How HomeCalc calculates — and how we keep it accurate

    Last reviewed: July 13, 2026

    How does HomeCalc keep calculators accurate?

    HomeCalc is built by a product engineer, not a licensed advisor. Every formula here comes directly from official Canadian sources — CMHC, OSFI, the CRA, the Bank of Canada, and provincial finance ministries — and is unit-tested against those documents. We show you the source and the date we last verified it, so you can check the number yourself. This is a calculator, not personal financial advice: confirm anything that matters with a mortgage broker, CPA, or real-estate lawyer.

    Our standards in one paragraph

    HomeCalc is built by a product engineer, not a licensed advisor. Every formula here comes directly from official Canadian sources — CMHC, OSFI, the CRA, the Bank of Canada, and provincial finance ministries — and is unit-tested against those documents. We show you the source and the date we last verified it, so you can check the number yourself. This is a calculator, not personal financial advice: confirm anything that matters with a mortgage broker, CPA, or real-estate lawyer.

    Where our numbers come from

    Every calculator family traces to a primary Canadian publication. When a rule changes, we update the calculator and bump the “Last verified” date on the tool page.

    Calculator families mapped to official Canadian sources
    Calculator familyOfficial sourceWhere to check
    Mortgage payment / affordability / stress testOSFI B-20 (stress test) + CMHC insurance rules (Dec 2024)osfi-bsif.gc.ca · cmhc-schl.gc.ca
    Down payment / CMHC insuranceCMHC (Dec 2024 rules)cmhc-schl.gc.ca
    Land transfer taxProvincial finance ministries + City of Toronto (MLTT)fin.gov.on.ca · gov.bc.ca · toronto.ca · gov.mb.ca
    Income tax / salary after taxCRA tax rates + CRA payroll formulas (T4127)canada.ca (CRA)
    Capital gains / CCA / flipping taxCRAcanada.ca (CRA)
    Rent increaseProvincial guideline (Ontario)ontario.ca
    Rates contextBank of Canadabankofcanada.ca

    How we test the formulas

    Formulas are implemented in TypeScript and unit-tested against the official documents above. Those tests run on every build. If a calculator output ever disagrees with the source document, the source wins — we fix the code.

    When we update

    We treat these as triggers to re-verify and, when needed, ship an update:

    • Bank of Canada rate announcements
    • CRA annual indexation of tax brackets and payroll formulas
    • CMHC or OSFI rule changes
    • Provincial budget or land-transfer / rent-guideline changes

    Each calculator shows its own “Last verified” date in the Accuracy box. Methodology for the site as a whole is reviewed whenever those upstream sources change.

    What HomeCalc is not

    HomeCalc is not personal financial, tax, or legal advice. It is not a licensed mortgage brokerage, accounting firm, or law practice. Confirm anything that matters for your situation with a mortgage broker, CPA, or real-estate lawyer before you act.

    Who builds this

    Hami Tahm, founder — a product engineer and first-time buyer in Toronto. Explicitly not a licensed advisor. The work here is careful sourcing and careful math, not licensed advice.

    Corrections

    If you spot an error, email TahmHami@gmail.com with “Correction” in the subject line. Include the URL, what looks wrong, and the official source. We fix it and publish a dated correction note on the affected page.

    How we make money

    HomeCalc is free and ad-free. Some users opt in to be contacted by a mortgage broker; we share those leads with brokers, which keeps the tools free. Calculator results are never influenced by this.

    Related: Editorial Policy · About · Disclaimer

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