The GST payment is paid four times a year. In 2026 the first two payments went out as the GST/HST credit and the last two as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), which is the same benefit under a new name with higher amounts. The box below shows the next payment date, and the table under it lists every 2026 date the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has published.
GST / CGEB payment dates 2026
Next payment date
The next dates have not been published yet
The government publishes next year’s dates late in the year — this page is updated when they are.
| Month | 2026 |
|---|---|
| January | Mon, January 5 |
| April | Thu, April 2 |
| July | Fri, July 3 |
| October | Mon, October 5 |
How to read this table: January and April 2026 were paid as GST/HST credit payments; July and October 2026 were paid as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. The 2027 dates are added here when the CRA lists them. Source: Payment dates - Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (2026 dates); Payment dates for CRA administered benefits and credits — Canada.ca (CGEB row); RC4210 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (payment schedule for July 2026 to April 2027); RC4210(E) Revision 25, GST/HST Credit guide for the 2025-2026 payment period — Canada.ca (July and October 2025 schedule); Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) — Canada.ca (the rename); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (renamed); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (new residents); Payments chart, July 2026 to June 2027 (2025 base year) — Canada.ca; Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (maximum income, single / single parent, 2025 base year). Dates checked September 29, 2026.
How to read this table: each payment period runs July to June and uses the tax return from the year before it starts, so a change in income shows up in the July payment.
| Payment | Paid as | Income used | Payment period |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 5, 2026 | GST/HST credit payment | 2024 tax return | July 2025 to June 2026 |
| April 2, 2026 | GST/HST credit payment (the last one under that name) | 2024 tax return | July 2025 to June 2026 |
| July 3, 2026 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (first payment under the new name) | 2025 tax return | July 2026 to June 2027 |
| October 5, 2026 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit | 2025 tax return | July 2026 to June 2027 |
| January 2027 (scheduled for the 5th; exact date not yet listed by the CRA) | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit | 2025 tax return | July 2026 to June 2027 |
| April 2027 (scheduled for the 5th; exact date not yet listed by the CRA) | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit | 2025 tax return | July 2026 to June 2027 |
Source: Payment dates - Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (2026 dates); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (January and April 2026 paid under the old name); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (which tax return each 2026 payment is based on); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (single July payment when the quarterly amount is small); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (when to contact the CRA); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (email reminders); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (filing after July); Payment dates for CRA administered benefits and credits — Canada.ca (CGEB row); RC4210 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (payment schedule for July 2026 to April 2027); RC4210 — weekend and holiday rule; RC4210 — missing payment phone line; RC4210 — base year and payment period; RC4210 — newcomers apply with Form RC151; RC4210(E) Revision 25, GST/HST Credit guide for the 2025-2026 payment period — Canada.ca (July and October 2025 schedule); RC4210(E) Revision 25 — weekend and holiday rule (2025-2026 payment period); Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) — Canada.ca (the rename); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (renamed); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (last GST/HST credit payment); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (previous payment details); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (new residents); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (one application per household); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (file by April 30); Payments chart, July 2026 to June 2027 (2025 base year) — Canada.ca; Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (maximum income, single / single parent, 2025 base year); Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (maximum income, married or common-law, 2025 base year); Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (income must be below the threshold). In effect from January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027; checked September 29, 2026.
This page is education, not tax advice. Your own dates and amounts are in your CRA account (My Account), under Benefits and credits.
Is the GST credit now called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit?
Yes. The CRA’s own wording is that the GST/HST credit “has been renamed the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) as of July 2026.” On its CGEB page the CRA adds that under the new name, the eligibility, payment calculation, and structure are the same as they were for the GST/HST credit.
In practice that means three things for anyone searching “GST payment dates”:
- Same payment, same deposit. The quarterly deposit that used to show up as the GST/HST credit now arrives as the CGEB. Nobody had to reapply because of the rename.
- The split in 2026. The CRA says the January and April 2026 quarterly payments were made as GST/HST credit payments before the credit was replaced in July 2026. The last payment under the old name was April 2, 2026, and the first CGEB payment was July 3, 2026.
- Higher amounts. In July 2026 the benefit went up by 25%, and the CRA says the increase stays for five years, from 2026 to 2031. The Income Tax Act covers payments from July 2026 through April 2031.
Related provincial programs that were paid with the GST/HST credit, such as the New Brunswick harmonized sales tax credit and the Saskatchewan low-income tax credit, are now combined with the CGEB payment. The Ontario sales tax credit is the exception: it is paid separately as part of the Ontario trillium benefit, which has its own monthly dates.
For the full breakdown of what the renamed benefit covers and who gets what, see the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit guide.
When are the next GST payments after October 2026?
The CRA’s CGEB guide (RC4210) says the annual amount for July 2026 to June 2027 is paid in four payments, “on the 5th day of July and October 2026, and of January and April 2027.” So after October 5, 2026, the next two payments fall in January 2027 and April 2027.
The CRA had not yet put exact 2027 dates on its payment-dates pages when this page was checked on September 29, 2026. Its published rule is:
- Payments are made on the 5th of July, October, January and April.
- When the 5th falls on a Saturday, a Sunday or a federal statutory holiday, the payment is made on the last business day before the 5th.
That rule explains why the 2026 dates do not all land on the 5th. July 5, 2026 was a Sunday, so the payment went out on Friday, July 3. April 5, 2026 was also a Sunday and the Friday before it was Good Friday, a federal statutory holiday, so the payment went out on Thursday, April 2. January 5 and October 5, 2026 were both Mondays, so those payments were on the 5th itself.
For January and April 2027, both the 5th of January and the 5th of April fall on weekdays. The table above is updated with the exact dates once the CRA publishes them.
What were the GST/HST credit payment dates in 2025?
The CRA’s web pages now list 2026 only, and it points people to their CRA account for previous GST/HST credit payment details. Its 2025-2026 guide (RC4210 for the July 2025 to June 2026 payment period) set the schedule: payments on the 5th of July and October 2025 and of January and April 2026, moved to the last business day before when the 5th fell on a Saturday, a Sunday or a federal statutory holiday. Applying that rule:
- July 2025: Friday, July 4, 2025
- October 2025: Friday, October 3, 2025
- January 2026: January 5, 2026 (listed by the CRA)
- April 2026: April 2, 2026 (listed by the CRA), the last payment under the GST/HST credit name
Those four payments used adjusted family net income from the 2024 tax return. The January and April 2025 payments belonged to the payment period before that, and the CRA account is the place to confirm their exact dates.
How much is each GST / CGEB payment from July 2026?
Each payment is one quarter of the annual amount. These are the CRA’s figures for the 2025 base year:
How to read this table: add the pieces that apply to your family. A single person without children also gets a supplement of up to $234 once their net income passes $11,564 (2% of the income above that level). A single parent gets the full $234 supplement.
| Benefit | Basic amount (you) | Spouse, partner or first child of a single parent | Each child under 19 (after a single parent's first child) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly GST/HST credit) | 445 | 445 | 234 |
Source: GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca; Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) — Canada.ca (same calculation as the GST/HST credit); Payment amounts - Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (2025 base year row); Payment amounts - Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (column headings); Income Tax Act s. 122.5(3.005) — Justice Laws Website (phase-in and reduction rates); Income Tax Act s. 122.5(4.6) — Justice Laws Website (s. 122.5(3.005) replaces the old formula for July 2026 to April 2031); RC4210 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (2026-2027 payment period) — Canada.ca; RC4210 — base year and payment period. In effect from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027; checked September 29, 2026.
Put together, the CRA’s maximums for the year are $679 for a single person, $890 for a married or common-law couple, and $234 for each child under 19. The whole family amount is then reduced by 5% of adjusted family net income above $46,432.
Divided across the four payments, the maximum quarterly deposit is $169.75 for a single person, $222.50 for a couple and $58.50 more for each child.
If the amount works out to less than $50 a quarter, the CRA pays the whole year in a single payment in July instead of four instalments.
Worked examples, the full calculation and the income-by-income breakdown are in the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit guide. The CRA’s child and family benefits calculator gives an estimate for your own situation, and your notice from the CRA shows the exact amount. The newcomer benefits stack tool shows how this payment fits with the Canada child benefit and other federal payments.
Who qualifies for GST / CGEB payments?
The CRA’s eligibility rules did not change with the new name. To get a payment you need to be:
- A resident of Canada for income tax purposes at the end of the month before the payment and at the start of the month the payment is made.
- At least 19 years old in the month before the payment, or under 19 and have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner, or be (or have been) a parent living with your child.
- Up to date on tax returns. The CRA works out eligibility from your tax return, so a return has to be filed every year, even with no income.
Income decides whether anything is actually paid. Adjusted family net income has to be below these limits for payments from July 2026 to June 2027:
How to read this table: at or above these incomes the benefit is zero. Close to the limit the payment is small, because the amount shrinks by 5% of income above $46,432.
| Family situation | No children | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children | 4 or more children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, or single parent | $60,012 | $68,912 | $73,592 | $78,272 | $82,952 |
| Married or common-law | $64,232 | $68,912 | $73,592 | $78,272 | $82,952 |
Source: Payment dates - Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (2026 dates); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (January and April 2026 paid under the old name); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (which tax return each 2026 payment is based on); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (single July payment when the quarterly amount is small); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (when to contact the CRA); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (email reminders); Payment dates - CGEB — Canada.ca (filing after July); Payment dates for CRA administered benefits and credits — Canada.ca (CGEB row); RC4210 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — Canada.ca (payment schedule for July 2026 to April 2027); RC4210 — weekend and holiday rule; RC4210 — missing payment phone line; RC4210 — base year and payment period; RC4210 — newcomers apply with Form RC151; RC4210(E) Revision 25, GST/HST Credit guide for the 2025-2026 payment period — Canada.ca (July and October 2025 schedule); RC4210(E) Revision 25 — weekend and holiday rule (2025-2026 payment period); Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) — Canada.ca (the rename); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (renamed); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (last GST/HST credit payment); GST/HST credit - No longer available — Canada.ca (previous payment details); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (new residents); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (one application per household); How to get the benefit - CGEB — Canada.ca (file by April 30); Payments chart, July 2026 to June 2027 (2025 base year) — Canada.ca; Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (maximum income, single / single parent, 2025 base year); Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (maximum income, married or common-law, 2025 base year); Who is eligible - CGEB — Canada.ca (income must be below the threshold). In effect from January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027; checked September 29, 2026.
People in a shared custody arrangement may get half of the amount for that child. Children already registered for the Canada child benefit are counted automatically, so the Canada child benefit payment dates and this benefit usually go together for families.
A child who turns 19 during the payment period drops out of the parent’s calculation from the next quarterly payment. To start getting their own payments, the young adult needs to file a tax return for the previous year; the CRA then pays them from the first payment date after their 19th birthday.
How do newcomers get the GST / CGEB payments?
Most people never apply: filing a tax return is enough. New residents are the exception, because the CRA has no earlier return to work from. The CRA’s wording, from its CGEB guide, is:
If you are a newcomer to Canada and you want to get the CGEB, send a completed Form RC151, Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Application for Individuals Who Become Residents of Canada, for the year that you became a resident of Canada.
The CRA’s “How to get the benefit” page adds these points:
- A new resident can apply before filing a first tax return, for the first year they are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes.
- Only one application per household is required.
- A new resident with no children can use the online RC151 form.
- A new resident with children under 19 prints and mails Form RC151 and Form RC66 (the Canada Child Benefit Application) to their tax centre, with proof of birth for each child.
If residency status is unclear, the CRA suggests Form NR74; the NR74 residency guide explains how that works. A social insurance number is normally needed as well, and the SIN application steps cover how to get one. After the first year, payments continue as long as a tax return is filed each spring; the first tax return guide for newcomers covers that step.
What should you do if a GST payment is late or missing?
Direct deposit usually lands on the payment date itself. Mailed cheques take longer. If nothing has arrived, the CRA’s steps are:
- Wait 10 business days after the payment date. Payments often show up within that window.
- Check your CRA account. Under Benefits and credits, open Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) to see the payment status, your next expected payment and your statement of account.
- Check your details. An old address can stop payments even when direct deposit and the bank account have not changed. Changes in marital status or the children in your care also change the amount.
- Call the CRA at 1-800-387-1193 if the payment still has not arrived and the reason is not obvious.
The CRA’s list of reasons payments stop includes: no tax return filed, no reply to a CRA letter, a change in address, bank account or marital status the CRA was not told about, income that is now too high, no longer meeting the residency rules, or an overpayment or other government debt that the CRA is collecting from the benefit. Once the information is fixed, the CRA recalculates the benefit and pays any missed amounts with the next scheduled payment.
The CRA also offers email reminders, sent about one week before each payment is issued.
What changes next for the GST / CGEB payments?
- Before January 2027: the exact January and April 2027 dates are expected on the CRA’s payment-dates page. This page adds them to the table when they appear.
- April 30, 2027: the CRA’s filing date for the 2026 tax return. That return sets the amount for July 2027 to June 2028, and a late return can pause payments until it is assessed.
- July 2027: the benefit is recalculated from the 2026 tax return. The CRA says indexation of the amounts resumes in 2027, so the dollar figures change then.
- April 2031: the last payment month covered by the 25% increase in the Income Tax Act.
Common mistakes with GST payment dates
- Looking for a “GST/HST credit” line after July 2026. The payment still arrives; it is now labelled Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit in the CRA account.
- Expecting every payment on the 5th. Weekends and federal statutory holidays move a payment to the last business day before, as happened on July 3 and April 2, 2026.
- Calling the CRA on the payment day. The CRA asks people to wait 10 business days first.
- Assuming the amount is fixed. It is recalculated every July from the previous year’s return, and again after a marital status change, a reassessment or a change in the children in your care.
- Skipping the tax return because there was no income. Without a return, the CRA cannot work out eligibility and payments stop.
- Waiting for a first payment as a new resident. Newcomers may need to send Form RC151 (and Form RC66 with children) before any payment starts.
Related payment dates and tools
The GST / CGEB payment is one of several federal deposits. The CRA payment dates calendar for 2026 puts every CRA benefit on one page. The Canada workers benefit pays advance payments on its own schedule, and retirees can check the CPP and OAS payment dates for 2026. Ontario residents get the provincial sales tax credit separately, through the Ontario trillium benefit and its monthly dates.