What is the 2026 GST/HST credit payment schedule? The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) lists four 2026 payment dates: January 5, April 2, July 3 and October 5. The January and April payments are the GST/HST credit, based on the 2024 tax return. The July and October payments are under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), based on the 2025 tax return. The dates come from CRA information dated June 8, 2026.
2026 GST/HST Credit Payment Dates
| Payment date | Program | Tax return used |
|---|---|---|
| January 5, 2026 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| April 2, 2026 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| July 3, 2026 | CGEB | 2025 return |
| October 5, 2026 | CGEB | 2025 return |
The GST/HST credit and the CGEB appear on the same four-date calendar, but each date belongs to one program: the January and April dates are GST/HST credit payments, and the July and October dates are CGEB payments. The first two payments depend on the 2024 return and the last two on the 2025 return. Before each payment, confirm that the return it relies on has been filed with the CRA, because the credit is calculated from the information in that return.
The CRA’s benefit payment calendar also lists other payments on separate dates in 2026:
- Canada Child Benefit (ACE): monthly, from January 20 to December 11.
- Canada Workers Benefit advance payments (ACWB): January 12, July 10 and October 9.
These dates are not the same as the GST/HST credit dates, so check each program’s own date when you plan your monthly budget.
If a payment has not arrived, wait 10 business days after the scheduled date before contacting the CRA. For the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB), the CRA waiting period is 5 business days.
Is the GST/HST credit now called the Grocery Rebate?
No. The sources list the GST/HST credit and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) as two separate payments in the 2026 schedule. Both are paid on quarterly dates, but each keeps its own name and its own tax-return basis. In 2026, the GST/HST credit is paid in January and April, and the CGEB is paid in July and October. The CGEB is described as a new benefit, so the two should not be treated as one payment under a renamed label.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) schedule dated 2026-06-08 gives the four 2026 payment dates:
| Payment date (2026) | Benefit | Tax return the payment is based on |
|---|---|---|
| January 5 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| April 2 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| July 3 | CGEB | 2025 return |
| October 5 | CGEB | 2025 return |
The split matters for planning. A household that receives the GST/HST credit in January and April will see the CGEB appear only from July, under a different name on the payment record. The change in return year also means the July and October payments depend on the 2025 return, not the 2024 return used for the first two payments.
The CRA’s payment-dates page, also cited as a 2026 source, lists these same four dates and confirms the labels above. It does not present the CGEB as a replacement for the GST/HST credit, so the two should be tracked as separate lines in a household budget.
Which income years are used for the calculation?
The GST/HST credit and CGEB payments scheduled for 2026 are calculated from two different tax returns. The January 5 and April 2, 2026 payments use your 2024 return. The July 3 and October 5, 2026 payments use your 2025 return. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) confirmed this on 2026-06-08.
| Payment date (2026) | Benefit | Return used |
|---|---|---|
| January 5 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| April 2 | GST/HST credit | 2024 return |
| July 3 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) | 2025 return |
| October 5 | Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) | 2025 return |
The pattern is that the first two payments of the year rely on the return for the earlier tax year, and the later payments rely on the most recent one. The return you filed for each tax year is therefore the document that determines the amounts paid in the corresponding part of 2026. If your return for 2024 or 2025 was not filed, or was filed with information that changed after the fact, the amounts for the matching payments depend on what the CRA has on record for that year.
The July and October payments belong to a different benefit. The CRA lists them under the new CGEB, not the GST/HST credit, so they should not be tracked as GST/HST credit payments in a household budget. Keep the two benefits in separate lines when you record deposits. The CRA’s payment-date page also lists other 2026 dates, including the Canada Child Benefit paid monthly from January 20 to December 11, and the Advance Canada Workers Benefit on January 12, July 10 and October 9. These are separate benefits and do not change the income years listed above.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency, payment dates page and 2026-06-08 notice.
Other CRA benefits to watch in 2026
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) pays several benefits on schedules separate from the GST/HST credit. The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is paid monthly, and the Canada Workers Benefit advance payments are made on separate dates. The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), a new benefit, is paid on July 3 and October 5, 2026. Each benefit has a distinct schedule, so check the CRA payment dates page for each one you receive.
| Benefit | 2026 payment dates | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| CCB (regular monthly payment) | Monthly, from 20 January to 11 December | Not stated in the source |
| Canada Workers Benefit advance payments (ACWB) | 12 January, 10 July, 9 October | Not stated in the source |
| CGEB | 3 July, 5 October | 2025 tax return |
The CGEB is paid on the July and October dates, while the GST/HST credit is paid in January and April. They are separate payments. Your July and October amounts depend on the income declared in your 2025 return, so the figure can differ from the January and April payments, which rely on your 2024 return.
If a CCB payment does not arrive, the CRA’s guidance sets a waiting period of 5 business days after the payment date before you contact the agency. For most other benefits, the period is 10 business days. Keep your CRA My Account information current so the agency can reach you if a payment is delayed.
What to do if the payment does not arrive?
The 2026 GST/HST credit payments are scheduled for January 5, April 2, July 3 and October 5, 2026. The first two are GST/HST credit payments. The July and October payments are made under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). If a payment is missing, the first step is to wait out the waiting period, not to contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) right away. For most of these benefits, the CRA waits 10 business days after the payment date. For the Canada Child Benefit (ACE) and ACFB, the waiting period is 5 business days.
| Step | Action | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm the scheduled date for the benefit in the CRA 2026 payment calendar | Before the payment date |
| 2 | Check which tax return the payment relies on (see table below) | Before contacting the CRA |
| 3 | Wait for the waiting period to end | 10 business days after the date, or 5 for ACE and ACFB |
| 4 | Contact the CRA about the missing payment | After the waiting period |
The payment dates depend on different tax returns, so a missing payment should be checked against the correct return year:
| Payment date (2026) | Benefit | Based on tax return |
|---|---|---|
| January 5 | GST/HST credit | 2024 |
| April 2 | GST/HST credit | 2024 |
| July 3 | CGEB | 2025 |
| October 5 | CGEB | 2025 |
To catch a late or missing payment earlier, you can subscribe to payment reminders from the CRA. These reminders are sent about one week before each payment date, which leaves time to check your details before the money is due.
How to receive a payment reminder
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) lets you subscribe to payment reminders for the GST/HST credit and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). The reminder arrives about one week before each scheduled payment, so you can check that the amount is on its way before the date. The CRA sends reminders about one week before each payment.
The 2026 payment dates for the GST/HST credit and the CGEB, as listed by the CRA on 2026-06-08, are:
| Payment date | Benefit | Based on tax return |
|---|---|---|
| 5 January 2026 | GST/HST credit | 2024 |
| 2 April 2026 | GST/HST credit | 2024 |
| 3 July 2026 | CGEB | 2025 |
| 5 October 2026 | CGEB | 2025 |
Use these dates as the reference for your reminder. The January and April payments depend on your 2024 return, and the July and October payments depend on your 2025 return. If you have not filed the return the payment depends on, the matching payment is not based on current information.
Know when to act: if a payment has not arrived, the CRA page on payment dates sets a waiting period before you contact the agency. Most benefits require 10 business days after the payment date. For ACE and ACFB, the waiting period is 5 business days.
Frequently asked questions
Which 2026 payments are GST/HST credit payments, and which tax return do they use?
The GST/HST credit is paid on January 5 and April 2, 2026. Both payments are calculated from your 2024 tax return.
If the July and October payments are on the same calendar, why are they a separate program?
The July 3 and October 5 payments belong to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), not the GST/HST credit, even though they share the four-date schedule. They are calculated from your 2025 tax return.
How long should I wait before contacting the CRA about a missing payment?
For most of these benefits, wait 10 business days after the scheduled date. The Canada Child Benefit and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit have a shorter wait of 5 business days. The CRA also sends payment reminders about a week before each scheduled payment.
