Benefits and Credits Overview
Filing a return does more than settle your tax bill: it is how the CRA works out most of the benefits and credits you may receive. If you do not file, the CRA cannot calculate them, and payments can stop. This guide is a pointer-only overview — each benefit below has a full guide on this network, linked here, and this page does not repeat that content.
Why filing matters for benefits
Most federal benefits and credits are calculated from the income on your tax return and recalculated each year. File every year, even if you owe no tax and even if your income is low — that is often when benefits matter most.
The GST/HST credit
The GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment for individuals and families with low or modest incomes, meant to offset the GST/HST they pay on purchases. Eligibility and amounts are recalculated each July from the previous year’s tax return.
You do not apply separately: you are considered automatically when you file your return. The full guide — who qualifies, how much it is, and when it is paid — is at gstcredit.tapetoolhq.com.
The Canada Child Benefit
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment for families with children under 18. The amount depends on family net income and the number and ages of the children, and it is recalculated each July from the previous year’s returns.
Both parents in a two-parent family must file, because the benefit is based on family income. The full guide is at ccb.tapetoolhq.com.
The Canada Workers Benefit
The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit for low-income workers. It is claimed on the return, and part of it can be paid in advance during the year. “Refundable” means it can be paid to you even if you owe no tax.
The full guide — the income thresholds, the disability supplement, and how the advance payments work — is at cwb.tapetoolhq.com.
The Disability Tax Credit
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a non-refundable credit that reduces tax payable for people with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions. Claiming it requires a medical practitioner to certify the impairment on Form T2201.
The DTC also opens the door to other programs, including the Registered Disability Savings Plan. The full guide is at dtc.tapetoolhq.com, and the Canada Disability Benefit has its own guide at disabilitybenefit.tapetoolhq.com.
Retirement income and Employment Insurance
Canada Pension Plan retirement benefits and Old Age Security are federal retirement income, not tax credits: both are taxable income on your return, and both are reported on slips (T4A(P) and T4A(OAS)). They are covered in full at cpp-oas.tapetoolhq.com.
Employment Insurance — the benefits you receive if you lose your job or take parental leave — is also taxable income, reported on a T4E. It is covered at ei.tapetoolhq.com. And the First Home Savings Account, which combines features of an RRSP and a TFSA for first-time buyers, is covered at fhsa.tapetoolhq.com.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, canada.ca; CRA, GST/HST credit; CRA, Canada Child Benefit; CRA, Canada Workers Benefit; CRA, Disability Tax Credit.