The first of several rebates from the federal government is set to go out to qualifying Canadians in just a few days, which means some will be getting a bit extra in their wallets to start the new year.
These tax credits or incentives are for specific purposes, including affordability for lower-income households, especially those with children and older Canadians.
To avoid any delays, especially with the mailing of paper cheques, the Canada Revenue Agency is encouraging all Canadians eligible for rebates to sign up for direct deposit.
Here are all of the federal rebates scheduled to go out to Canadians in 2026.
The GST credit is also known as the harmonized sales tax credit in regions where that applies, and is paid out to qualifying Canadians four times per year.
Information submitted during tax filing season determines the payment amount, including the income, marital status and number of children in a household, if any.
According to the federal government, the maximum annual amount an individual may receive from July 2025 to June 2026 is $533, while a married or common-law couple could see up to $698 combined.
The payment amounts are recalculated every July based on how much a family or individual earned in the previous tax year. This means that in July 2026, the GST credit will be recalculated based on the tax filings submitted in April 2026.
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The payment dates for GST credits in 2026 are on Jan. 5, April 2, July 3 and Oct. 5.
The federal government will soon start sending out 2026 credits for qualifying families to help with the cost of raising children amid the heightened cost of living in Canada.
Last month, Royal Bank of Canada released a report from a survey, which found that nearly three-quarters of participating parents were surprised by how much the cost of raising children has gone up in the past year.
At the same time, 60 per cent of respondents said their household budgets have never been stretched so thin.
According to the federal government, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment for eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age.
The amount a qualifying family may receive mostly depends on the net income based on tax information submitted to the CRA.
CCB payments are sent every month, starting on Jan. 20.
The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a tax credit rebate that supports lower-income workers, and 2026 payments will start in January.
Qualifying for the CWB usually means being a Canadian resident age 19 or older and earning a net income that is considered below the level specific to the province or territory.
For example, in the 2024 tax year, the net income level in most of Canada, besides Quebec, Alberta and Nunavut, was $36,749 for an individual without children, while for a family with children, it was $48,093.
Individuals in the 2025 tax year who qualify could receive a total of up to $1,590, while families could get up to $2,739.
There are three Canada Workers Benefit payments sent out in 2026: the first on Jan. 12, then on July 10 and on Oct. 9.
Canadians who are over the age of 65 will usually qualify for payments from the federal government known as old age security (OAS). It is determined based on how long they have lived in Canada after the age of 18, regardless of whether they were employed.
The OAS payments are administered by Service Canada, but the amount Canadians who qualify may receive is determined based on the information provided to the CRA.
Service Canada will typically enrol qualified Canadians into OAS automatically, and will inform those individuals by mail. The federal government says if it’s been one month since a Canadian’s 64th birthday and they still have not received an enrolment letter, they may need to apply themselves.
OAS payments are sent out every month in 2026, starting on Jan. 28.
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