The GST/HST Credit Is Changing in 2026: What Canadians Need to Know

If you get the GST/HST credit, your quarterly payment is changing in 2026 — but not in the way most headlines suggest. The federal government is renaming and temporarily boosting the existing credit rather than launching a separate program you need to apply for. Starting July 2026, the GST/HST credit becomes the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), and the quarterly payment amounts go up 25% for five years. Before that, eligible Canadians will also get a one-time top-up payment tied to the old GST/HST credit, issued starting June 5, 2026.

Here's what that actually means for your bank account — in plain English, with dates, amounts, and the small number of things you may need to do to make sure it lands.

What the CGEB is

The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit replaces the GST/HST credit starting in July 2026. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, the eligibility rules, payment calculation, and overall structure stay the same as the GST/HST credit. What changes is the name and the amount: quarterly payments increase by 25% for five years, from 2026 through 2031.

For most people, the CGEB is not a new program you sign up for. It's the same benefit you already knew, administered by the same agency, paid on the same quarterly schedule, to the same categories of eligible Canadians — with a higher dollar amount.

The federal government says the measure is intended to support more than 12 million Canadians with low and modest incomes. Finance Canada estimates the 25% CGEB increase will deliver about $8.6 billion in added support from 2026–27 through 2030–31, including support for roughly 500,000 additional individuals and families.

What happens in June 2026

Before the CGEB officially takes over, there's a separate one-time GST/HST credit top-up.

• Issued: starting June 5, 2026.
• Who gets it: people who were entitled to the GST/HST credit in January 2026.
• How much: 50% of the recipient's total annual GST/HST credit amount for July 2025 to June 2026.
• What it's based on: the CRA uses 2024 adjusted family net income and the person's family situation in January 2026 to determine the amount.

As a reference, the CRA's example maximum top-up amounts include:

• $267 for a single person with no children.
• $349 for a married or common-law couple with no children.
• Higher amounts for families with children.

One note that may matter when you check your bank app: the CRA says the payment may still appear under the GST/HST credit name while financial institutions update their systems. That doesn't change who sent it or what it is — it's the top-up.

What changes in July 2026

From July 2026 onward, the quarterly payment is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. The first two CGEB payment dates in 2026 are:

• July 3, 2026
• October 5, 2026

(For comparison, the earlier GST/HST credit payment dates in 2026 were January 5 and April 2 — those were the old credit, paid before the CGEB took over.)

For the CGEB benefit year July 2026 to June 2027, the CRA-published maximum annual amounts are:

• $679 for a single individual
• $890 for someone who is married or has a common-law partner
• $234 for each eligible child under 19

Those are annual totals, delivered quarterly, and they're the upper bounds. The actual amount a household receives depends on adjusted family net income and family situation — the same mechanics as the GST/HST credit.

Unlike the top-up, the CGEB uses your 2025 tax return to determine the payment for July 2026 through June 2027.

Two tax returns, two payments

The simplest way to keep the mechanics straight:

• The one-time top-up (issued starting June 5, 2026) is based on your 2024 tax return plus your family situation in January 2026.
• The new CGEB quarterly payments (starting July 3, 2026) are based on your 2025 tax return.

If either tax return isn't filed, the matching payment likely won't land.

Who should pay attention

The CGEB uses the same eligibility rules as the GST/HST credit, so if you currently receive the GST/HST credit, the CGEB will typically apply to you automatically. The core criteria remain tied to GST/HST credit eligibility:

• You generally need to be a resident of Canada for tax purposes during the relevant periods.
• You must be at least 19, or if under 19, must have or have had a spouse or common-law partner, or be or have been a parent living with your child.
• Eligibility and the amount you receive are affected by adjusted family net income.

People most likely to benefit:

• Households currently receiving the GST/HST credit.
• Canadians with low or modest incomes who file their taxes but may not have checked whether they qualify.
• New residents of Canada who aren't yet in the system.
• Couples where only one partner currently receives the family credit — the same dynamics apply for the CGEB.

In most cases, people do not need to apply separately for the CGEB. The CRA determines eligibility automatically when you file your taxes. The main exception is new residents of Canada, who may need to apply using Form RC151.

How much you could get in 2026

Finance Canada has published two headline 2026 examples that include both the one-time top-up and the new CGEB quarterly payments:

• A family of four could receive up to $1,890 in 2026.
• A single person could receive up to $950 in 2026.

These are combined totals — the top-up issued from June 5, 2026 plus the CGEB quarterly payments that start in July 2026. They're upper bounds for eligible recipients; actual amounts scale with family size and adjusted family net income.

Why you may not get paid

The CRA publishes specific reasons you may not receive the CGEB starting July 2026:

• You did not file your 2025 tax return.
• You are not eligible based on that return.
• Your spouse or common-law partner receives the payment on behalf of the family.
• The payment is applied to an outstanding CRA balance (a debt you owe to the CRA).

For the one-time top-up starting June 5, 2026, similar issues can block or delay the payment:

• You did not file your 2024 tax return.
• You were not entitled to the January 2026 GST/HST credit.
• Your spouse or common-law partner received it on behalf of the family.
• The amount was applied to a CRA debt.

If a payment doesn't arrive when you expected, those are the first things to check before assuming something has gone wrong.

What Canadians should do now

For most people, the list is short:

1. File your taxes on time. For the one-time top-up, this means your 2024 return needs to be filed. For the ongoing CGEB payments starting July 2026, this means your 2025 return needs to be filed.
2. Check your direct deposit details. Make sure the CRA has a current bank account on file so the money lands automatically rather than waiting on a mailed cheque.
3. Check your CRA account information. Log in to My Account and confirm your address, marital status, and number of children are all up to date. Family situation changes can affect the amount.
4. Understand whether your spouse or common-law partner receives the family payment. When a couple is eligible, the benefit is generally paid to one partner on behalf of the family. If you're expecting the payment but it's being paid to your partner, that's normal — not a missing payment.
5. Look into Form RC151 if you're a new resident of Canada. New residents may need to apply using that form. If you've moved to Canada recently, don't assume you're already in the system.

If you're unsure whether you qualify, filing your taxes is the action that does the most work. The CRA uses the return to determine eligibility automatically.

Final takeaway

The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit isn't a new program to apply for, and it isn't replacing the GST/HST credit with something harder to access. It's the same benefit, with the same eligibility rules, paid on the same quarterly schedule — with a new name, a 25% boost for five years, and a one-time top-up in June 2026 for people already receiving the GST/HST credit.

For most Canadians receiving the credit today, there is no action required beyond the one most households already know: file taxes, keep CRA details up to date, and watch for the payments to land.

How Deal Dish helps

Deal Dish doesn't administer any federal benefit, but it does help you stretch the money you get. The app tracks flyer prices across 1,102 Canadian stores and 13 retailers every week, surfaces real stock-up prices on proteins and produce, and builds recipes around whatever's at genuine sale prices. Paired with a benefit payment like the CGEB, the savings compound.

This article is a plain-English consumer guide, not tax or legal advice. The Canada Revenue Agency is the authoritative source for eligibility, payment amounts, and exact timing. Before acting on any of the above, confirm eligibility and payment details directly with the CRA at canada.ca.

Download Deal Dish free on the App Store and stretch every grocery dollar further.