How to make the most out of the new Ontario staycation tax credit

A cabin at the Smoothwater Outfitters and Ecolodge, north of the town of Temagami, Ont.Karan Smith

In a rare case of government evoking a word more commonly used as a hashtag during a budget announcement, the Ontario fiscal statement released this week highlighted a new, temporary Ontario Staycation Tax Credit, a proposal meant to promote tourism within the province as the region continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The province is offering to give Ontario residents back 20 per cent of the money they spend on accommodations between January 1 and December 31, 2022, on amounts up to $1,000 a person and $2,000 a family. The refundable credit will apply to 2022 personal income tax returns, and be a maximum of $200 for an individual or $400 for a family. The government notes eligible accommodations will be stays of less than a month at places such as hotels, motels, resorts, lodges, bed-and-breakfasts, cottages or campgrounds in Ontario.

There are stipulations and fine print, but this sounds like a solid excuse to explore what the province has to offer as we slowly but surely make our way out of our homes again.

We dug into our archives to find some favourite Ontario getaway stories, searching the province for some hidden gems. Check them out see if there’s a spot that piques your interest, from ski hills you may have missed to a new way to check out the capital. (Note: Some pricing may have changed since the story was originally published.)