Ontario HST Rebate, Home Renovation, RebateMax

How Much HST Rebate Do You Get on a $300,000 Renovation in Ontario?

A $300,000 renovation in Ontario can get up to $34,513 back in HST — or as little as $15,929. The difference isn’t what you spent, it’s your home’s finished value and whether your reno starts before March 31, 2027. Here’s the worked math.

Short answer: $34,513 vs $15,929 on the same $300,000 renovation

On a $300,000 renovation in Ontario, including HST, you pay exactly $34,513 in HST — made up of $13,274 federal (5%) and $21,239 provincial (8%). How much you get back depends on two things: which rules you fall under, and what your home is worth after the work is done.

• Under the legacy rules, if your finished home value is $450,000 or more, the rebate on this project is $15,929 (all provincial, federal portion $0).

• Inside the new enhanced window, the same renovation can return up to $34,513 — essentially all the HST you paid.

That’s an $18,584 difference on the same $300,000 spend. The rest of this article walks through how those numbers are built, and when each one applies, so you can plan your renovation — and your rebate — with clear expectations.

The two numbers that decide your rebate

For a substantial renovation in Ontario, two numbers drive your HST rebate outcome much more than anything else:

1. HST actually paid. On this example, that is fixed: $34,513 total HST on a $300,000 tax-included contract. Only invoiced amounts with HST actually paid count. Own labour and cash trades without proper HST invoices do not help your rebate.

2. Your home’s finished value. This is the fair market value after the renovation is substantially complete — not what you spent, and not what the house was worth before. Rebate formulas look at this finished value to decide how much of the federal-style portion you can still claim, and whether enhanced rules apply.

💡 Pro Tip: For planning, sketch out a realistic finished value range (for example, $800,000–$900,000) and check how the rebate behaves across that band. RebateMax can help sanity-check that value range against local sales.

Worked math under the legacy rules on a $300,000 tax-included renovation

First, let’s stay with the $300,000 including HST example and assume the renovation does not fall into the enhanced window. You paid:

• $13,274 in federal HST (5%)

• $21,239 in provincial HST (8%)

Under the legacy program rules:

• The federal part is 36% of the federal tax, capped at $6,300, and it phases out between $350,000 and $450,000 finished value. At $450,000 or more, the federal rebate is $0.

• The Ontario part is 75% of the provincial tax, capped at $24,000, with no value ceiling. On this $300,000 tax-included reno, that Ontario portion works out to $15,929.

Here is how the combined legacy rebate looks at different finished home values on this same $300,000 renovation:

Most Ontario homeowners doing a large renovation today will land in that last row: finished value $450,000+, for a legacy rebate of $15,929 on a $300,000 tax-included project.

The same $300,000 renovation can return $15,929 or $34,513 depending on timing.

What changes inside the enhanced window?

Ontario has introduced an enhanced window where substantial renovations can recover far more of the HST — but you only get it if your project begins within a specific period.

• Your substantial renovation must begin between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.

• It must be substantially completed by December 31, 2029.

On our $300,000 including HST renovation, if you qualify for this enhanced window and your finished value is under the cliff described below, the rebate looks like this:

• Ontario portion: $21,239 (that is 100% of the provincial tax you paid on this job).

• ONHAP portion: $13,274 (Ontario-paid amount that mirrors the federal share for this example).

Total enhanced rebate on this renovation: $34,513. That is essentially all the HST back on a $300,000 tax-included contract.

However, there is an important enhanced cliff based on finished value:

• At a finished home value of $1,850,000 or more, there is no enhanced rebate. You fall back to the legacy $15,929 on this project.

Between $1,500,000 and $1,850,000, the enhanced provincial amount phases down. On this $300,000 renovation, though, the $21,239 Ontario amount sits below the $24,000 floor, so that phase-down band does not reduce your rebate. You still get the full $34,513 as long as your finished value is under $1,850,000.

📌 Key Takeaway: The enhanced window is about start date, not finish date. Your renovation must begin by March 31, 2027. You cannot fix the start date later on paper.

What if your $300,000 budget is before tax, not including HST?

Many homeowners think of their renovation as “$300,000 plus HST”. In that case, the math changes, because the HST paid is higher.

• Contract: $300,000 before tax, or $339,000 all-in.

• HST paid: $39,000 total — $15,000 federal + $24,000 provincial.

Under the legacy rules for this size of project, the Ontario portion only is $18,000 on this before-tax budget. Under the enhanced window (with finished value under $1,850,000), the rebate can be up to $39,000 — in other words, up to the full HST on that contract.

Planning around finished value and start date can turn HST into real cash back.

Two things that still have to be true: 90% test and first-time buyer route

All of these numbers assume you pass the basic qualification gates. There are two big ones most homeowners ask about.

1. The renovation must be “substantial” — the 90% test

For these housing rebates, a renovation is only eligible if it is considered substantial. In plain language, that means:

• At least 90% of the interior of the existing home is removed or replaced.

A luxury kitchen, new deck, and finished basement on their own do not pass this test. In that case, even if you spent $300,000, the renovation rebate is $0. RebateMax has a detailed breakdown of the 90% test in our $200,000 renovation article, which you can review if you are not sure where your project lands.

2. First-time buyers: a second route to check

If you are a first-time buyer and your renovation began on or after March 20, 2025, there is a separate first-time buyer rebate route that can also recover up to the full HST, for finished values up to $1,500,000 (phasing out above $1,000,000).

In other words, if you are both:

• Doing a substantial renovation, and

• A first-time buyer whose work began on or after March 20, 2025,

then you may have two possible paths to a large rebate. It is worth checking both, rather than assuming only the legacy or enhanced renovation path applies.

Filing window and proof: what still matters behind the scenes

No matter which program rules you fall under, there are a few timing and paperwork basics that never change:

• You must file within two years of substantial completion of the renovation.

• Only invoiced amounts with HST actually charged and paid count towards the rebate.

• Invoices must be in the claimant’s name — usually the homeowner on title. Own labour, undocumented barter, and “cash deals” do not help and can put the claim at risk.

💡 Pro Tip: RebateMax’s process is built to be audit-proof. We check every invoice and timeline detail before anything is filed, so you are not guessing what will stand up if CRA asks questions later.

Bottom line: plan around finished value and start date, not just “$300,000”

When you are spending $300,000 on a renovation, it is natural to ask, “How much HST do I get back?” The honest answer is that the spend amount alone is not enough.

• Under legacy rules and a finished value of $450,000+, you are looking at $15,929 back on a $300,000 tax-included project.

• Inside the enhanced window (substantial reno begins between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, finished by the end of 2029, and finished value under $1,850,000), the same project can return $34,513.

That difference — $18,584 — is big enough to change how you budget finishes, contingencies, or even whether you add that extra phase of work. But you only unlock it if you plan ahead:

• Be realistic about your finished home value, not just today’s value.

• Decide whether you can start before March 31, 2027 to fit into the enhanced window. Once that date passes, you cannot move your “start” on paper.

Next step: get a free eligibility check with RebateMax

RebateMax focuses only on Ontario HST housing rebates — custom builds, substantial renovations, additions, ADUs, and modular homes. Our job is to protect you financially while getting you the maximum legal rebate, with zero upfront fees and no paperwork headache on your side.

• Claim Your HST Rebate — Start Your 60-Second Qualification Audit at rebatemax.ca.

• Call 289-812-7179 to talk through your budget, timing, and finished value estimates in plain English.

• Or email [email protected] with your rough plans and dates to see whether you are on track for $15,929 or closer to $34,513.

You have already taken on the stress of a major renovation. Let a specialist handle the HST rebate side — so you do not leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table or risk a claim that will not stand up to review.