Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB)

[Alice0999]

Must l have rent to apply for OTB?  I lived with my relatives last year, and l don’t need to pay the rent ( free ).

I know l maybe qualify for Ontario Sales Tax Credit. But how about the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)? Will l get audit  if l don’t apply for it? 

Thanks.

[PURPLE91 · Accepted solution]

No, you don’t need to have paid rent to claim the energy component of the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC). You just have had to live in a home in Ontario where the rent or property tax was paid for you. 

As per the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA):

You may be eligible for the energy component if:

• you were a resident of Ontario on December 31, 2022, and one of the following conditions applies:
  • you will be 18 years of age or older before June 1, 2024
  • you had a spouse or common-law partner on or before December 31, 2022 or
  • you are a parent who lives or previously lived with your child
• for 2022, at least one of the following conditions applies to you:
  • rent for your principal residence which was subject to Ontario municipal or education property tax, was paid by or for you
  • property tax for your principal residence in Ontario was paid by or for you
  • you lived on a reserve in Ontario and home energy costs (for example, electricity, heat) for your principal residence on the reserve were paid by or for you or
  • you lived in a public or non-profit long-term care home in Ontario and an amount for accommodation was paid by or for you

If you don’t apply for the credit, you will not be audited. There are no penalties for not claiming credits, other than you will lose the benefit of the credit if you were eligible for it.

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