Eligible Canadians Will Receive These Government Paybacks This Summer

A Canadian flag hangs from a lamp post along the road in front of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Canadians who are eligible can expect to receive some paybacks from the federal government’s benefit and credit programs this summer.

Here are the payments and amounts these programs provide.

GST Credit

The Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit is paid out four times a year. It’s money that is offered to help individuals and families with lower income earn back some of what they pay in GST or HST, depending on the province they live in.

You don’t need to apply for the credit, as those who meet the eligibility requirements are automatically enrolled based on their tax return information. To be eligible for the credit, you need to be 19 years of age or older and a Canadian resident.

The next GST/HST credit will be paid out on July 5, and Canadians can expect up to $496 if they are single, $650 for married and common-law couples, and $171 for each child under the age of 19.

Carbon Rebate

Similar to the GST credit, the Carbon Rebate is offered to offset the cost Canadians face from the federal carbon tax. To be eligible, you need to be 19 years of age or older, and a resident of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or PEI.

Residents in British Columbia, Quebec, North West Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut are not eligible as these regions have different environmental initiatives and are not part of the federal carbon tax program.

Canadians don’t need to apply to receive the rebate as they are automatically enrolled when filing taxes. However, the government does have application forms available for newcomers to the country.

For those who live rurally, there is a 10 percent supplement offered, which can be claimed by ticking the correct box on page 2 of your income tax return. That amount will be increased to 20 percent of the base amount, according to the government website.

How much you’ll receive depends on your family income and the province you live in. A government calculator is available to find out how much you could be getting back.

The next Carbon Rebate payments will be sent out on July 15.

Child Tax Benefit

This is a monthly payment given by the government to families with children under 18 years. It is to help with the cost of raising children, according to the government website.

Eligibility for the payments includes living with and caring for a child under 18 and being a Canadian resident. Payments can get complicated in divorce and custody situations, and the government says the parents can split the benefit if they have a shared custody agreement. However, if a parent has less than 40 percent of the time with the child, they are not entitled to receive the benefit.

Parents can apply for the child tax benefit as soon as a child is born. This can be done when registering the child’s birth with the province, or to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) online or by mail.

The amount each family receives varies based on the income reported in the most recent tax return. A government calculator can help you find out how much you should receive.

Payment dates for the summer months are June 20, July 19, and Aug. 20.

Workers Benefit

Canada’s Workers Benefit is paid to low-income, employed individuals and families.

It is divided into two parts: a basic amount and a disability supplement.

The Canadian government says it will be providing advance payments that are equal to 50 percent of the workers benefit. It will be offering three of the advance payments to help with the rising cost of living, a government website says.

Residents of Canada who are 19 years and older, and who earn less than the provincial net income threshold, are eligible to receive the benefit. Eligible workers can claim the benefit when they file an income tax return.

How much you can receive is adjusted based on your income. The maximum basic amount for a single individual is $1,428 and $2,461 for families. For the disability portion of the benefit, the most a single individual or family could receive is $737.

The first advance payment will be issued on July 12, with other payments arriving in the fall.