Ontario residents can get over $190 from the CRA in this January government payment
Ontario residents receiving government payments from the province's tax credit program can look forward to another deposit from the Canada Revenue Agency this month.
The next round of Ontario Trillium Benefit payments lands next week, helping eligible households across the province offset the costs of essential expenses heading into the new year.
This Ontario Trillium Benefit delivers tax-free financial support to low- and moderate-income residents dealing with everyday costs like sales tax, energy bills, property taxes and rent — all expenses that continue adding up.
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The program actually combines three separate provincial tax credits into one monthly payment. The Canada Revenue Agency processes payments on behalf of the Ontario government, with amounts determined by information from your latest tax return.
Here's what Ontario residents need to know about Ontario Trillium Benefit payments for January 2026, including eligibility requirements, trillium payment dates for 2026, and how much money your CRA Ontario benefit payment could have.
What is the Ontario Trillium Benefit?
The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) provides monthly tax-free money to help low- and moderate-income Ontario residents manage living costs throughout the year. The program addresses financial pressures from expenses like harmonized sales tax (HST), property taxes and home energy bills.
Three separate tax credits combine to form your OTB payment: the Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC), the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC). You'll receive the OTB if you qualify for any of these three credits.
The Canada Revenue Agency manages all aspects of the OTB on Ontario's behalf. Your payment calculations for the current benefit cycle — which continues through June 2026 — rely on details from your 2024 tax return.
Who qualifies for the Ontario Trillium Benefit?
Receiving January 2026 OTB payments requires you to have filed your 2024 tax return and met eligibility conditions for one or more of the three credits within the program. You must also be living in Ontario and be at least 18 years old by June 1, 2026 (unless you're currently or previously living with a partner or child).
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit has the broadest eligibility requirements. The criteria match the general requirements above, but the age threshold is 19.
The other two credits have additional specific requirements.
To qualify for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, at least one of these situations must have applied to you during 2024:
- You paid rent or property tax payments for your main residence
- You paid home energy expenses (like hydro or gas) for a residence on a reserve
- You lived in a public or non-profit long-term care facility
- You lived in student housing at a college, university or private school
The Northern Ontario Energy Credit requires you to live in Northern Ontario (Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay or Timiskaming) and meet one of these conditions in 2024:
- You paid rent or property tax payments for your primary residence
- You paid home energy expenses (including hydro or gas) for a residence on a reserve
- You lived in a public or non-profit long-term care facility
Qualifying for multiple credits means you'll get them all in one combined payment. You'll need to maintain Ontario residency (or Northern Ontario residency for the NOEC) on the first day of any month when you get a payment.
Both you and your partner (if you have one) must file 2024 tax returns for either of you to receive the benefit. The CRA requires your total household income to accurately determine your benefit amount.
How much is the Ontario Trillium Benefit?
Your OTB amount depends on several factors: your household income level, your age, whether you're raising children and where you live in Ontario. Each of the three credits uses its own calculation method to determine your payment.
Here are the maximum annual amounts available from each credit for the current benefit year:
- OSTC: Up to $371 for each member of your household, including children. Single individuals see this amount start reducing when net household income exceeds $28,506. For couples and single parents, reduction begins at $35,632.
- OEPTC: Ontarians aged 18 to 64 can receive up to $1,283, while residents 65 and older can get up to $1,481. An additional $285 is available if you lived on a reserve or in a long-term care facility, or $25 if you lived in school housing during 2024. Phase-out begins at $28,506 for singles; $35,632 for couples, single parents and single seniors; or $42,758 for senior couples.
- NOEC: Single residents without children can receive up to $185, while couples and families can get up to $285. This credit begins decreasing at household incomes of $49,885 for individuals or $64,138 for families.
Your annual total gets divided into 12 equal monthly deposits. For example, someone getting the maximum from all three credits could receive up to $193 monthly if they're single, or up to $278 per month for a household of four.
Anyone whose yearly OTB total was $360 or less should have received everything in one July payment rather than monthly deposits. Check your exact payment amount through your CRA My Account, or estimate it using the CRA's online benefits calculator.
How to apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit
Getting the OTB primarily requires filing your 2024 income tax and benefit return — this applies even if you earned nothing in 2024. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, they need to file as well, because the CRA calculates eligibility using your combined household income.
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC) doesn't require a separate application. The CRA automatically assesses your eligibility after reviewing your tax return. For couples, the partner whose return gets processed first typically receives the household's full credit — unless one partner is 64 or older, in which case the elder partner usually gets it.
To apply for the OEPTC or the NOEC, you'll need to complete Form ON-BEN when you file your taxes. Ontario's standard tax package includes this form, and most tax software walks you through filling it out as part of your return, so you may already be filling this out each time you file without realizing it.
Once the CRA processes your return, you'll get a notice showing your complete OTB amount for the benefit year. To maintain eligibility and continue getting your payments, make sure you keep filing your taxes on time each year.
If you're too young to qualify now but turning 18 before June 1 of this year, you should file a 2024 tax return to apply now. Your approved payments begin automatically the month following your 18th birthday.
Is the Ontario Trillium Benefit taxable?
No, the OTB is entirely tax-free. You don't report these payments as income on your tax return, and they don't affect your refund or tax owing.
The CRA doesn't consider OTB payments taxable income because they're already tax credits — essentially returning money you've already spent on things like sales tax, property tax and energy bills.
Ontario Trillium Benefit payment dates
The Canada Revenue Agency usually deposits OTB payments on the 10th of each month, although payments go out on the last business day before the 10th whenever that date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday — which, in January 2026, it does.
That means this month's payment is arriving one day earlier than usual, on Friday, January 9.
Here are the remaining trillium payment dates 2026 for the current benefit cycle:
- Tuesday, February 10
- Tuesday, March 10
- Friday, April 10
- Friday, May 8
- Wednesday, June 10
Keep in mind: anyone with a total annual benefit of $360 or less received everything as one lump sum in July rather than monthly deposits.
Also, selecting the annual payment option on your tax return means you'll receive your complete benefit in one June 2026 payment at the benefit year's end.
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