Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: The New GST Credit Explained

The tax-free quarterly payment many Canadians knew as the GST/HST credit has a new name and a bigger amount.

What changed in 2026

• New name: the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), from July 2026.
• 25% increase: payments are 25% higher for five years, from 2026 to 2031.
• One-time top-up: a top-up equal to 50% of the 2025–26 credit was paid on June 5, 2026.
• Same rules: eligibility and the way the amount is calculated are unchanged. The last payment under the old name was April 2, 2026.

How much you can get (July 2026 – June 2027)

Family	Maximum per year
Single, no children	$679
Married or common-law, no children	$890
Each child under 19	$234
Single parent with one child	$1,124
Couple with two children	$1,358

The amount is based on your 2025 adjusted family net income. It is reduced by 5% of family income above $46,432. Single people without children with very low income receive part of the $234 single supplement, phased in at 2% of income above $11,564.

Income limits

You get nothing once family income reaches:

Family	Income limit
Single, no children	$60,012
Couple, no children	$64,232
One child	$68,912
Two children	$73,592
Three children	$78,272
Four or more children	$82,952

Payment dates

• July 3, 2026
• October 5, 2026
• January 2027 and April 2027 (on the 5th, or the last business day before)

If your quarterly amount would be under $50, the CRA pays the whole year in July.

How to get it

You don’t apply separately. File your tax return every year, even with no income, and the CRA works out your eligibility. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, they must file too. Newcomers to Canada may need to apply with a form in their first year.

Some provinces pay their own credits together with the CGEB, including the New Brunswick HST credit, Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit, P.E.I. sales tax credit and Saskatchewan low-income tax credit.

Estimate your payments with the GST credit calculator.