Fact sheet

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

What's new on your 2007 income tax and benefit return

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wants you to know about the following changes in the 2007 individual income tax and benefit return:

Lowest tax rate - The lowest tax rate has been reduced to 15% for 2007. This rate also applies when calculating federal non-refundable tax credits.

Federal non-refundable tax credits - The following changes have been made to the amounts used in calculating your federal non-refundable tax credits:

• Basic personal amount - The basic personal amount has increased to $9,600. Individuals with taxable income in 2007 up to this amount will not have to pay federal income tax.
• Spouse or common-law partner amount - You may be able to claim this amount if, at any time in the year, you supported your spouse or common-law partner and his or her net income for 2007 was less than $9,600.
• Amount for an eligible dependant - You may be able to claim this amount if, at any time in the year, you supported an eligible dependant whose net income for 2007 was less than $9,600.
• Amount for children born in 1990 or later - You may be able to claim $2,000 for each of your or your spouse's or common-law partner's children if they lived with you throughout 2007 and were under the age of 18 at the end of the year.
• Children's fitness amount - You may be able to claim eligible fees, paid in 2007, of up to $500 per child for registering each of your or your spouse's or common-law partner's children in a prescribed program of physical activity.
• Public transit amount - Individuals can claim the cost of monthly or longer duration public transit passes for travel within Canada. The cost of shorter duration passes can also be claimed if each pass entitles the user to unlimited travel for an uninterrupted period of at least five days and the user purchases enough of these passes so that they are entitled to unlimited travel for at least 20 days in any 28-day period. Individuals can also claim the cost of electronic payment cards when used to make at least 32 one-way trips during an uninterrupted period not exceeding 31 days.

Pension income splitting - Eligible individuals may be able to allocate up to half of their pension income that qualifies for the pension income tax credit to their lower-income spouse or common-law partner.

Meal and beverage expenses for long-haul truck drivers - The deductible part of certain meal and beverage expenses for long-haul truck drivers, incurred during an eligible travel period after March 18, 2007, has increased.

Registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) - The age limit for contributing to an RRSP has increased from 69 to 71.

Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) - Individuals and families with low incomes may be able to claim the WITB, which includes a supplement for individuals who are entitled to the disability tax credit. Eligible individuals and families can also apply for advance payment of up to one half of their estimated 2008 WITB using Form RC201, Working Income Tax Benefit Advance Payments Application for 2008.

For a full list of tax changes, visit What's new for 2007 on the CRA Web site or see your General Income Tax and Benefit Guide for 2007.

Tax returns can be submitted to the CRA electronically using NETFILE or EFILE, by phone using TELEFILE, or by mail.

For more information on tax topics, visit www.cra.gc.ca/individuals or call the individual income tax enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281 for English enquiries and 1-800-959-7383 for French enquiries.

This document is also available for download in PDF format.

To get notification by email when news releases, fact sheets, tax tips, and tax alerts are added to our Web site, subscribe to our electronic mailing list. You can also subscribe to the Media room RSS feed.

For media information

Date modified:

2014-12-03