Benefits & credits
What happened to the GST/HST credit, and how much the quarterly payment is now
The quarterly credit has a new name and a 25 % raise: the 2026 amounts, thresholds and dates.
Read the articleThis week’s essentials
- 1Why the TFSA room in your CRA account may be months out of date
- 2The pension that arrives without an application, and the income that trims it
- 3Three income lines decide how much of a dental bill the federal plan pays
- 4What a 2026 pay raise actually costs you in tax, bracket by bracket
An editor’s selection of the guides most relevant this month, not a ranking.
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New guides
Benefits & credits
How the Canada Child Benefit is built, and why it changes every July
Up to $8,157 per young child, tax-free, and a formula that resets each July from last year's returns.
Home & health
The renewal letter from your lender is an offer, not an instruction
21 days' notice, five required items, and no obligation to sign. The federal rules behind a mortgage renewal.
Savings & banking
What happens to your money in the days after a bank fails
$100,000 per category per bank, automatic and free; funds and stocks are not covered.
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More guides
Benefits & credits
The pension that arrives without an application, and the income that trims it
Tax
What a 2026 pay raise actually costs you in tax, bracket by bracket
Tax
How much RRSP room you have was settled before 2026 began
Tax
The 3 % rule that decides whether your medical receipts are worth claiming
Savings & banking
Why the TFSA room in your CRA account may be months out of date
Savings & banking
The savings account that behaves like an RRSP going in and a TFSA coming out
Home & health
Three income lines decide how much of a dental bill the federal plan pays
Home & health
Two renovation credits, one bathroom grab rail, and which one to claim
Questions readers ask us
Short answers from the official sources. For anything about your own case, use the agency’s own service.
Do I need to apply for the GST/HST credit or the new grocery benefit?
No. The CRA checks eligibility automatically when it assesses your tax return each year, so filing a return, even with no income, is all that is required. The amounts and dates are explained in our guide to the quarterly credit.
At what income does the OAS clawback start for 2026?
For 2026 income the recovery tax threshold is $95,323. Above it, 15 cents of every extra dollar is deducted from OAS payments from July 2027 to June 2028. Our OAS guide gives a worked example and the GIS thresholds.
What is the TFSA contribution limit for 2026 and how much room do I have in total?
The 2026 annual limit is $7,000. Someone who was 18 or older in 2009 and has been resident in Canada throughout has $109,000 of cumulative room, less whatever they have contributed, plus any withdrawals restored on 1 January. Our TFSA guide explains why the CRA's online figure lags and how to keep your own tally.
Is my money safe if my bank fails, and how much is covered?
At a CDIC member institution, eligible deposits such as savings, chequing accounts and GICs are insured up to $100,000 per insured category, including interest, with no claim to file. Mutual funds, stocks, bonds, ETFs and crypto are not covered, and most credit unions are insured provincially instead. Our CDIC guide walks through the categories.
What is the income limit for the Canadian Dental Care Plan?
Adjusted family net income must be less than $90,000, based on last year's tax return for you and your spouse or partner. Under $70,000 the plan pays 100 per cent of its fee schedule; from $70,000 to $79,999 you pay a 40 per cent co-payment, and from $80,000 to $89,999 you pay 60 per cent. Our article on who qualifies for the CDCP covers the other three tests and the renewal deadline.
Do I have to pass the stress test to switch lenders when my mortgage renews?
Not for a straight switch. OSFI no longer expects lenders to apply the minimum qualifying rate when an uninsured mortgage moves to another federally regulated lender with the same or a smaller balance and amortization. Borrow more or extend the amortization and the test applies again. See what a lender must tell you at renewal.