the GST payment dates 2026 calendar has five deposits instead of the usual four. The Canada Revenue Agency paid out on January 5 and April 2 under the old GST/HST credit rules, added a one-time top-up on June 5, then switched to the newly renamed Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit starting July 3, with the next deposit landing October 5. If your bank statement suddenly shows a different program name, that’s why, and nothing about your eligibility changed.
When Are the GST Payment Dates 2026?
Here’s the full breakdown, in the order Canadians actually received them this year:
- January 5, 2026 — regular GST/HST credit payment, based on your 2024 tax return
- April 2, 2026 — the final payment under the old GST/HST credit name
- June 5, 2026 — a one-time top-up worth roughly half your annual credit
- July 3, 2026 — first payment under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
- October 5, 2026 — second CGEB payment, at the increased rate
The CRA generally schedules these for the 5th of the month. When that date falls on a weekend, the deposit moves to the closest business day before it, which explains why April arrived on the 2nd and July on the 3rd. In our experience answering client questions about this, most of the confusion this year came from people assuming a missed January or April deposit meant they’d been cut off, when really it was just the mid-year rename catching them off guard.
Why Did GST Payment Dates 2026 Change This Year?
The program itself didn’t disappear. Starting in July, the government renamed the GST/HST credit to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and attached a permanent 25 percent increase to the quarterly amount, locked in through 2031.
The June 5 top-up was a bridge payment issued before that higher rate kicked in, calculated at roughly 50 percent of a household’s total annual entitlement for the 2025-26 benefit year. Same eligibility rules, same CRA system, bigger cheque. Anyone tracking GST payment dates 2026 closely will notice the January and April deposits used your 2024 tax return, while July and October switched over to your 2025 return, which is a separate reason your amount could shift up or down.
The rationale wasn’t a mystery. Grocery prices climbed faster than general inflation for several years running, and the government pointed to that gap directly when explaining the boost. Provincial and territorial top-up programs didn’t vanish either; they’re folded into the same CGEB deposit, so a resident of a province with its own sales tax credit still sees one combined payment.
How Much Will You Get on the GST Payment Dates 2026 Schedule?
Your payment amount depends on marital status, number of children, and adjusted family net income, and it splits cleanly into two periods.
Amounts Before July 2026
Based on your 2024 tax return, the maximum annual figures were $533 CAD for a single person, $698 CAD for a married or common-law couple, and an additional $184 CAD per child under 19. These applied to the January and April deposits.
Amounts From July 2026 Onward
With the 25 percent bump and the switch to your 2025 tax return, a single person can receive up to roughly $666 CAD a year, a couple around $873 CAD, and about $230 CAD per child. Including the June top-up, a family of four could see close to $1,890 CAD across the year, and a single filer up to about $950 CAD. Income above roughly $45,521 CAD starts reducing the amount gradually, so a large RRIF withdrawal in the wrong tax year can quietly shrink or eliminate a payment someone was counting on.
Take a single parent with two kids and a modest income under the threshold as an example. Before July, that household’s annual entitlement worked out to roughly $533 CAD plus $368 CAD for two children, landing near $901 CAD. After the July increase, the same household’s ongoing rate climbs to somewhere close to $1,126 CAD, not counting whatever share of the June top-up already arrived. Small gaps like this are exactly why two neighbours with similar incomes sometimes compare notes and end up puzzled over why their cheques don’t match.
Who Qualifies for Payments on the GST Payment Dates 2026 Calendar?
Eligibility hasn’t changed with the rename. You generally qualify if you’re a Canadian resident for tax purposes at the start of the payment month, you’re at least 19 years old (or younger but married, common-law, or a parent), and you’ve filed a tax return for the previous year, even with zero income to report.
There’s no minimum income threshold, and no separate application if you already file taxes annually; the CRA assesses you automatically. Newcomers who haven’t filed a Canadian return yet can apply directly with Form RC151 rather than waiting a full tax season. Someone turning 19 partway through the year becomes eligible starting the quarter after their birthday, provided the relevant tax return has already been filed and assessed by that point, which trips up a fair number of young adults who assume the credit starts automatically the moment they hit the age.
What Should You Do If a Payment Is Late?
Give it ten business days past the scheduled date before assuming something’s wrong; normal processing lag accounts for most delays. After that, check that your direct deposit details and address are current in your CRA account, confirm your prior year’s return has actually been assessed, and remember that mailed cheques run noticeably slower than direct deposit, particularly in regions dealing with postal disruptions this year.
If everything checks out and you’re still past the ten-business-day mark, contacting the CRA directly is the next step. We’ve seen cases where the actual cause turned out to be a change in marital status or address that never got reported, which quietly stalls a payment without any error message or notification arriving first, so it’s worth confirming those basic details are current before assuming something more serious went wrong.
FAQ
CRA payment dates 2026
The CRA issues several benefit payments across 2026 — GST/CGEB on Jan 5, Apr 2, Jul 3 & Oct 5, plus ACWB on Jan 12, Jul 10 & Oct 9. Good news: most Canadians get money from at least one program every few months.
GST payment increase 2026
The GST/HST credit jumped 25% higher starting July 2026 under its new name, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, locked in for 5 years through 2031.
Workers benefit payment dates 2026
The Advanced Canada Workers Benefit pays 3 installments: January 12, July 10, and October 9, 2026 — each covering up to 50% of your entitlement in advance.
GST payment dates 2026 September
There’s no scheduled GST/CGEB deposit in September — the quarterly cycle skips straight from July to October 5, 2026, so don’t worry if nothing lands this month.
GST payment dates 2026 October
October 5, 2026 is the second CGEB payment, still riding the 25% increase that started in July — a nice bump for eligible households.
GST payment dates 2026 January
January 5, 2026 was the year’s opening GST/HST credit payment, calculated from your 2024 tax return, before the CGEB rename took effect.
GST payment dates 2026 August
Like September, August has no GST/CGEB payment — the benefit stays on its fixed quarterly schedule between the July and October deposits.
GST payment dates 2026 July
July 3, 2026 marked the first payment under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, delivering the 25% increase and using your 2025 tax return.
