Income taxes can be quite high in Canada, particularly Québec. Thankfully, there are many different tax rebates and credits to get you lower tax obligations. While you can qualify for tax rebates and credits on a federal level, there are some tax credits specific to Québec residents, including the refundable Solidarity Tax Credit (STC).
The Solidarity Tax Credit is a Quebec-based refundable tax credit for households with low-to-moderate incomes. Administered by Revenu Québec, this provincial tax benefit offers eligible residents and families a tax credit of up to $800 or more a year.
The STC is made of three components:
While you might not be eligible for all of these components, you’re allowed to claim the Solidarity Tax Credit if you qualify for at least one. The STC is based on your financial situation on December 31 of the previous year. So, the amount you qualify for from July to June is based on your financial situation on December 31 of the previous year.
To be eligible for the Solidarity Tax Credit from July to June of the current tax year, you’ll have to file a tax return and meet all of the following criteria on December 31 of the previous year:
Your “family income” is what appears on Line 275 of your tax return. If you had a spouse on December 31 of the previous tax year, that amount will also be on Line 275 of their return. If at that time, your family income was equal to or greater than the maximum family income in the list below, you are no longer eligible for the Solidarity Tax Credit.
Here are the current maximum family income thresholds based on family composition:
The amount qualified individuals and families can get per tax year depends on 3 components:
To get a basic estimation of the STC amount that you’re eligible for, you can use the Solidarity Tax Credit Estimator on the Revenu Québec website.
A tax credit is “refundable” when the amount you qualify for is more than the taxes you owe.
In other words, you’re only responsible for paying what the credit doesn’t cover. So, if you owe $1,500 in income taxes but you qualify for a $500 Solidarity Tax Credit, you’d only owe $1,000.
If you qualify for the Solidarity Tax Credit, the CRA will send you a notice with your credit amount for that tax period, along with the information they used to calculate it.
The amount you qualify for will impact your STC payments. If you qualify for:
You should receive your STC within the first 5 days of the payment month. However, do note, if you do not file your Schedule D, your payment may not arrive until the fall.
Even if you qualify for the Solidarity Tax Credit, completing Schedule D is the only way to claim it. Schedule D is where you enter any information related to the 3 components of the STC. If you are not eligible for Schedule D, you will only be eligible for the basic amount, which consists of the QST component and spousal amount (when applicable).
To get the full STC amount for a particular payment term, you must claim it no later than 4 years after the end of the taxation year used to calculate the credit for that period.
So, since the STC for the 2023/2024 payment period is based on the 2022 taxation year, it must be claimed no later than December 31, 2026. If you are not registered for direct deposit, don’t forget to include your registration form when claiming the STC. You can still claim the STC if you did not claim it on your 2019, 2020, or 2021 tax return.
Yes. As a Quebec resident, you may be eligible for other provincial tax benefits, like:
In some cases, you might be entitled to a rebate on the consumption taxes (taxes based on your expenditures, rather than your income) that you pay in Quebec. You may qualify for a GST/HST or QST rebate if you paid taxes on certain types of goods and services.
If you operate a business in Quebec, you may have to collect and remit certain types of consumption taxes on your sales, including the sale of goods and rental dwellings.
In Quebec, consumers must pay GST and QST when buying goods and services that are related to situations, such as health, transport, and groceries. You also have to pay specific taxes on certain goods and services, like lodging, fuel, insurance premiums, and alcoholic beverages. However, some goods/services are zero-rated or tax-exempt.
Revenu Québec has a number of tax measures exclusively for families, including the Tax Credit For Childcare Expenses. The rate of this tax credit is based on your family net income, meaning your income, plus your spouse’s income (when applicable).
If you meet certain conditions and are a Quebec resident who was at least 70 years of age on December 31 of the previous tax year, you may be eligible for a refundable tax credit for senior citizens. If applicable, your spouse must meet specific conditions too.
Luckily, you can claim the STC if you’re a Quebec resident and meet certain conditions. Before you submit your income tax return, remember to do research and speak with a tax expert to find out if you qualify for any tax breaks, like the Solidarity Tax Credit.
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Bryan is a graduate of Dawson College and Concordia University. He has been writing for Loans Canada for five years, covering all things related to personal finance, and aims to pursue the craft of professional writing for many years to come. In his spare time, he maintains a passion for editing, writing screenplays, staying fit, and travelling the world in search of the coolest sights our planet has to offer.
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