GST Credit Payment Dates 2026: Amounts and Eligibility

The GST credit payment dates for 2026 are January 5, April 2, July 3, and October 5, 2026. There was also a one time top up on June 5, 2026. In July 2026, the federal government renamed the GST/HST credit the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) and raised it by 25 percent for five years. For July 2026 to June 2027, a single adult can get up to $679 a year, and a family of four up to $1,358. Payments shrink once family net income passes $46,432. Calgary residents get only the federal amount, because Alberta has GST only and no provincial add on.

GST Credit Payment Dates 2026 Schedule

The CRA pays the GST credit four times a year, and 2026 also had a special fifth payment in June. The first two GST credit payment dates of 2026 were January 5 and April 2. These payments belonged to the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, which used your 2024 tax return. They were the last quarterly payments made under the old GST/HST credit name. The amounts were based on the lower rates in place before the 2026 increase.

On June 5, 2026, the CRA sent a one time top up equal to 50 percent of your 2025 to 2026 GST/HST credit. For example, a single person with $25,000 of net income got about $267, and a family of four with $40,000 got about $533. You didn’t have to apply. Anyone who got the January 2026 payment and filed a 2024 return received the top up automatically.

The July 3, 2026 payment started the new benefit year under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit name, based on your 2025 tax return. The next payment came on October 5, 2026, and the last two of this cycle arrive in early January and early April 2027. The CRA posts the exact 2027 dates on its benefit payment dates page late in the year.

What Changed: The GST Credit Is Now the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit

The GST/HST credit still exists in practice, but it has a new name and bigger payments. The CRA replaced the GST/HST credit with the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit in July 2026. The eligibility rules, the calculation, and the quarterly payment schedule all stayed the same. So if you searched for GST credit payment dates, the CGEB dates are the ones that now apply to you. The CRA’s old GST/HST credit page now points to the new benefit.

The biggest change is the amount. The benefit increased by 25 percent, and the increase is set to last for five years, from 2026 to 2031. On top of that, the amounts are still indexed to inflation every July. A single adult’s maximum went from $533 in the 2025 to 2026 year to $679 in the 2026 to 2027 year.

For Calgary residents, one thing hasn’t changed at all. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so there is no provincial credit paid with the federal benefit, like the Ontario Trillium Benefit. Our Alberta Sales Tax GST Only Guide explains why Alberta businesses and shoppers deal with the 5 percent GST alone. That keeps your payment simple, since the only amount you get is the federal one.

How Much GST Credit You Can Get in 2026?

Your payment depends on your family size and your adjusted family net income from the 2025 tax return.

Amounts for July 2026 to June 2027: For the current benefit year, the CGEB pays up to $445 for you and $445 for your spouse or common law partner. You get another $234 for each child under 19. Single adults can also get a supplement of up to $234, which brings the single maximum to $679 a year, or about $170 per quarter. A couple with two children can get up to $1,358 a year, which is about $339 per quarter. Single parents claim the $445 spouse amount for one child, in addition to the child amounts. 

How Income Reduces Your Payment: Once your adjusted family net income passes $46,432, your benefit goes down by 5 percent of the income above that level. For a single adult, the benefit stops completely at about $60,000 of net income. For a family of four, it stops at about $73,600. The CRA uses line 23600 of your return, plus your spouse’s, to work out family net income. RRSP contributions and child care expenses lower your net income, and a lower net income can raise your payment. Our guide on Child Care Expenses in Calgary shows how daycare costs cut your net income.

Who Is Eligible for the GST Credit?

Most low and modest income Canadians qualify, as long as they file a tax return every year.

1. Basic Eligibility Rules: You qualify if you are a resident of Canada for tax purposes and are at least 19 years old. You also qualify if you’re younger but have a spouse or common law partner, or you’re a parent living with your child. You have to meet these rules the month before and the first day of the month the CRA makes a payment. You don’t need to apply. The CRA checks every return automatically, even if you had no income at all. 

2. Newcomers and Young Adults: Newcomers to Canada apply with Form RC151 for the year they arrived. If you have children, you also file Form RC66 for the Canada Child Benefit. After your first year, you only need to file a tax return each spring to keep getting payments. Teens who turn 19 during the year start getting the benefit in the first quarter after their birthday. They have to file a tax return for the year before they turn 19 so the CRA knows their income. 

GST/HST Credit vs Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit

This table shows what changed between the old GST/HST credit and the new benefit.

The biggest jump is in the per person amounts, which rose by about 27 percent once inflation indexing is added to the 25 percent increase. The income threshold moved up only about 2 percent, in line with inflation. Families just above the threshold still see their benefit shrink as their income grows. The payment schedule and the rules haven’t changed. The CRA still pays in January, April, July, and October, and it still uses your latest assessed tax return. Once you file your 2026 return in spring 2027, the July 2027 payment will be based on that return.

Staying eligible depends on filing on time and reporting your income correctly every year. We have a team in Calgary that can help you with Personal Tax Returns in Calgary, Bookkeeping in Calgary, and accounting services so you stay compliant, claim every credit you’re owed, and never miss a deadline.

How to Make Sure You Get Every GST Credit Payment?

A few simple steps keep your payments on time and at the right amount. File your tax return by April 30 every year, even if you had no income. The CRA uses that return to set your payments for July through the next April. If you file late, your payments stop in July and restart only after the CRA assesses your return, with any missed amounts paid in a lump sum.

Keep your details current in CRA My Account. If you marry, separate, or start living with a partner, tell the CRA by the end of the following month, because your family net income changes. Direct deposit gets your money to you days before a mailed cheque, and it keeps payments safe if you move.

If a payment doesn’t arrive, wait 10 working days after the scheduled date before you contact the CRA. Check My Account first to see if your payment was held because of a missing return or old banking information. Many people who get the GST credit also qualify for other benefits, so read our blogs on Canada Workers Benefit Payment Dates and How Much Employment Insurance in Canada too.

Conclusion

The 2026 GST credit payment dates were January 5, April 2, June 5 for the top up, July 3, and October 5. The next payments come in early January and early April 2027. The benefit now goes by the name Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, but it still works like the old GST/HST credit. For Calgary residents, the benefit is federal only, because Alberta has no provincial sales tax. A single adult can get up to $679, and a family of four up to $1,358, depending on 2025 net income. Filing on time is the one step that keeps every payment coming.

If you want help filing your return or checking your benefit amounts, Calgary Tax Consulting prepares personal tax returns for individuals and families across Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, and Okotoks. We make sure every credit and benefit you qualify for is claimed. Book an appointment before the April deadline so your July payment arrives on time.

FAQs

Q. What are the GST credit payment dates for 2026?
The 2026 payment dates are January 5, April 2, July 3, and October 5, plus a one time top up on June 5. The next payments come in early January and early April 2027.

Q. Is the GST credit still paid in 2026?
Yes, but under a new name. Since July 2026, the GST/HST credit has been called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, and the amounts are 25 percent higher.

Q. How much is the GST credit for a single person in 2026?
A single adult can get up to $679 a year for July 2026 to June 2027, or about $170 per quarter. The amount goes down once net income passes $46,432.

Q. Do Alberta residents get a provincial GST credit?
No. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so Calgary residents get only the federal Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit.

Q. Do I need to apply for the GST credit?
No. The CRA reviews every tax return automatically, so you only need to file your return each year, even if you had no income.