Home Accessibility Tax Credit and Grants: A 2026 Guide for Seniors

The Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC) is a federal, non-refundable credit on up to $20,000 a year of renovations that make a home safer for a senior 65 or older or a person eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. At the lowest federal tax rate, it is worth up to about $2,800 for 2026 (14%) and up to about $2,900 for 2025 (14.5%), claimed on line 31285 of your return.

A ramp at the door, a walk-in shower, a stair lift: these can be the difference between staying put and having to move. This guide covers what qualifies, how the HATC stacks with the Medical Expense Tax Credit and the Multigenerational credit, and how to claim, in plain language for seniors and the families helping them.

Do this next:

• See what your project gets back in one minute with our free Home Renovation Tax Credit Calculator.
• Run our free room-by-room Home Safety Audit to see which changes matter most before you spend.
• Get two or three quotes from accessibility contractors or grab bar installers, and ask for itemized invoices (you'll need them to claim).
• Building a suite for a parent? Check the refundable Multigenerational credit first.

How much is the Home Accessibility Tax Credit worth in 2026?

The credit is the lowest federal tax rate times your eligible expenses, up to $20,000 a year. That rate fell from 15% to 14% in mid-2025, so the maximum credit is lower than many older articles say:

Finance Canada confirms that most non-refundable credits are "legislatively based on the lowest personal income tax rate (14 per cent in 2026)." If your credits are larger than your income taxed at that lowest rate, a temporary top-up credit (line 34990, 2025 to 2030) keeps the old 15% on the excess. Tax software handles it for you.

The $20,000 is per qualifying individual, but when more than one qualifying person shares a home, the combined claim for that home can't exceed $20,000. Because the credit is non-refundable, it only reduces tax you owe, so a senior with little tax payable may get more value if a supporting family member claims it.

Our take: About $2,800 is real money, but don't let the credit choose the project. Spend first on what prevents a fall or a move (grab bars, a curbless shower, a stair lift), then let the credit soften the bill.

Who can claim the Home Accessibility Tax Credit?

A renovation qualifies if it is for a "qualifying individual," which means either:

• A senior who is 65 or older by the end of the tax year, or
• A person of any age who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit.

The qualifying individual can claim, and so can certain family members who support them, such as a spouse or common-law partner, or a child, parent or grandparent who could claim them as a dependant. The home has to be the qualifying individual's main residence (or one they will move into within the year). There is no income test, which is part of what makes it so useful.

What renovations qualify for the HATC?

The work must be permanent and make the home safer or easier to get around for the qualifying individual. Common qualifying projects include:

• Wheelchair ramps and railings
• Stair lifts and vertical platform lifts
• Walk-in tubs and accessible, curbless showers
• Grab bars and non-slip flooring
• Widened doorways and lowered counters, often part of a bathroom renovation

Materials, permits and contractor labour count, including an accessibility contractor. These do not qualify: routine repairs and maintenance, household appliances, electronics, financing costs, and your own (or a relative's) labour.

Our take: The best-value changes are often the least glamorous. Grab bars, lever handles, brighter lighting and non-slip flooring cost little and prevent the most common falls. Walk-in tubs are often oversold; a curbless shower usually serves a parent better, for longer.

Can you claim the HATC and the Medical Expense Tax Credit together?

Yes. The same expense can be claimed as both a home accessibility expense and a medical expense, if it meets the rules for each. You don't have to choose, which is one of the best-kept savings in the tax system.

The Medical Expense Tax Credit has an income threshold (you claim expenses above a set share of net income), so it helps most in a year of big costs. The official medical expenses page lists what counts. If a doctor or occupational therapist recommended the change, keep that note with your receipts.

What about building a suite for a parent?

That's a different credit. The Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit pays back up to $7,250 (refundable, 2025) when you create a self-contained secondary unit so a parent 65 or older can live with family. You can't claim the same expense under both credits, so many families put the suite under that credit and other accessibility work under the HATC.

Does Ontario's Assistive Devices Program pay for home changes?

No. Ontario's Assistive Devices Program covers devices like hearing aids, walkers, wheelchairs and CPAP machines, but lists grab bars, bath aids, stair lifts, ramps and home renovations as not covered. That is why the tax credits on this page matter so much for home changes.

Provincial and municipal grants also exist, but they change often and many are income-tested. Ontario has run home and vehicle modification help through March of Dimes, and some cities offer forgivable loans for lower-income seniors. Start with our provincial benefits overview and the federal Benefits Finder.

How do you claim the Home Accessibility Tax Credit?

There is no separate application. You claim the HATC on your tax return:

1. Pay for the work in the tax year you'll claim it, and get itemized receipts naming the supplier.
2. Add up eligible expenses on Federal Worksheet 5000-D1 (up to $20,000 per qualifying individual).
3. Enter the total on line 31285 of your return. Tax software does the 14% calculation for 2026.
4. Keep receipts and any doctor or OT note for six years, in case the CRA asks.

Provincial grants are different: many need an application and approval before the work begins, so check first. The official line 31285 page has the full list of who can claim and what counts.

How do you find a trusted installer?

The credits only help if the work is done well. Look for installers experienced in aging-in-place work, with references, licensing and insurance, and a clear written quote and warranty. Ask for an itemized invoice, since you'll need it for the claim.

Compare local options in our directory, including wheelchair ramp installers in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, bathroom renovation contractors in Ottawa and Toronto, and grab bar installers in Toronto.

Our take: Ask the contractor to note the safety purpose on the invoice (for example, "grab bars installed for fall prevention"). It makes the claim easy to support if the CRA ever asks.

What do premium accessibility renovations cost, and are they worth it?

For families planning to stay in a larger home for the long term, the bigger projects are often worth it. These are typical installed prices in our directory for 2026:

The HATC counts up to $20,000 a year, so on a large project, timing payments across two calendar years can double what's eligible. Our Home Renovation Tax Credit Calculator shows the difference.

Our take: If both of you plan to stay 10 years or more and the house has the space, a residential elevator usually beats a stair lift: it carries a wheelchair, a walker and the groceries, serves both partners and adds to the home's appeal. A stair lift is the better buy when one person needs help soon and the stairs turn just once.

How do you stack all of this together?

The families who save the most treat these programs as a stack, not an either-or. A bathroom renovation for a parent might draw on the HATC, the Medical Expense Tax Credit and a local grant at once, while a new in-law suite goes under the Multigenerational credit.

Pair those with monthly income from the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and a project that felt out of reach can become affordable. Our aging in place guide walks through the whole plan, and the aging-in-place directory helps you find people to do the work.