Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The Ontario staycation tax credit doesn’t exist any more. It covered stays in Ontario during the 2022 tax year only, paid back 20% of eligible accommodation costs, and topped out at $200 for one person or $400 for a family. If you’re hunting for it on this year’s return, stop. There’s no line for it, and no amount of searching the form will change that.
What was the Ontario staycation tax credit?
The province announced it in its fall 2021 economic statement as a “new, temporary” credit for the 2022 tax year. The idea was to nudge people toward hotels, motels, lodges, bed and breakfasts and short rentals inside Ontario after the pandemic hit tourism hard.
It was refundable. That means you could get the money even if you owed no Ontario tax. You claimed it when you filed the 2022 return, which for most people meant spring 2023.
How much was the credit worth?
The province set the rate at 20% and put a ceiling on the spending it counted. The table shows the rules as the government described them in 2021.
| Item | Individual | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 20% | 20% |
| Spending counted, at most | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Credit, at most | $200 | $400 |
| Tax year | 2022 | 2022 |
| Refundable | Yes | Yes |
Say you spent $1,500 on hotel nights as a single person. Only $1,000 counted, so the credit was $200. A couple with children who spent $1,500 got $300, since their limit was $2,000.
Is there an Ontario staycation credit now?
No. We checked, and the official page for the credit has been moved into the Ontario government’s archive of old web pages. It wasn’t renewed for 2023, and we found no current announcement bringing it back. Tourism groups have asked for a return. A request isn’t a decision. Treat any page that says “claim your staycation rebate today” with suspicion.
We couldn’t confirm whether a late 2022 return can still pick it up. If you never filed for that year, ask the CRA, because we won’t guess at it.
Which Ontario credits can you still claim?
Ontario has other credits, and they’re less fun than a hotel rebate. The basic personal amount, the Ontario Health Premium and the low-income reduction all work through your return without a special form. Tuition, medical costs and donations count too, and the tax credits calculator shows the federal side of those. It is federal only, so it leaves out provincial amounts.
To see what your year adds up to, use the income tax calculator. On $70,000 of employment income in Ontario it shows $11,133.91 of federal and Ontario tax, about 15.9% of your income. Already had tax taken off at work? The tax refund calculator compares that with what you owe.
Mistakes to avoid with travel and tax
Don’t assume a holiday cost is deductible. For an employee, a personal trip is not a tax expense, and nobody gets a break for staying home instead of flying. Trips made for work are a different question, and your employer’s reimbursement rules decide most of it.
Don’t hold receipts for the old credit hoping it comes back. Keep your records for the normal six years, but a hotel bill from a leisure weekend won’t save you tax on its own.
And be careful with the word “rebate” in ads. Some are about a supplier’s own promotion, some are about a government program that ended. Neither is a claim you make on your return. If you’re planning a getaway budget, the budget calculator is a better place to start than a tax form.
Where the numbers come from
The credit details come from the Ontario government’s 2021 fall economic statement, the document that introduced it. The tax figures in the example come from this site’s calculators, which use 2026 federal and Ontario rates from the Canada Revenue Agency and the province. This site has no link with any government.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Ontario staycation tax credit for 2026?
We found no current Ontario program. The credit applied to the 2022 tax year only, and the official page now sits in the provincial archive.
How much was the staycation credit?
It was 20% of eligible Ontario accommodation costs. The most you could claim was $200 as an individual and $400 for a family.
Was the credit refundable?
Yes. The province said residents benefited even if they owed no Ontario income tax.
What counted as eligible accommodation?
Stays in Ontario at places such as hotels, motels, resort lodges, bed and breakfasts and short rentals. We did not re-check the full list on a current page.
Can I still claim it on a late 2022 return?
We could not confirm that. Ask the CRA before you rely on it.
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Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.