How to Fill Out the ON-BEN Form for Seniors' Property Tax Grant and Credits
Form ON-BEN is the single form that unlocks every provincial property tax benefit for Ontario seniors — the OSHPTG, the OEPTC, and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit. It's officially called Form 5006-TG, and skipping even one checkbox can cost you hundreds of dollars. Here's how to fill it out correctly.
Where to Get the Form
Form ON-BEN is part of the Ontario tax package available on the CRA website (search for "5006-TG" on canada.ca). If you use tax software like Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax, or H&R Block, the software generates it automatically — but you still need to answer the prompts that populate the right fields.
The form gets attached to your T1 income tax return. It's not a standalone application you send separately.
The Key Lines for Senior Homeowners
Line 61020 — Check this box to apply for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC). If you skip it, the CRA won't calculate the credit even if you fill in everything else.
Line 61070 — Check this box to apply for the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant (OSHPTG). This is a separate checkbox from Line 61020. Many seniors check one but not the other, leaving money unclaimed.
Line 61120 — Enter the total eligible property taxes you paid on your principal residence during the tax year. This is the municipal property tax amount from your final tax bill — not your monthly mortgage escrow payment, and not utility charges that are billed separately.
Line 61100 — If you're a renter, enter total rent paid during the year. The CRA treats 20% of your rent as the property tax equivalent for credit calculations.
Special Situations
Long-term care residents: If you live in a public or non-profit long-term care home, don't use Line 61120 or 61100. Instead, enter your accommodation costs on Line 61230. The CRA applies a statutory formula that treats 20% of those costs as eligible occupancy.
Mobile home owners: If you own the mobile home but lease the lot, report property taxes paid on the home plus the property tax portion of the lot lease on Line 61120. Don't enter the site lease as rent on Line 61100.
Housing co-op members: If you're in a non-profit housing co-op and don't hold equity, enter your monthly housing charges under rent on Line 61100.
Reserve residents: Enter your home energy costs (electricity, heating fuel) on Line 61210. Property taxes aren't required for the energy component calculation.
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Separated Spouses Living Apart for Medical Reasons
If you and your spouse occupy separate residences because one of you is in a care facility, each of you can file as a single individual for benefit purposes. Check Box 61080 in Part A and enter the separated spouse's address in Part C. This lets both of you use the single-filer income thresholds instead of the higher combined thresholds — which can mean significantly larger credits.
Don't Forget to File
The biggest mistake isn't filling out a line wrong — it's not filing at all. Seniors with income below the taxable threshold often skip their tax return entirely, assuming there's nothing to claim. But the OSHPTG and OEPTC are refundable credits: the CRA pays you even when you owe no tax. Without a filed return and ON-BEN form, the payment doesn't happen.
The filing deadline is April 30. Late returns still get processed, but your OTB monthly payments will be delayed until the CRA catches up.
The Ontario Property Tax Relief for Seniors guide covers every ON-BEN line in detail, including worked examples for joint owners, trust properties, and retroactive claims.
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