Important: Beginning January 1, 2017, the Canadian government will no longer offer the education and textbook tax credits (students will still be able to claim the tuition tax credit). If you’ve got unused education and textbook credits from years prior to 2017, there’s no cause for alarm - you’ll still be able to claim them or carry forward these amounts for use on future returns. Refer to the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) website for more information regarding these changes.
Did you attend university outside of Canada? If you did, the TL11A you received certifies your eligibility for the tuition, education, and textbooks amounts, so that you can claim your non-refundable tax credit on your Schedule 11 (and Schedule T, if you’re a Québec resident).
You can also use the TL11A to transfer your education amounts to someone like your spouse, parent or grandparent, or your spouse’s parent or grandparent. You’ll only be able to do this, however, for credits you earned this year (transfers of a previous year’s education amounts aren’t allowed).
To qualify, you must have paid at least $100 in school fees, and attended university full-time (3 consecutive weeks for each course as of 2011) while studying for your bachelor’s degree or an equivalent level. As you enter your information into the tax software, make sure that the total time you studied part-time and full-time doesn’t equal more than 12 months.
Your total tuition amount on your TL11A (shown in the image below) includes:
- Your tuition
- Mandatory support services fees that all students must pay (fees like health services or athletics other than student association fees)
- Your admission
- Use of the library or laboratory
- Exams
- Fees for getting your degree
If you don’t use the full tax credit to reduce your income tax payable, it’s recommended that you carry forward the rest to use in a future year, or transfer them to a member of your family.
Note: You might receive a tax certificate other than a TL11A if you commuted to an American university or if you’re a deemed resident of Canada. If you commuted to a university in the U.S., you’ll receive a TL11C. If you’re a deemed resident of Canada and attended a university outside of the country, you’ll receive a TL11D.
For more information on students and income tax, visit the CRA website.
Where do I claim this?
Follow these steps in H&R Block’s tax software to file your 2016 taxes:
- On the QUICK ENTRY tab, click the QUICK SLIP icon. You’ll find yourself here:
- Type TL11A in the search field and either click the highlighted selection or press Enter to continue.
- When you arrive at the page for your Tuition, education, and textbook amounts certificate, enter your information into the tax software.
