13.16% for taxable income over $220,000. Ontario non-refundable tax credits are provided for individual and family circumstances (e.g., basic amount, spouse, medical expenses) at the rate of 5.05% (11.16% for charitable donations in excess of $200), before calculating the provincial surtax and Ontario Tax Reduction. Many Ontario non-refundable tax credit amounts are indexed annually. The Ontario Dividend Tax Credits are calculated after the provincial surtax and before the Ontario Tax Reduction. In 2020, these credits are provided at a rate of 10% for eligible dividends and at a rate of 2.9863% for non-eligible dividends. In 2019 and 2018, these credits are provided at a rate of 10% for eligible dividends and at a rate of 3.2863% for non-eligible dividends.
Those who owe a higher amount of Ontario personal income tax are subject to a surtax. For 2020, the surtax is equal to 20% of Ontario income tax in excess of $4,830, plus 36% of Ontario income tax in excess of $6,182. For 2019, the surtax is equal to 20% of Ontario income tax in excess of $4,740, plus 36% of Ontario income tax in excess of $6,067. For 2018, the surtax is equal to 20% of Ontario income tax in excess of $4,638, plus 36% of Ontario income tax in excess of $5,936.
If a taxfiler’s Ontario tax exceeds their threshold amount, the Ontario Tax Reduction may reduce their Ontario tax. For 2020, the basic threshold amount is $249 and the additional amount for each dependent child age 18 and under, and each disabled or infirm dependant, is $460. For 2019, the basic threshold amount is $244 and the additional amount for each dependent child age 18 and under, and each disabled or infirm dependant, is $452. For 2018, the basic threshold amount is $239 and the additional amount for each dependent child age 18 and under, and each disabled or infirm dependant, is $442.
The Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is a single value-added tax based on the federal Goods and Services Tax. The provincial portion of the HST is 8% and the federal portion is 5%, for a combined HST rate of 13%. The federal government is responsible for the collection and administration of the tax, with HST revenues distributed to the Province based on a revenue allocation formula. Ontario also maintains a Retail Sales Tax of 8% on certain insurance premiums and 13% on private transfers of specified vehicles, which is collected and administered by the Province. Sales Tax amounts also include spirits taxes which apply on purchases where the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is not the retailer or wholesaler of the product. Purchases of spirits and spirits coolers from a spirits manufacturer’s on-site store are subject to spirits taxes. The Sales Tax amounts reported by the Province are net of sales tax credits of $1,863,144,251 in 2018-19 and $1,811,035,675 in 2017-18.
Corporations Tax is comprised of three types of taxes levied on corporations: income tax, insurance premium tax and special additional tax on life insurance corporations. Details of these taxes follow.
Income Tax: The general statutory Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate is 11.5%. Active business income from manufacturing and processing, mining, logging, fishing and farming is subject to a lower CIT rate of 10%. Small Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) are also eligible for a lower CIT rate of 3.5% on the first $500,000 of active business income (the small business CIT rate was reduced from 4.5% to 3.5%, effective January 1, 2018, and is prorated for taxation years that straddle this date). The small business CIT rate is phased out for large CCPCs, and associated groups of CCPCs, that have more than $10 million (fully eliminated if more than $15 million) of taxable capital employed in Canada in the previous year. The Province also levies a Corporate Minimum Tax (CMT), which is effectively a pre-payment of regular CIT. CMT is calculated as the amount by which 2.7% of a corporation’s adjusted net income for accounting purposes exceeds CIT payable.
Insurance Premium Tax: Insurance companies are subject to a 2% insurance premium tax on life, accident and sickness insurance premiums, 3.5% on property insurance premiums and 3% on other (e.g. casualty) insurance premiums.
Special Additional Tax: Life insurance corporations pay a special additional tax at a rate of 1.25% of taxable capital employed in Ontario that exceeds a minimum capital allowance of $10 million, with corporate income tax and CMT creditable against this tax.
The Employer Health Tax is paid by employers on their Ontario payroll. Employers with annual Ontario payroll of $200,000 or less calculate tax payable at 0.98% of their taxable annual Ontario payroll; employers with annual Ontario payroll over $200,000 and up to $400,000 calculate tax payable at graduated rates that apply to their taxable annual Ontario payroll starting at 1.101% through to 1.829%; and employers with annual Ontario payroll in excess of $400,000 calculate tax payable at 1.95% of their taxable annual Ontario payroll. A tax exemption is provided for the first $490,000 of annual Ontario payroll paid by private sector employers, including their associated entities. The exemption is adjusted for inflation every five years using the Ontario Consumer Price Index. The next adjustment is scheduled to occur in 2024. Employers with annual Ontario payroll in excess of $5,000,000 are generally not eligible for the exemption.
Education property taxes are collected by municipalities and transferred to school boards for the purposes of funding education. Education property tax rates are set annually by the Minister of Finance for each class of real property. The tax is levied on the assessed value of property at a uniform rate of 0.161% for residential properties, in 2019. Rates for commercial, industrial, pipeline and landfill properties vary across the province. These rates are regulated under the Education Act. The Education Property Tax amounts shown are net of $1,120,555,598 in property tax credits and grants in 2018-19 and $1,096,093,587 in 2017-18. The amounts also reflect a number of rebates, reductions and exemptions available across the province.
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