If you’re a recent graduate who is living and working in a remote resource region of Québec, you might be able to claim a tax credit specific to your situation. You can claim this tax credit if:
- You lived and worked in a remote resource region of Québec on December 31, 2017
- Your employment began 24 months following the date you successfully completed training that led to a recognized secondary or post-secondary diploma* OR the date on which you received your master’s or doctoral degree
- You were entitled to this tax credit for a previous year and were resident in a remote resource region of Québec throughout the period beginning December 31, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2017
- Your work is related to the field of study you recently graduated from and for which you received a recognized diploma
*A recognized diploma can be a Diploma of Vocational Studies, an Attestation of Vocational Specialization (AVS), or an Attestation of Vocational Education (AVE). However, this list isn’t complete. For a full list of recognized secondary and post-secondary diplomas, refer to page 3 of form TP-776.1.ND-V.
You can claim as much as 40% of your salary as a tax credit by completing form TP-776.1.ND-V. This means you can potentially claim up to $3,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $8,000 to $10,000. Visit the Revenu Québec website to find out how much of your salary you’re allowed to claim. Keep in mind, you can’t claim this tax credit if you were self-employed.
Note: Revenu Québec requires that you complete a separate TP-776.1.ND-V form for each eligible employment. Unfortunately, H&R Block’s tax software currently allows you to only complete this form once. If you need to complete more than one TP-776.1.ND-V this year, we recommend that you contact one of our retail offices and speak to a Tax Expert – they’ll be happy to help! (fees will apply)
Do I live in a remote resource region?
If you live in one of the following regions, regional county municipalities (MRCs), and cities, you’ll be able to claim this credit:
- Bas-Saint-Laurent (region 01)
- Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (region 02)
- Abitibi-Témiscamingue (region 08)
- Côte-Nord (region 09)
- Nord-du-Québec (region 10)
- Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine (region 11)
- MRC d’Antoine-Labelle
- MRC de La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau
- MRC de Mékinac
- MRC de Pontiac and
- La Tuque, La Bostonnais and Lac-Édouard
The cumulative, or lifetime amount of your tax credit
Depending on your situation, you’re entitled to a cumulative limit of $8,000 or $10,000 for this tax credit. You can claim a cumulative limit of $10,000 if you meet all of the eligibility criteria for the tax credit and:
- you started the employment after March 20, 2012 and it’s related to the field of specialization you received a recognized post-secondary diploma for
- you were a resident in a remote resource region in Québec from the end of 2016 to the end of 2017
- you were entitled to the credit in 2014, 2015 or 2016 for employment giving entitlement to the $10,000 cumulative limit or
- you were entitled to the credit in a previous year for employment giving entitlement to the $10,000 cumulative limit and the employment you held in 2017 is new employment that began in the above-mentioned 24-month period
In all other cases, the cumulative amount to which you’re entitled to is $8,000.
What does Revenu Québec consider “eligible salary or wages”?
Eligible salary or wages refers to the income earned from all eligible employment throughout the year. For the purposes of this tax credit, eligible employment refers to the work performed by an individual for a business located in a remote resource region of the province. The work must be related to the specialty in which he or she received training that led to them earning a recognized diploma.
Where do I claim this?
Follow these steps in H&R Block’s 2017 tax software:
Before you begin, make sure you told us that you lived in Québec on December 31, 2017.
- On the PREPARE tab, click the IN THIS SECTION icon.
- Under Unused tuition amounts you carried forward from a previous year, interest paid on a student loan, and money received for school (a scholarship, grant, etc.), click the Add This button.
- Click the STUDENTS icon. You will find yourself here:
- Under the CREDIT AMOUNTS heading, select the checkbox labelled Tax credit for recent graduates working in remote resource regions (TP-776.1.ND-V), then click Continue.
- When you arrive at the page for the Tax credit for recent graduates working in remote resource regions, enter your information into the tax software.
