First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Canada 2026: Who Qualifies and How to Claim (HBTC Guide)
Updated
The home buyers’ amount, usually called the first-time home buyer tax credit (HBTC), is a federal non-refundable credit claimed on the return for the year you buy a qualifying home. This page covers who qualifies under the 4-year rule, the disability exception, which homes count, and how to claim and split the credit. It is one of the homeowner and family credits covered in our deductions and credits guide; how a non-refundable credit turns into tax savings is explained in tax deductions vs tax credits.
Feature
Details
Credit amount
$10,000
Tax value
$1,400 (14% of $10,000, 2026)
Type
Non-refundable
Frequency
Once per qualifying purchase
Claim deadline
Year of purchase
Who Qualifies
Basic Requirements
Requirement
Details
Residence history
Didn’t live in a home you owned for 4+ years
Location
Home must be in Canada
Registration
Home in your name (or spouse/partner)
Intent
Intend to live in home as principal residence
Purchase timing
Must acquire home in the tax year
The 4-Year Rule Explained
Year
Owned Home?
Lived In It?
Qualifies?
Year of purchase
No
n/a
✅
1 year before
No
n/a
✅
2 years before
No
n/a
✅
3 years before
No
n/a
✅
4 years before
No
n/a
✅
You qualify if you answer “No” to both for all 5 years.
Note: The disability exception overrides the 4-year rule.
Eligible Properties
What Qualifies
Property Type
Eligible
Detached house
✅
Semi-detached house
✅
Townhouse
✅
Condo
✅
Apartment in duplex
✅
Mobile home
✅
Floating home
✅
What Doesn’t Qualify
Property Type
Eligible
Home outside Canada
❌
Purely investment property
❌
Commercial property
❌
Timeshare
❌
How to Claim
Steps
Step
Action
1
Confirm eligibility (4-year rule)
2
Complete your tax return for purchase year
3
Enter $10,000 on Line 31270 of tax return
4
Get Schedule 1 if claiming multiple credits
Documentation Needed
Document
Purpose
Purchase agreement
Proves acquisition date
Title/deed
Proves ownership
Moving records
Proves intent to occupy
You don’t submit documents; keep them in case CRA asks.
Splitting the Credit
Between Spouses/Partners
Splitting Option
How
One person claims all
$10,000 → $1,400 credit
Split equally
$5,000 each → $700 each
Any split
Total must equal $10,000
When to Split
Situation
Effect
Both have enough tax owing
The split makes little difference
One has no tax owing
The other person can claim it
Note: Non-refundable credit only reduces tax to $0, doesn’t create refund.
Provincial Land Transfer Tax Rebates
Some provinces and cities also refund or waive land transfer tax for first-time buyers, such as Ontario’s refund of up to $4,000, Toronto’s municipal rebate of up to $4,475 and BC’s First Time Home Buyers’ Program exemption from property transfer tax. Who qualifies and how each rebate is worked out are on the land transfer tax calculator, which has a page for each province and for Toronto.
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 28, 2026 and October 2, 2026. How we check facts.