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Age of Majority by Province / Minor Child

A minor is a person who has not yet reached the age of majority.

The age of majority is the age at which a person is considered to be an adult legally, and in Canada it is normally determined by province of residence.

However, the age of 18 is the age of majority for the attribution rules relating to transfers or gifts to a related minor child, as defined by s. 74.1(2) of the Income Tax Act.

Our TFSA vs RRSP Calculator asks for your age at the prior year end, indicating it must be at least 17, 18 in some provinces. If the age of majority is 18 in your province, then your age at the prior year end must be 17 in order to have a TFSA or RRSP. Of course, you cannot actually open the TFSA or RRSP until you have reached the age of majority in your province or territory. This also applies to the First Home Savings Account (FHSA).

Links for each province are to the Age of Majority Act, or to the Quebec Civil Code.

Age of Majority of 18 Years

Alberta

Manitoba

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Age of Majority of 19 years

British Columbia

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Northwest Territories

Nova Scotia

Nunavut

Yukon

 

Revised: October 14, 2025