Province providing significant tax relief for seniors
Submitted by Pat Hoy’s Office
Local seniors will benefit from tax relief to help with household costs and property taxes under new provincial policies, says MPP Pat Hoy.
“Our government understands the needs of our seniors. These credits are another example of how we are working hard to assist our seniors with the cost of living,” said Hoy.
Hoy pointed out that more than 740,000 seniors will see an increase in tax relief with the enhancement of the Ontario Energy & Property Tax Credit, which provides seniors who own or rent their home with up to $1,025 in relief for the sales tax on energy and for property taxes.
Senior homeowners with low-to-moderate incomes will also receive property tax relief through the annual Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant with up to $500 starting in 2010, doubling the amount available in 2009.
These credits are in addition to the new Ontario Clean Energy Benefit, which will give more than four million Ontarians, including seniors, 10 per cent off their monthly electricity bills for the next five years, effective January 1, 2011, to help manage rising electricity costs.
· To apply for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit and Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant, seniors need to file their 2010 tax return.
· The enhanced Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit will provide $525 million more than the property tax credit relief provided in 2009, for a total relief of almost $1.3 billion annually for 2.8 million Ontarians.
· Through the Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant, the government is providing $1 billion over the next five years to about 600,000 senior homeowners.
LEARN MORE
· Find out more about the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit at: http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/credit/oeptc/index.html.
· Learn about the new Ontario Clean Energy Benefit at: http://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2010/12/helping-families-manage-electricity-costs.html.
· Read about the Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant at: http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/credit/shptg/index.html.
“Ontario seniors have worked hard to make our province the great place we all enjoy, but many of them on fixed incomes are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living. Our government is providing some help with household costs to make things a little bit easier for seniors,” said Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.
overtaxed
December 25, 2010 at 2:56 pm
This is yet another prime example of a LEFTIST government agenda. The agenda is to progressively implement Marxism. The plan is to eliminate the middle class entirely, leaving the elites and the barely-surving. Now we have seniors becoming dependent on gov’t for survival through skyrocketing energy costs and tax rates. The upper-middle haven’t felt the squeeze just yet, give it time…
Rhoda C.
December 25, 2010 at 5:11 pm
“Marxism?” “Leftist?” What a stretch of reality. I suppose you think CPP is an example of government paying seniors with no private pension plan to depend on “government.”
Get a grip on reality, overtaxed. Too much eggnog.
overtaxed
December 25, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Rhoda, I don’t drink. My guess is you haven’t heard of the Communist Party of Canada, nor their policies and influence. If you’d gone to university here then you’d know there is a Marxist-Leninist club there. Students recieve much of their influence before going out into the workforce and politics. Perhaps you need to come of the shelter?
Rhoda C.
December 26, 2010 at 12:22 pm
The Communist Party of Canada is no longer an official party, and they have no influence on anyone.
Helping those in need is part of charitable works of Christianity.
overtaxed
December 26, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Helping those in charitable need??? Hilarious! The government created the need and wants a pat on the back for applying a tourniquet to the wound they inflicted.
Michael C
December 27, 2010 at 7:57 am
Ah yes….the government created the need. It was all so much better in the past. Just so long as you didn’t die from Polio or TB, you might expect to live into your 50′s.
Pure water ran from springs, unfortunately the cows defecated in it. There was no need for UI because if you were unemployed there was the Workhouse. Didn’t need schools because the children were working at the mill or the mine.
Canada had strict rules about immigration, as long as you were white, life was good. Not so good being a Native Canadian, or black, or Jewish, or Chinese, or Japanese.
We were so much more enlightened than our cousins down south, the slaves escaped to Canada…….once we had abolished slavery, But then we herded them into nice neighbourhoods like Africaville.
The doctor made house calls, just so long as you had some money, and the surgery and teeth pulling didn’t really hurt, if you drank enough whisky.
Ah yes, the good old days…before governments interfered and created labour laws, and schools, and medical care.
Dan
December 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I dont think anyone debates the govt provides some good and needed services. Its the huge amount of greed and corruption that causes all the problems.
If the govt had put UI money into a specific fund for UI instead of general coffers there would be more than enough to go around without constantly squeezing us for more and more. If they had left the property tax assessments alone based on actual purchase price instead of estimated over-market value, more seniors could afford to stay in their own homes. If govt wasn’t constantly giving away sweetheart deals to their family and friend “consultants”…there would be more than enough money to fund the important services that benefit the majority instead of the priveledged few. The same if they weren’t boondoggling away millions like on E-Health and far overpaying their friends that they appoint to run crown corporations like Hydro One, OLG, etc. And when those people get caught with their hands in the cookie jar like that former CEO of Hydro One…they should be thrown in jail and have all their assets forfieted to the crown instead of being given a huge severance pay and gold-plated pension of more than 6 figures a year! And then there are the Billions of dollars wasted making interest payments that do no good for any citizens simply because the govt borrowed far beyond its means…we’re gonna be in serious trouble if those interest rates start to rise…oh..but they can just cancel the so-called recent tax cuts and tax us even more to cover that! So yes, id have to agree…the govt has created the need.
BTW…a hundred yrs ago the doctors actually cared about their patients personally..and if you couldn’t pay they would gladly accept a chicken or eggs or some bushels of grain….patients are just an assembly line product nowadays…oh, unless you are a VIP and ‘entitled’ to jump the queue!
overtaxed
December 29, 2010 at 10:28 pm
My, what revisionism.
Labor laws, medicare and schools were products of Christian influence.
The last time I checked, tens of millions (and counting) have died as a result of Communism. A system where gov’t is “god”.
As for the Liberals, they are low in the polls and realize they may soon be turfed in the same manner Ontario seniors turfed Bob Rae.
Dan
December 26, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Overtaxed and Rhoda: You two are cracking me up!!
Frankly Im getting sick n tired of hearing about all the breaks for seniors for the sake of vote buying!
The seniors are the ones who allowed and caused all the outrageous deficits and debt in this country in the first place, mortgaging my life, and the lives of the rest of the middle-aged and youth and even our grandchildren that are yet to be born. It only seems right that those same seniors ought to be paying dearly for all the debts they incurred. They ought to have to take responsibility for the mess theyve created! Instead they are rewarded with great big pensions, most of the wealth, and now all the big breaks while the younger generations struggle to ever get ahead at the same pace in life that the seniors were able to enjoy. One only has to look at the average wages/salaries and accumulated wealth between the groups. My opinion here may not prove to be popular and I can live with that, but I think the breaks ought to be given to the younger generation to give them a chance to get ahead in life and let the older generation’s decisions and choices come full circle and now pay the piper! It would be a good lesson and make a prime example to the younger generation as to why they should make better decisions and leave their own children with more instead of less!
Still Waiting
December 27, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Some things change but the song remains the same,Low Income Disabled people are bearing the brunt of the Government`s cutbacks.They also seem to be the scorn of many people because many can`t or don`t have the skills necessary to speak out and be a contributing,participating member of society.When is any level of Government Municipal,Provincial,Federal going to give attention to the needs of Disabled Adults in our society.
Disabled Children have limited programs,services and funding to help but when they turn 18 it`s as if they don`t exist.Disabled Children who grow into Disabled Adults are increasingly perceived to be a burden to society through no fault of their own.They are continually left out of any meaningful lasting programs,services and funding while taking the blame for not contributing but consuming tax dollars.
Zipper
December 28, 2010 at 7:59 am
The headline should say….We overtaxed you by a significant amount of money.
We are therefore going to return a portion of your money minus the handling fee.
overtaxedbyontliberals
December 28, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Pat Hoy has announced numerous statements of providing tax relief lately. He must have forgotten about the “Health Tax”, “HST” ,their failed attempt to introduce an “Eco Tax” , Skyrocketing Hydro Prices and outrageous payments made to Liberal Friendly consultants. Sorry Pat but you are not going to brainwash me into thinking you guys know what you are doing.
borrowspendharperites
December 30, 2010 at 9:47 am
I’m sure you saw the news that Harper is increasing taxes by 5.3% in Ontario as of Jan. 1 with hikes to CPP and EI, wiping out the cuts that McGuinty put in. As the Liberals put more money in your pocket, the Conservatives take with the other hand.
Meanwhile, Harper has eliminated all the debt repayment done under Chretien-Martin with his wild spending ways.
Harry
December 30, 2010 at 9:50 am
Health premium raises $3 billion a year for health care, nursing homes, family health teams, cancer care, etc. (Ontario has the lowest wait times in Canada), and the HST will cost more net for folks who earn $60,000 and over. Extra revenue raised by PST on formerly exempt items (17% of all goods and services) is remitted back to taxpayers in credits, cuts and benefits.
But don’t forget, Harper has increased spending on consultants to a record $9 billion this year. Why no comment on that?
Fidel Kilpatrick
December 30, 2010 at 10:49 am
Thank you for that update on the health premium, harry. The problem is that the health premium does not go directly into the health care system. It is collected as “general revenues”. That means the health premium I pay can go to some Liberal-friendly consultant or a party hack doing “work” for the alleged public good. I hope either the NDP or Conservatives get rid of the premium or at least be honest about it and allocate the monies directly into the health care system.
Harry
December 30, 2010 at 11:15 am
Incorrect, Fidel. Doctor funding has increased 60%, hospitals 50% since 2003. Every penny of that $3B, and billions more, have gone into health care.
Dan
December 30, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Hmmmm..so interesting..Got my copy of Tilbury and Wheatley This Week and it has CK CAO Rob Browning quoted as saying one of the budget items needing to be discussed is the increased caseloads from Ontario Works!!!! But a couple pages later Hoy is quoted about the record funding including UPLOADING Ontario Works!!!!
I have no idea why municipal council should need to discuss increases in welfare if the province has already uploaded it…unless we are being fed less than the truth!
Jim in Wallaceburg
December 30, 2010 at 3:19 pm
The OW benefit will be incrementally uploaded. 3% in 2010, 6% in 2011, 14% in 2012, 29% in 2013, 43% in 2014, 43% in 2015, 57% in 2015, 71% in 2016, 86% in 2017 and 100% in 2018.
As of October, the unemployment rate in Chatham-Kent stood at 12.1% – one of the highest in the province.
Many unfortunate families who have fallen to the bottom of this inadequate social safety net have worked hard all their lives.
We need the province and the municipality to continue their efforts to provide opportunities that will get our people back to work – and as a community we need to continue to be supportive of those most in need.
Happy holidays.
Fidel Kilpatrick
December 30, 2010 at 1:35 pm
If I’m paying a health premium(which I am), how come it doesn’t show up on my paystub, harry? Plus, your numbers do not add up. You’re telling me 60% and 50%. Which is it? That’s not “every penny”. I’m not a mathwizz, harry, so you might want to babystep me. It seems McGuinty and his crew don’t have a problem talking down to us, so tutor me please.
Harry
December 30, 2010 at 7:19 pm
What’s the math problem? Funding for doctors is up 60pc from 2003, to hospitals over 50pc. The health sector has used the $3B health premium and more to improve the situation.