Some businesses or individuals may assert that certain items qualify for the HRTC. It is important to remember that you are responsible for ensuring that all eligibility requirements are met when you claim this credit on your tax return.
Examples of eligible expenses
- Renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or basement, windows and doors
- New carpet or hardwood floors
- New furnace, boiler, woodstove, fireplace, water softener, water heater, or oil tank
- Permanent Home ventilation systems, central air conditioner
- Septic systems and wells
- Electrical wiring in the home, home Security System (monthly fees do not qualify)
- Solar panels and solar panel trackers
- Painting the interior or exterior of a house
- Building an addition, garage, deck, garden/storage shed, or fence
- Re-shingling a roof
- A new driveway or resurfacing a driveway
- Exterior shutters and awnings
- Permanent swimming pools, hot tub and installation costs (in ground and above ground)
- Landscaping
- Associated costs such as installation, permits, professional services,equipment rentals, and incidental expenses
- Fixtures - blinds, shades, shutters, lights, ceiling fans, etc.
Note
Window coverings, such as blinds, shutters and shades, that are directly attached to the window frame and whose removal would alter the nature of the dwelling are generally considered to be fixtures and therefore would qualify for the HRTC.
In some circumstances, draperies and curtains may qualify for the HRTC, if they would not keep their value or usefulness if installed in another dwelling. If these qualifying criteria are not met, it is likely that draperies and curtains would not qualify for the HRTC.
Examples of ineligible expenses
- Furniture, appliances, and audio and visual electronics
- Purchasing of tools
- Carpet cleaning
- House cleaning
- Maintenance contracts (e.g., furnace cleaning, snow removal, lawn care, and pool cleaning)
- Financing costs
