This is one of those general questions that comes down to ”it depends”.
The main difference is wether the rent is for personal use, business or a clergy.
Can you deduct your rent on your taxes in Alberta?
No, you can’t claim your personal rent as a tax deduction in Alberta.
However, you can claim a portion of your rent if it is a business. For a home based business, you would calculate the square footage used for business use.
There is no line in the tax code that allows you to claim basic rent that you pay a landlord for a private residence.
The following types of rent can be deducted on your taxes:
- Portion of rent used as a home office as an employee. If the home office is a requirement for your employment.
- Percentage of your rent in proportion to the square footage of your work space. If you have a home based business.
- Any rent paid as a business for any amount of space used for business purposes.
- Some religious buildings like churches.
In Summary
You can deduct any rent that is used for business or required as a condition for employment.
The amount you pay is based on the square footage used for work or business purposes.
Some religious institutions can claim rent, such as a clergy.
A few provinces do have tax credit programs for a portion of your personal rent payment. Alberta is currently not one of those provinces.
