Provincial Tax Credits and Benefits for Newcomers

Key takeaways

Many provincial child benefits are paid with the Canada Child Benefit; sales tax credits often come with the CGEB
Renter and property credits are usually claimed on your return and need residency on December 31
Manitoba: the CRA runs no benefit program for Manitoba; credits are claimed on your return
Quebec runs its own programs through Retraite Québec and Revenu Québec, with a separate tax return
Amounts here are for July 2026 to June 2027 unless a tax year is shown

How provincial benefits reach newcomers

There are three ways a provincial program gets to you:

With the Canada Child Benefit. Form RC66 also checks related provincial programs the CRA runs. Some provincial child benefits are added to the monthly CCB payment. See the Canada Child Benefit guide.
With the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). Form RC151 checks some provincial credits, which are then paid with the quarterly CGEB. See Form RC151.
On your tax return. Renter, property and other credits are claimed on your provincial form (for example BC479 or MB479) or on Ontario’s ON-BEN. Most need you to live in the province on December 31 of the tax year.

So the most important step is the same everywhere: apply for federal benefits, then file a return every year. Estimate the federal part with the benefit estimator.

Comparison: main programs in seven provinces

Province	Families with children	Low-income or sales tax credit	Housing credit
British Columbia	BC family benefit (with CCB)	–	B.C. renter’s tax credit (tax return)
Alberta	Alberta child and family benefit (quarterly)	–	–
Saskatchewan	Included in the low-income tax credit	Saskatchewan low-income tax credit (with CGEB)	–
Manitoba	–	Personal tax credit (tax return)	Renters and homeowners affordability tax credits (tax return)
Ontario	Ontario child benefit (with CCB)	Ontario sales tax credit (part of OTB)	Ontario energy and property tax credit (OTB, ON-BEN)
Quebec	Family allowance (Retraite Québec)	Solidarity tax credit (Revenu Québec)	Housing part of the solidarity tax credit
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia child benefit (with CCB)	Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit (with CGEB)	–

“–” means this page does not list a program of that type for the province. It does not mean none exists. The CRA also runs programs for New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the territories; see the CRA’s provincial and territorial programs page.

British Columbia and Alberta

British Columbia

BC family benefit (July 2026 to June 2027): up to $145.83 a month for the first child, $91.66 for the second and $75 for each additional child. The CRA page also lists $41.66 a month for the first child in a single-parent family. The amount goes down when adjusted family net income is over $30,176, with a further reduction over $96,562. It is paid with the CCB in one monthly payment.
B.C. renter’s tax credit (2025 tax year): up to $400. It is reduced by 2% of adjusted income over $64,764 and ends at $84,764. You must have rented an eligible unit in B.C. for at least six one-month periods and lived in B.C. on December 31. Claim it on form BC479 with your return.

Newcomer note: the six one-month periods must fall in the same tax year. If you started renting in B.C. in the second half of 2025, you may not have six one-month periods for 2025. In that case, your first claim may be for 2026. Check the B.C. renter’s tax credit page for how the periods are counted.

Alberta

Alberta child and family benefit (July 2026 to June 2027). Base part: $1,529 a year for the first child and $764 each for the second, third and fourth. Working part (if family working income is over $2,760): $782, $712, $426 and $141 for the first to fourth child. The base part goes down over $28,116 of family income; the working part goes down over $47,115. Paid in August, November, February and May.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan low-income tax credit (July 2026 to June 2027): $460 for you, $460 for a spouse or partner, and $181 for each child (up to two children). Maximum $1,282 per family. It goes down when adjusted family net income is over $39,345 and ends at about $81,668. It is paid with the quarterly CGEB.

Manitoba

The CRA says it “does not administer any benefit program on behalf of the Province of Manitoba.” Manitoba credits are claimed on your return, mainly on form MB479.

Renters affordability tax credit: up to $575 for the 2025 tax year and up to $625 for the 2026 tax year, with a seniors’ top-up.
Homeowners affordability tax credit: up to $1,500 for 2025 and $1,600 for 2026, limited to the school taxes on your main home.
Personal tax credit: starts at a $195 basic credit and is reduced by 1% of family net income.

Ontario and Quebec

Ontario

Ontario child benefit (July 2026 to June 2027): up to $146.66 a month for each child under 18. Families with adjusted family net income over $26,865 may get part of it. Paid with the CCB.
Ontario Trillium Benefit (2026 benefit year): up to $1,307 for the energy and property tax credit (ages 18 to 64). Add up to $189 or $290 for the Northern Ontario energy credit and $378 per person for the sales tax credit. See the Ontario Trillium Benefit guide.

Quebec

Quebec is different. The CRA does not run Quebec’s family program. The family allowance is paid by Retraite Québec. The solidarity tax credit is paid by Revenu Québec. You claim it on Schedule D of your Quebec tax return (TP-1).

Revenu Québec says that for July 2026 to June 2027, you must have met the rules on December 31, 2025. If you became a Quebec resident in 2025, you claim it on Schedule D of your 2025 Quebec return.
You or your spouse must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident (or temporary resident permit holder) who has lived in Canada for the last 18 months. You are not eligible if you and your spouse were refugee protection claimants on December 31, 2025.
Payment: one payment in July 2026 if $240 or less; quarterly if $241 to $799; monthly if $800 or more.

This page does not list solidarity credit amounts. See Quebec taxes for newcomers and Revenu Québec.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia child benefit (July 2026 to June 2027): $127.08 a month for each child under 18. Families with adjusted family net income between $26,000 and $34,000 may get part of it. Paid with the CCB.
Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit (July 2026 to June 2027): up to $255 for an individual or couple, plus $60 for each child. It is reduced by 5% of adjusted family net income over $30,000. Paid with the CGEB.

Example: a Nova Scotia couple with two children and adjusted family net income of $32,000. Affordable living tax credit: $255 + $60 + $60 = $375, minus 5% × ($32,000 − $30,000) = $100. Result: $275 for the year, paid with the CGEB.

Next steps for a newcomer

Apply for federal benefits: RC66 and RC66SCH if you have children, or RC151 if you do not. This also signs you up for many provincial programs.
Keep proof of rent and the dates you lived in each province.
File a return for your arrival year and every year after, even with no income. Claim your province’s credits on the return.
If you move between provinces, tell the CRA. Your province on December 31 decides most return-based credits.
See the full list of programs in government benefits for newcomers.

Federal benefits explained: Canada Child Benefit, Canada Workers Benefit and Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Common questions

Do I apply to my province separately?

For programs the CRA runs, usually not. RC66 and RC151 also check related provincial programs, and return-based credits are claimed on your tax return. Quebec is the main exception, with its own tax return.

I moved provinces during the year. Which province counts?

For most return-based credits, the province where you lived on December 31. For example, Ontario requires residence on December 31, 2025 for the 2026 OEPTC.

Does Manitoba have benefits paid by the CRA?

The CRA says it does not administer any benefit program for Manitoba. Manitoba credits are claimed on your return, mainly on form MB479.

Are these amounts the same every year?

No. Most change every July (benefit year) or every January (tax year). The amounts here are for July 2026 to June 2027 unless a tax year is shown.

Can temporary residents get provincial child benefits?

Many are paid with the CCB, so they follow the CCB rules, including the 18-month rule for temporary residents. Check each program’s page.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 10, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Provincial tax credits and benefits for new residents, by province