax credit worth?

The home buyers' amount is a non-refundable federal tax credit that lets first-time home buyers claim $10,000 on line 31270 of the tax return for the year they acquire a qualifying home. At the 14% lowest federal rate for 2026, it cuts federal tax by up to $1,400. For a 2025 purchase the rate is 14.5%, worth up to $1,450.

The home buyers' amount is a $10,000 claim on line 31270 of the federal tax return, for the year a qualifying home is acquired.
The claim is multiplied by the lowest federal tax rate, so it is worth up to $1,400 for a 2026 purchase (14%) and up to $1,450 for a 2025 purchase (14.5%).
A first-time home buyer, for this credit, is someone who did not live in a home they or their spouse or common-law partner owned in the year of purchase or in any of the four preceding years.
A person eligible for the disability tax credit, or someone buying for a related person who is, does not have to be a first-time buyer if the home is more accessible or better suited to that person's needs.
Co-buyers share one $10,000 amount per home: eligible spouses, partners or other joint buyers can divide it any way, but the parts cannot add up to more than $10,000.
The credit is non-refundable: it reduces federal income tax owing and pays nothing to a buyer with no federal tax payable for the year.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Sources

The home buyers’ amount is the official name for what most people call the first-time home buyer tax credit. It is a federal non-refundable credit claimed on line 31270 of the tax return for the year a qualifying home is acquired. The claim is a flat $10,000, whatever the price of the home, and the tax saving depends on the lowest federal tax rate for that year.

What the home buyers' amount is worth, by year the home was acquired

How to read this table: the last money column is the amount multiplied by the rate. The CRA publishes the amount and the rate, not the dollar saving. The saving is a ceiling: a buyer with less federal tax payable than this saves less.

Year the home was acquired	Amount claimed on line 31270	Lowest federal tax rate	Most federal tax it can save	Why that rate
2026	$10,000	14%	$1,400	Lowest federal rate for 2026 and later tax years
2025	$10,000	14.5%	$1,450	The rate fell from 15% to 14% on July 1, 2025, making it 14.5% for 2025
2024	$10,000	15%	$1,500	Lowest federal rate before the July 1, 2025 cut

This page is education, not tax advice. The exact effect on a return shows on the notice of assessment and in the CRA account (My Account).

How much is the home buyers’ amount worth in 2026?

The home buyers’ amount for 2026 is $10,000, and it is worth up to $1,400 in federal tax. A non-refundable credit is not a deduction and not a cheque: the amount is multiplied by the lowest federal tax rate, and the result comes off federal tax owing.

That rate changed, which is why three different figures are in circulation:

2026 and later: the CRA’s 2026 rate table shows 14% on the first $58,523 of taxable income, so the credit is $10,000 at 14%.
2025: the CRA’s wording is that the federal tax rate “decreased from 15% to 14% on July 1, 2025, making the tax rate 14.5% for 2025”. A home acquired in 2025 is claimed on the 2025 return at 14.5%, which gives $1,450.
2024 and earlier (back to 2022): the rate was 15%, which gave $1,500. Many articles and calculators still quote this figure.

The drop from the 2024 value to the 2026 value is $100. Finance Canada’s report on the rate cut confirms that the credit rate for most non-refundable credits is tied by law to the lowest personal income tax rate, and lists the home buyers’ amount at $10,000 for 2026. The Canada tax brackets guide covers the full 2026 rate table.

One narrow exception: a separate top-up tax credit on line 34990 keeps a 15% rate on certain non-refundable credit amounts claimed above the first bracket threshold of $58,523, for people whose total credit amounts pass that threshold. Most returns never reach it.

Who qualifies for the first-time home buyer tax credit?

A buyer qualifies when every condition in the CRA’s list is met for the year the home is acquired. The CRA’s conditions are:

Conditions for claiming the home buyers' amount

How to read this table: all five conditions apply together. The first-time home buyer condition is the only one waived for persons with disabilities.

Condition	What the CRA requires
A qualifying home was acquired	The claimant, or their spouse or common-law partner, acquired a qualifying home in the tax year.
First-time home buyer (the four-year rule)	The claimant did not live in another home, inside or outside Canada, that they or their spouse or common-law partner owned in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years.
Registered ownership	The home is registered in the claimant's name, or their spouse's or common-law partner's name, under the applicable land registration system.
Located in Canada	The home is in Canada. It can be an existing home or a home under construction.
Principal place of residence	The claimant intends to occupy the home as a principal place of residence no later than one year after it is acquired (or a related person with a disability will).

Citizenship and income are not on the list. There is no income limit and no price limit, so the claim is the same on a small condo as on a detached house.

What is the four-year rule for first-time home buyers?

The four-year rule is the CRA’s definition of a first-time home buyer: the buyer did not live in another home that they or their spouse or common-law partner owned in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years. For a home acquired in 2026, the window runs from January 1, 2022 to the purchase date.

Three points follow from the wording:

It is about living in an owned home, not about owning. A person who has owned only a rental property they never lived in has not lived in a home they owned.
A spouse’s or common-law partner’s home counts. Someone who has never owned property, but lived during the window in a home their spouse or partner owned, does not meet the condition.
Homes outside Canada count. The CRA’s wording is “inside or outside Canada”, which matters for newcomers who owned and lived in a home abroad during the window.

It also means a previous owner can qualify again. A person who sold in 2020, rented ever since, and buys in 2026 has not lived in an owned home in the window, so the first-time buyer condition is met.

Do persons with disabilities have to be first-time buyers?

No. The first-time buyer condition does not apply when a person with a disability is involved, in either of two situations:

Home buyers' amount: the exception for persons with disabilities

How to read this table: every other condition still applies: a qualifying home in Canada, registered ownership, and the intention to occupy it as a principal place of residence within one year.

Situation	CRA rule
The buyer is eligible for the disability tax credit	The buyer does not have to be a first-time home buyer.
The home is acquired for the benefit of a related person who is eligible for the disability tax credit	The buyer does not have to be a first-time home buyer.
Purpose test (both cases)	The purchase must be made to allow the person with the disability to live in a home that is more accessible or better suited to their needs.
Which year's eligibility counts	The person must be eligible for the disability tax credit for the year the home is acquired.

So an existing homeowner who is eligible for the disability tax credit can claim the amount when moving to a more accessible home, and a parent can claim it when buying a home for an adult child who is eligible. Eligibility for the disability tax credit means an approved Form T2201 on file with the CRA; the disability tax credit guide explains that application.

Which homes qualify, and what does not qualify?

A qualifying home is in Canada and registered in the buyer’s name, or their spouse’s or common-law partner’s name. It can be an existing home or one under construction.

Types of home and whether they qualify for the home buyers' amount

How to read this table: the list is the CRA's. A home that is on the list still has to meet the other conditions, including the principal place of residence intention.

Type of home	Qualifying home?
Single-family house	Yes
Semi-detached house	Yes
Townhouse	Yes
Mobile home	Yes
Condominium unit	Yes
Apartment in a duplex, triplex, fourplex or apartment building	Yes
Share in a co-operative housing corporation that gives an equity interest in a housing unit in Canada	Yes
Co-operative share that only gives the right to tenancy in the unit	No
Home located outside Canada	No

Purchases that fall outside the CRA’s conditions:

A property bought only to rent out. The buyer must intend to occupy the home as a principal place of residence no later than one year after it is acquired.
A home outside Canada.
A co-operative share that only gives a right to tenancy, with no equity interest in the unit.
A home registered in someone else’s name. The home must be registered in the claimant’s name or their spouse’s or common-law partner’s name. A parent who helps with the down payment but is not a registered owner has acquired nothing to claim.
A second purchase inside the window. A buyer who lived in a home they or their spouse or partner owned during the year of acquisition or the four preceding years is not a first-time home buyer, unless the disability exception applies.
A claim with no tax to reduce. The credit is non-refundable. A buyer with $900 of federal tax payable before this credit saves $900, not the full amount, and a buyer with no federal tax payable saves nothing.

The CRA ties the claim to the year the home is acquired, and its page lists no way to carry an unused part to a later year.

How do spouses and co-buyers split the home buyers’ amount?

One $10,000 amount exists per home, and eligible buyers can divide it in any proportion. The CRA’s rule is that the total claimed by all eligible persons for the same home cannot be more than the maximum for the year.

Who claims the home buyers' amount when more than one person buys

How to read this table: 'eligible' means the person meets the CRA's conditions themselves, including the first-time home buyer condition or the disability exception.

Situation	How the claim works
One eligible buyer	Enters the full amount on line 31270.
Spouses or common-law partners, both eligible	Either one claims the full amount, or they each claim part of it. The parts cannot add up to more than the maximum for the year.
Spouses or common-law partners, only one eligible	Only the spouse or partner who qualifies can claim, and that person can claim the full amount. The credit cannot be split unless both are eligible.
Other eligible people who jointly acquired the home (friends, siblings, a parent and child)	They can each claim part of the credit. The total claimed for the same home cannot be more than the maximum for the year.

Two examples for a 2026 purchase:

An even split. Two eligible partners each claim $5,000. Each saves $700 of federal tax, for $1,400 together, the same total as one person claiming everything.
An uneven split. One partner has little federal tax payable, so the couple puts $8,000 on the higher earner’s return and $2,000 on the other. The savings are $1,120 and $280.

Because every dollar of the amount is worth the same 14% on either return, splitting does not increase the total. It matters only when one person does not have enough federal tax payable to use their share.

The spouse rule cuts the other way when only one partner is eligible. If one partner lived in a home they owned during the window, the four-year rule also disqualifies the other partner who lived there with them as a spouse or common-law partner. Where one partner does qualify alone, the CRA lets that person claim the full amount.

How do you claim the home buyers’ amount?

The claim is made on the tax return for the year the home is acquired; there is no application form and no pre-approval.

Confirm the year. A home acquired in 2026 goes on the 2026 return, filed in spring 2027. The Canadian tax deadline guide lists the filing dates.
Enter the amount on line 31270. A sole claimant enters $10,000. Co-buyers enter their agreed shares, which together cannot be more than $10,000.
Do not send documents. The CRA says not to send supporting documents with the return and to keep them in case it asks later. The CRA’s page does not name specific documents; the records that show the conditions were met are the purchase agreement and proof of registered ownership.
Check the notice of assessment. The credit appears as a reduction in federal non-refundable tax credits, not as a separate payment.

A missed claim can be fixed by asking the CRA to change the assessed return. The CRA’s online options, the ReFILE service in tax software and the return-change service in the CRA account, cover the 2016 to 2025 tax years. A return for 2015 or earlier can be changed by mail only, and the CRA will not issue a refund for an adjustment request made more than 10 calendar years after the end of the tax year. For a request made in 2026, the oldest purchase year that can still produce a refund is 2016, and that door closes on December 31, 2026. The amount that applies is the one for the year of the purchase:

Home buyers' amount by year, 2015 to 2026

How to read this table: the amount doubled for homes acquired in 2022 and later. The tax saving in each year is the amount multiplied by that year's lowest federal rate. The 2015 row is shown for reference: a request made in 2026 for a 2015 purchase is past the CRA's 10-calendar-year refund limit.

Year the home was acquired	Home buyers' amount	Where the figure comes from
2026	$10,000	Finance Canada, maximum credit amount (2026)
2025	$10,000	CRA line 31270 page
2024	$10,000	CRA prior-years table
2023	$10,000	CRA prior-years table
2022	$10,000	CRA prior-years table
2021	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2020	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2019	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2018	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2017	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2016	$5,000	CRA prior-years table
2015	$5,000	CRA prior-years table. Past the 10-calendar-year refund limit for a request made in 2026

Common mistakes with the home buyers’ amount

Expecting a $10,000 refund. The $10,000 is the amount the rate is applied to. The saving tops out at $1,400 for 2026.
Using the old $1,500 figure. That was the value at the 15% rate. A 2025 purchase is worth up to $1,450 and a 2026 purchase up to $1,400.
Both partners claiming the full amount. The combined claims for one home cannot be more than $10,000.
Claiming in the wrong year. The claim belongs on the return for the year the home is acquired, and the CRA’s conditions require the home to be registered in the buyer’s name. For a pre-construction purchase that may be later than the year the agreement was signed.
Overlooking a spouse’s or partner’s home. Living in a home a spouse or common-law partner owned during the window fails the first-time buyer condition.
Assuming a past owner can never claim again. The test looks back over the year of acquisition and the four preceding years only.
Confusing it with the Home Buyers’ Plan. The names are close, but the Home Buyers’ Plan is an RRSP withdrawal that has to be repaid, while the home buyers’ amount is a credit that is never repaid.

How does the credit fit with other first-time buyer programs?

The home buyers’ amount is claimed on the tax return for the year of purchase, with no application before closing. It is separate from the other federal first-time buyer measures and can be combined with them:

FHSA. The first home savings account gives $8,000 of contribution room a year up to a $40,000 lifetime limit, with deductible contributions and tax-free qualifying withdrawals. The FHSA guide explains the account.
Home Buyers’ Plan. Up to $60,000 can be withdrawn from RRSPs and repaid over up to 15 years; the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan guide covers the repayment schedule.
First-time home buyers’ GST/HST rebate. Buyers of newly built homes can get back up to $50,000 of the GST or the federal part of the HST; the first-time home buyer GST rebate guide has the price limits.
Provincial and municipal land transfer tax refunds. These vary by province and city, and the land transfer tax calculator applies them to a purchase price.

The first-time home buyer rebates calculator adds the federal and provincial programs together for one purchase, and the income tax calculator shows whether there is enough federal tax payable for the credit to be used in full.

What changes next for the home buyers’ amount?

The amount. The $10,000 figure is set in the Income Tax Act and is not indexed to inflation, so it stays the same until Parliament changes it. It last changed for 2022.
The rate. The lowest federal rate is 14% for 2026 and later tax years, so the maximum saving stays at $1,400 unless the rate or the amount changes.
The CRA’s page. On October 11, 2026 the CRA’s line 31270 page still showed the 2025 tax year. It is normally updated for the new tax year ahead of filing season, and this page is re-checked against it then.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the first-time home buyer tax credit in Canada?

The claim, called the home buyers' amount, is $10,000. The tax saving is that amount multiplied by the lowest federal tax rate: up to $1,400 for a home acquired in 2026, when the rate is 14%, and up to $1,450 for a home acquired in 2025, when the rate is 14.5%. Older articles that quote $1,500 are using the 15% rate that applied before July 1, 2025.

What is the home buyers' amount on line 31270?

Line 31270 of the federal tax return is where the home buyers' amount is claimed. The CRA describes it as a non-refundable tax credit that helps first-time home buyers with some of the costs of purchasing a qualifying home. A buyer who is not splitting the credit enters up to $10,000 on the line; tax software then applies the lowest federal rate to work out the tax saving.

Who counts as a first-time home buyer for the tax credit?

The CRA's test is about where a person lived, not whether they have ever owned property. A buyer qualifies if they did not live in another home, inside or outside Canada, that they or their spouse or common-law partner owned in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years. Someone who sold a home and rented for long enough can qualify again.

Can both spouses claim the home buyers' amount?

Both can claim, but only one $10,000 amount exists for the home. If both spouses or common-law partners are eligible, one can claim the whole amount or they can each claim part of it, as long as the parts do not add up to more than $10,000. If only one of them meets the conditions, only that person can claim, and the credit cannot be split.

Is the home buyers' amount refundable?

No. The CRA states that the credit reduces the federal income tax a person may owe, but no refund is paid for it when there is no tax payable. A buyer whose federal tax is already reduced to zero by other credits gets nothing extra from line 31270. In a couple where both are eligible, the spouse or partner with federal tax to pay can make the claim.

Do you have to be a first-time buyer if you have a disability?

No. The first-time buyer condition is waived when the buyer is eligible for the disability tax credit, or when the home is acquired for the benefit of a related person who is eligible for it. The purchase must allow the person with the disability to live in a home that is more accessible or better suited to their needs, and eligibility is tested for the year the home is acquired.

What type of home qualifies for the home buyers' amount?

A qualifying home is located in Canada and registered in the buyer's name, or their spouse's or common-law partner's name, under the applicable land registration system. Existing homes and homes under construction both count. The CRA lists single-family houses, semi-detached houses, townhouses, mobile homes, condominium units, apartments in duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings, and co-operative housing shares that give an equity interest in a unit.

What documents does the CRA need for the home buyers' amount?

None are sent with the return. The CRA's instruction is not to send supporting documents when filing and to keep them in case it asks to see them later. In practice the records that show the conditions were met are the purchase paperwork and proof of registered ownership, which the lawyer or notary provides at closing.

What if the home buyers' amount was missed on a past tax return?

A change to an assessed return can be requested. The CRA's online options cover the 2016 to 2025 tax years; a return for 2015 or earlier is changed by mail, and no refund is issued for a request made more than 10 calendar years after the end of the tax year. So in 2026 the oldest purchase year that can still produce a refund is 2016. The amount is the one for the year the home was acquired: $5,000 up to 2021 and $10,000 from 2022 on.

Can the home buyers' amount be used with the FHSA and the Home Buyers' Plan?

Yes. They are separate federal programs with their own rules. The home buyers' amount is a credit on the tax return for the year of purchase. The FHSA is a savings account with $8,000 of contribution room a year and a $40,000 lifetime limit, and the Home Buyers' Plan allows an RRSP withdrawal of up to $60,000. One purchase can use all three if the buyer meets each program's conditions.

Does a newly built home or a condo bought pre-construction qualify?

Yes. The CRA says a qualifying home can be an existing home or a home under construction, and condominium units are on its list. The buyer must intend to occupy it as a principal place of residence no later than one year after it is acquired. A new build may also qualify for the separate first-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate of up to $50,000.

Is there a provincial home buyers' amount?

Not on this line. The CRA's page for line 31270 lists the provincial or territorial equivalent as not applicable, so the home buyers' amount reduces federal tax only. Provinces run their own first-time buyer programs, mostly as land transfer tax refunds or separate provincial credits, with different rules and amounts.

Rules, rates and sources

Last verified: September 29, 2026
Next scheduled check: December 31, 2026

Rule or table	In effect from	Verified
Home buyers' amount (line 31270) — claim amount, credit rate by tax year, who qualifies, qualifying homes, splitting and how to claim	January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026	October 11, 2026
Federal first-time home buyer programs	January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026	September 29, 2026
Federal income tax brackets and key credits (2026)	January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026	September 29, 2026

Official sources

Line 31270 – Home buyers' amount — Canada Revenue Agency (what the credit is) — Canada Revenue Agency
Tax rates and income brackets for individuals, current year (2026) — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
Last year tax rates and income brackets (2025) — Canada Revenue Agency (the 14.5% footnote) — Canada Revenue Agency
Report on the Impact of Reducing the Lowest Marginal Personal Income Tax Rate on Non-Refundable Tax Credits — Table 2, maximum credit amount (2026) — Department of Finance Canada
Changing a tax return — Canada Revenue Agency (10-year limit on refunds) — Canada Revenue Agency
The Home Buyers' Plan — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
How to repay the amounts withdrawn from your RRSPs under the HBP — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
How to make withdrawals from your RRSPs under the Home Buyers' Plan — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
Spring Economic Update 2026 — Tax measures: supplementary information (Home Buyers' Plan) — Department of Finance Canada
Legislation passes to implement measures from the Spring Economic Update 2026 (Finance news release, June 19, 2026) — Department of Finance Canada
Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act (S.C. 2026, c. 22), section 6 amending subsection 146.01(4.1) of the Income Tax Act — Department of Justice Canada
First Home Savings Account (FHSA) — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
Definitions for FHSAs — Canada Revenue Agency (lifetime limit) — Canada Revenue Agency
First-time home buyers' (FTHB) GST/HST rebate — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
What is the first-time home buyers' rebate — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
Who can apply — First-time home buyers' (FTHB) GST/HST rebate — Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Revenue Agency
Guide RC4028, GST/HST New Housing Rebate — Canada Revenue Agency (FTHB rebate calculation, line 14) — Canada Revenue Agency
First-time buyers can save more on new homes – the FTHB GST/HST rebate is available now! (CRA tax tip, March 17, 2026) — Canada Revenue Agency
Legislation to make life more affordable receives Royal Assent (Finance news release, March 12, 2026) — Department of Finance Canada
First-Time Home Buyer Incentive — CMHC — CMHC
Indexation adjustment for personal income tax and benefit amounts — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
T4127 Payroll Deductions Formulas, 122nd edition (effective January 1, 2026) — BPAF formula — Canada Revenue Agency
Form TD1, 2026 Personal Tax Credits Return (PDF) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Form TD1-WS, Worksheet for the 2026 Personal Tax Credits Return (PDF) — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Budget 2025 — Tax measures, supplementary information (Top-Up Tax Credit) — credit rate — Department of Finance Canada
Line 34990 – Top-up tax credit — Canada.ca — Canada Revenue Agency
Bill C-4 (45-1), Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act — LEGISinfo — Parliament of Canada
Bill C-15 (45-1), Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 — LEGISinfo — Parliament of Canada
Bill C-15 (45-1), royal assent text, section 125 — new Income Tax Act subsection 118(11) Top-up tax credit — Parliament of Canada

How we check figures: our methodology and editorial policy.

General information for education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change — confirm anything you act on with the official source or a licensed professional (for immigration, a lawyer or a licensed consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).