The GST/HST credit paid five times in 2026, not four. A one-time top-up landed on June 5, and in July the credit became the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit with a 25% increase. Here's every deposit, verified.
The next GST payment arrives on Monday, October 5, 2026. It's the second quarterly deposit of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, the renamed GST/HST credit, and it's calculated from your 2025 tax return. Direct deposits post by early morning.
The CRA issued five payments in 2026 instead of the usual four: January 5, April 2, a June 5 top-up, July 3 and October 5. The two final deposits arrive under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit name.
| Payment date | Program name | Based on | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 5, 2026 (Monday) | GST/HST credit Regular quarterly payment | 2024 return | Paid |
| April 2, 2026 (Thursday) | GST/HST credit Moved up: April 3 was Good Friday | 2024 return | Paid |
| June 5, 2026 (Friday) | One-time top-up 50% of your annual credit, extra payment | 2024 return | Paid |
| July 3, 2026 (Friday) | Groceries and Essentials Benefit First payment under the new name, 25% higher | 2025 return | Paid |
| October 5, 2026 (Monday) | Groceries and Essentials Benefit Second quarterly CGEB deposit | 2025 return | Upcoming |
The GST credit pays quarterly, not monthly. The CRA targets the 5th of January, April, July and October, and when the 5th lands on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deposit moves to the business day before. That's the single rule behind every date on this page.
April 2026 shows the rule in action twice. April 5 fell on a Sunday, which pushed the payment to Friday April 3. That Friday was Good Friday, a statutory holiday, so the deposit moved again to Thursday, April 2, 2026. July worked the same way: July 5 was a Sunday, so the money went out on Friday, July 3.
The quarterly rhythm confuses people who receive the Canada Child Benefit, which pays monthly around the 20th. Both credits come from the CRA and both show up under the same bank label, yet they don't share a calendar. Our Canada benefit payment calendar shows every program's next date side by side.
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) replaced the GST/HST credit starting with the July 3, 2026 payment. It's a rename plus a 25% increase, locked in for 5 years, and the CRA pays it on the exact same quarterly calendar.
CGEB keeps the quarterly rhythm: on or before the 5th of January, April, July and October. Nothing changes about when your money arrives, and there's no gap between the two programs.
The CRA published the new maximums: $679 for a single person, $890 for a couple and $234 per child, a 25% raise over the final GST/HST credit year.
Your 2025 tax return is the application. The CRA moved every eligible GST/HST credit recipient onto CGEB automatically in July 2026.
Plenty of sites still list four generic "GST dates" for 2026 with the old amounts, and that's exactly why we re-verify this page against CRA sources every quarter. The name on your bank statement won't say CGEB either, which brings us to the label problem below.
The maximum annual amount depends on which benefit year the payment belongs to. January, April and June 2026 deposits came from the July 2025 to June 2026 year. July and October 2026 deposits use the new CGEB maximums.
| Household | July 2025 to June 2026 | July 2026 to June 2027 (CGEB) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single person | $533 | $679 | +$146 |
| Married or common-law couple | $698 | $890 | +$192 |
| Each child under 19 | $184 | $234 | +$50 |
The June 5 top-up sat outside both years: a one-time payment equal to 50% of your annual GST/HST credit, worth up to $267 for a single person, $349 for a couple and $717 for a family with four children. You didn't apply for it; the CRA sent it automatically to everyone entitled to the January 2026 payment.
Banks don't print "GST credit" or "Groceries and Essentials Benefit" on statements. Most show the deposit as Canada FPT, the shared label for federal, provincial and territorial credits, and the same label covers the Canada Child Benefit. Match the amount and the date to identify which program paid you.
What Canada FPT meansThe CRA asks you to wait 10 business days after the payment date before contacting them. A payment that hasn't landed by then usually traces back to two causes: an unfiled 2025 tax return, which pauses the benefit entirely, or stale banking details after switching accounts. Check both in CRA My Account before calling.
Timing differences between banks are normal. Deposits post overnight and show by early morning at the big banks, while a handful of credit unions and online banks release government money one business day early. A neighbour getting paid before you doesn't mean your payment failed.
New filers follow a different rhythm. Your first payment after filing a 2025 return arrives on the next quarterly date after the CRA assesses the return, so a return assessed in August 2026 produces a first CGEB deposit on October 5, 2026, including any amounts you were owed from July.
Every date and amount on this page comes from Canada Revenue Agency publications: the GST/HST credit page and the CRA benefit payment calendar on canada.ca. Last verified July 8, 2026. We re-check quarterly and correct within 24 hours when a schedule changes.