Here’s a conversation I’ve had a dozen times this year. A client opens their City of Winnipeg property tax statement, sees a line called the “Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit,” and calls me: “Ted, what happened to the Education Property Tax Credit I used to get? Did they take it away?” The short answer is no — they didn’t take anything away, they renamed and replaced it, and for most homeowners the new credit is actually a little bigger. But the details matter, especially if you own a condo, a higher-end home, or a rental, so let’s walk through exactly what you get and how to make sure you actually receive it.

The quick version: what changed

Back in 2025, Manitoba scrapped the old Education Property Tax Credit (EPTC) and replaced it with the Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit (HATC). At the same time, the province wound down the old School Tax Rebate for residential properties. So the alphabet soup you may remember from past tax bills — EPTC, School Tax Rebate — has been folded into one credit for homeowners.

The good news is that the HATC has been climbing each year:

• 2025: maximum credit of $1,500
• 2026: maximum credit of $1,600
• 2027: maximum credit of $1,700

The credit works as the lesser of that maximum and the gross school taxes on your principal residence. In plain terms: if the school-tax portion of your bill is $1,600 or more this year, you get the full $1,600. If your school taxes come in under that, you get whatever that lower amount is. For a typical Winnipeg home, most owners land at the full credit.

It only applies to the home you live in

This is the part that trips people up. The HATC applies to principal residences only — the home you actually live in. It does not apply to a rental property, a lake cottage, a second home, or commercial property. So if you own a rental in Transcona or a cottage out at Falcon Lake, don’t expect the credit on those tax bills.

The province defines your principal residence the way you’d expect — it’s where you actually live most of the time, and it lines up with the address on your driver’s licence, your vehicle registration, your health card, and your income tax return. You and your spouse or common-law partner can only claim one principal residence between you. If you’ve separated and are living in two different homes, only one of those properties can carry the credit.

Renting instead of owning? You’re not left out — you may qualify for the separate Renters Affordability Tax Credit, which is claimed on your income tax return.

Condo and multi-unit owners: read this part

If you own a condo that’s individually assessed — which most Winnipeg condos are — you get the HATC as an advance right on your property tax statement, exactly like a single-family homeowner. No special steps.

The wrinkle is for owner-occupants of a duplex, triplex, or similar multi-unit building. If you live in a property that contains more than one dwelling unit, you can’t take the credit as an advance on the tax statement — but you can still claim it on your personal income tax return. Same money, different door.

How you actually receive it — don’t leave it on the table

For most homeowners, the HATC shows up automatically as an advance on your City of Winnipeg property tax statement, which lowers the amount you owe. To get it that way, your municipality needs to know the home is your principal residence — you have to have self-declared it. The reassuring part: if you claimed it last year, your declaration carries forward automatically, so most people don’t have to do a thing.

Two situations where you need to take action:

• You’ve never declared your principal residence with the City (for example, you’re a newer homeowner) — contact the City of Winnipeg’s Assessment and Taxation department to self-declare so the credit lands on your statement.
• You were eligible but the credit didn’t appear on your statement — you don’t lose it. You can claim the HATC on your personal income tax return when you file.

If you pay your property taxes monthly through the City’s Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP), the credit is factored into how your annual bill is spread out. If the numbers on your statement look off, a quick call to the City clears it up.

What’s coming in 2027 — and who needs to pay attention

The maximum credit rises again to $1,700 for the 2027 tax year. But 2027 also introduces something new: a phase-out for higher-assessed homes. For properties assessed over $1,000,000, the maximum benefit shrinks by $3.40 for every $1,000 of assessed value above that million-dollar mark, and homes assessed at $1,500,000 or more will no longer receive the credit at all.

For the vast majority of Winnipeg homeowners — where a detached home averaged around $454,000 this summer — this changes nothing. But if you own a higher-end property in River Heights, Tuxedo, or a newer executive build, it’s worth knowing your credit could start to taper in 2027.

A couple of related credits worth knowing

If you’re a senior, the Seniors’ School Tax Rebate is still around, worth up to $235, reduced by 1% of family net income over $40,000, and claimed on your income tax return. And if you own a farm property, the 50% School Tax Rebate on farmland continues unchanged and is applied directly to your tax statement.

The bottom line

The Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit isn’t a mortgage product, but it’s real money off the cost of owning your home — up to $1,600 this year and $1,700 next year — and I’d rather my clients understand it than leave it sitting on the table. If you’ve recently bought your first home in Winnipeg, moved, separated, or you’re just not sure whether the credit is showing up on your statement, it’s worth a five-minute check.

I help buyers and homeowners across Winnipeg and Manitoba sort out exactly these kinds of details every day. If you’ve got a question about the HATC, your property taxes, or anything else on the homeownership side, call me at 204-890-2446 or email ted@tedvailas.com — happy to help.

This article is general information, not tax advice. For your specific situation, confirm details with the Manitoba Tax Assistance Office or the City of Winnipeg Assessment and Taxation department.