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You cannot claim an eligible dependant tax credit for your son. As per CRA, your son must be under 18 years of age or had an impairment in physical or mental functions if you want to claim an eligible dependant tax credit for him.

However,  your child can transfer his tuition tax credit to you.  Your child must first claim the tuition amount on their own tax return. If there is any amount left over after your child has claimed the tuition amount, they have two choices: transfer it or carry it forward. This comes up a lot since students don’t typically earn a lot of income while going to college or university.

Your child can transfer up to $5,000 of the tax credit, less the amount used to reduce tax owing.

If your son depends on you for support because of a physical or mental impairment, you can also claim Canada caregiver credit. An individual is considered to depend on you for support if they rely on you to regularly and consistently provide them with some or all of the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing. 

Please visit our TurboTax article on How do I enter tuition transferred from my spouse/partner or my child?  and How do I transfer my unused tuition credits to someone else? to learn more about how to claim the tuition tax credit.

When you are married, you and your spouse can file joint tax returns or separate tax returns. However, you cannot claim credit for your son as a dependant. If you want to claim the dependent tax credit for your son, he must be under 18 or have a physical or mental impairment.

You can, however, transfer your child's tuition tax credit to him. Your child on their tax return must first claim this. Afterwards, your child can transfer the remaining amount or carry it forward if there is any leftover. Typically, students don't earn much income while attending college or university.

Tax credits can be transferred up to $5,000 per child, less the amount used to reduce tax owing.

In addition, if your son relies on you for support because of a physical or mental impairment, you are also eligible for the Canada caregiver credit. For example, when you regularly provide an individual with enough food, shelter, and clothing, you are considered a source of support for them and the individual is deemed to

Learn more about the tuition tax credit by clicking the button below.

How do I enter tuition transferred from my spouse/partner or my child? 

How do I transfer my unused tuition credits to someone else? 

Line 32400 – Tuition amount transferred from a child

Transfer to Parent or Grandparent

Transfer to Spouse or Common-law

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