Prime Minister Stephen Harper vows a re-elected Conservative government would establish a $2,000 Single Seniors Tax Credit that would extend additional annual tax relief to nearly 1.6-million single and widowed seniors who have pension income.
Combined with the existing $2,000 Pension Income Credit that’s claimed by 4.6-million seniors already, Harper says this will double the tax relief available to single seniors annually, starting in January 2017.
In making this promise, Harper says his party believes that ”seniors know best how to make financial decisions about their futures and their retirement. So we’re working to help them keep more of their own money, rather than creating expensive programs that will raise their taxes even higher.”
The Zoomers’ group CARP – A New Vision of Aging – welcomes the move.
CARP’s Susan Eng says it would treat single seniors the same as married seniors.
”Some of our members have told us that because they are single they are unable to get tax relief by splitting their pension income for tax purposes like their married friends. Single seniors, usually women, will welcome this news, especially those who are caring for a dependent such as an adult child or parent.”