Frequently asked questions about the child and family benefits calculators

1. How to use the forms
2. Currency exchange rates
3. About the calculators
4. Net income
5. World income
6. About the child and family benefit programs
7. About the Working Income Tax Benefit
8. About the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant
9. About the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit
10. About the Northern Ontario Energy Credit

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How to use the forms

Q. How do online forms work?
A. Visit our help page for basic instructions about:

• moving within form
• changing your data

Q. My cursor is stuck in the form's first field. How do I move the cursor to the next field so I can continue?
A. As explained on our help page, enter the appropriate data in each box or "field". To move from one field to the next, use the "Tab" key on your keyboard. This helps to ensure that you don't accidentally skip over any fields. You can also use your cursor to move from one field to the next. Simply place your cursor in the field you want to fill in, then left-click your mouse.

Q. I just realized that I made a mistake. How do I correct it?
A. Before you hit "Continue" or the "Calculate" button: If you haven't submitted your request to the calculator yet and you spot an error, click on the field that contains the error. This "selects" the existing data, which you can then correct or replace.

After you hit "Continue": Use the "Back" button in your browser's toolbar to return to the previous page containing the information you would like to change.

After you hit "Calculate":

• Use the "Back" button in your browser's toolbar to return to the previous page containing the information you would like to change; or
• Use the "Back to Welcome page" button to start again from the beginning; or
• Use the "Back to Calculation page" button to change the income or child information.
• Use the "Clear" button on the calculation page to refresh the page and remove all your entries.

Currency exchange rates

Q. I have foreign income to convert into Canadian dollars but I do not have the exchange rates.

A. Visit What are the average exchange rates?

About the calculators

Q. What date should I use to determine the ages of my children for the calculators?

A. You should use today's date as the date to determine the age(s) of your child(ren). We base the amount of CCTB on the number of children you have and their ages as of the first day of each payment month. For example, if your child turns 18 in October, you may receive the CCTB for that child for the month of October, but it will end beginning the following month, November.

Net income

Q. How do I report net income that includes taxable capital gains for the calculators?

A. If your net income includes taxable capital gains arising from a foreclosure; these amounts are to be excluded from your family net income before entering an amount into the calculator. The net income is to be reduced by whichever amount is less:

1. Line 127, or
2. 50% of Lines 124 + 155

Note: If the value is negative, it is considered zero for the purposes of determining the amount that the family net income will be reduced by.

World income

If you or your spouse/common‑law partner resided in Canada throughout 2010, enter the amount from line 236 of your and/or your spouse/common‑law partners' tax returns.

If you or your spouse/common‑law partner are newcomers to Canada or returning residents in 2010, enter the amount from line 236 of your and/or your spouse/common‑law tax returns and your and/or your spouse/common‑law income earned outside Canada.

If you or your spouse/common‑law partner are newcomers to Canada or returning residents in 2011 or 2012, enter your or your spouse/common‑law income earned outside Canada in 2010.

Income earned outside Canada must be determined in the same way net income is determined in Canada: gross income from all sources minus deductions.

About the child and family benefit programs

Q. I would like more information about the child and family benefit programs, such as the income levels at which benefits decrease and how benefits are calculated.

A. For information about the CCTB, visit our Canada Child Tax Benefit page.

For information about the related provincial and territorial programs, see the Canada Child Benefits pamphlet.

For information on the GST/HST credit, visit our Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax credit page.

For information about the Child Disability Benefit, visit our Child Disability Benefit page.

About the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB)

Q. I would like more information about the WITB.

A. For information about the WITB, visit our Working Income Tax Benefit page.

About the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant (OSHPTG)

Q. I would like more information about the OSHPTG.

A. For information about the OSHPTG, visit our Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant page.

About the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)

Q. I would like more information about the OEPTC.

A. For information about the OEPTC, visit our Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit page.

About the Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)

Q. I would like more information about the NOEC.

A. For information about the NOEC, visit our Northern Ontario Energy Credit page.