Ontario Trillium Benefit payments for September go out soon — Here's how much you can get

What is the OTB?

The Ontario Trillium Benefit, or OTB, is a tax-free monthly payment designed to help eligible residents with everyday living costs. It provides financial relief for things like energy bills, property taxes and the HST you pay on daily purchases.

The OTB combines three separate credits into one deposit: the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit. If you qualify for any of those, you're automatically set up to receive the OTB.

Although the money comes from the Ontario government, it's issued by the CRA. And since the 2025 payment cycle kicked off in July, your current amounts are now based on your 2024 income tax return.

Who qualifies for the Ontario Trillium Benefit?

To be eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit in 2025, you must be a resident of Ontario who filed a 2024 tax return. You also need to qualify for at least one of the three tax credits that make up the benefit. On top of that, you must meet at least one of these conditions: be 18 or older, have a spouse or common-law partner or be a parent who currently lives or previously lived with your child.

Among the three credits, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit is the most widely accessible — if you're 19 or older and meet the basic eligibility above, you're good to go.

The other two credits have additional requirements:

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC): You may be eligible if, at any point in 2024, you did one of the following:

• Paid rent or property tax on your main home
• Paid energy bills while living on a reserve
• Lived in a public or non-profit long-term care home and covered the cost
• Stayed in a student residence at a university, college or private school

Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC): You could qualify if you lived in Northern Ontario in 2024 — that includes Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timiskaming — and met at least one of the OEPTC conditions listed above.

You don't have to choose between the OEPTC and the NOEC — you can receive both if you're eligible.

Lastly, to keep receiving monthly OTB payments, you must still live in Ontario (or in Northern Ontario for the NOEC) on the first day of each month a payment is issued. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, both of you must have filed 2024 tax returns — your combined net income determines how much you'll get.

More about OTB eligibility

How much is the Ontario Trillium Benefit?

Your Ontario Trillium Benefit amount in 2025 depends on which credits you're eligible for and details like your income, age, family size and location. Each credit has its own maximum, and the total is tailored to your situation.

Here's how the numbers break down for the 2025 benefit year:

• Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC): You can receive up to $371 per person in your household, including any children. This amount begins to decrease if your net income is over $28,506 (for individuals) or $35,632 (for couples and single parents).
• Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC): If you're between 18 and 64, the max is $1,283. For those 65 and older, it goes up to $1,481. Benefit reductions kick in at $28,506 for singles, $35,632 for couples, single parents and single seniors, and $42,758 for senior couples.
• Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC): If you live in a qualifying region of Northern Ontario, you could get up to $185 if you're single without kids or up to $285 for couples and single parents. The amount starts to shrink if your income exceeds $49,885 (individuals) or $64,138 (families).

Once your total annual amount is calculated by the CRA, it's typically divided into 12 equal monthly payments. That means someone eligible for all three credits might receive up to $168.08 per month if they're single, or up to $269.16 monthly for a family of four.

If your yearly OTB is $360 or less, the entire amount would have been paid out as a one-time lump sum in July. To find out your exact entitlement, you can log into your CRA My Account or use the CRA's online benefits calculator.

OTB payment calculator

How to apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit

To get the OTB in 2025, you need to file your 2024 income tax return, even if you had no income that year. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, they'll need to file their return too. The CRA uses the information from your returns to figure out if you qualify and how much you're eligible to get.

You don't need to fill out a separate application for the OSTC. Once your tax return is processed, the CRA automatically checks if you're eligible. In most cases, the full OSTC amount is paid to whichever partner's return is assessed first — unless one of you is 64 or older, in which case the older partner usually receives it.

To be considered for the OEPTC and the NOEC, you must complete Form ON-BEN when you file. It's included in the Ontario section of your return package, and most tax software should guide you through it automatically.

After your return is assessed, the CRA will send you a notice outlining your total OTB amount for the year. As long as you continue to file your taxes every year, there's nothing more you need to do to keep getting it.

If you're not old enough yet but will turn 18 before June 1, 2026, go ahead and file your return if you haven't already. That way, if you qualify, your OTB payments will begin immediately the month after your birthday.

More about applying for the OTB

Is the Ontario Trillium Benefit taxable?

No, the Ontario Trillium Benefit is completely tax-free — in fact, it's made up of tax credits.

You don't need to report it as income on your tax return, and it won't change your refund or how much tax you owe. The payments are meant to help cover taxes you've already paid, like HST, property tax or energy bills, so they're not factored into your overall income.

More about government benefits and your taxes

When is the Ontario Trillium Benefit paid?

The OTB is typically deposited on the 10th of each month. If that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment arrives on the last business day before it.

This month, the payment is set for next Wednesday, September 10 — right on schedule.

After that, here are the upcoming OTB payment dates for the rest of the year:

• Friday, October 10
• Monday, November 10
• Wednesday, December 10

However, note that if your total OTB for 2025 is $360 or less, the CRA will have paid the full amount as a lump sum in July instead of splitting it into monthly deposits.

Also, if your annual amount is more than $360 but you chose to receive it as a single payment when you filed your taxes, the CRA will issue that full amount in June 2026, at the end of the benefit year.

More about CRA payment dates