What is the Canada Carbon Rebate? Plus, dates and amounts for 2024 rebates
The Canadian government is sending out the last carbon rebate of 2024. See who’s eligible and how much you can expect to get.
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The Canadian government is sending out the last carbon rebate of 2024. See who’s eligible and how much you can expect to get.
On October 15, 2024, eligible Canadians will receive the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR), the fourth such rebate of the year. The CCR (formerly known as the climate action incentive payment) will be distributed to residents of eight provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador—through direct deposit to a bank account or via a cheque in the mail. To receive the CCR, you must have filed your income tax returns for the previous year.
The Canada Carbon Rebate is a tax-free payment, created to help Canadian households offset the cost of federal pollution pricing at gas pumps. According to the Canadian government, eight in 10 families will get back more than they pay into the carbon pollution pricing system. The amount you receive depends on where you live and the size of your family—more details below.
The Canada Carbon Rebate is distributed four times per year:
If the 15th happens to fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, payments will go out on the last business day before the 15th.
Carbon rebates are paid out from money collected as part of Canada’s carbon pricing system. In 2019, the federal government put a price on carbon pollution, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the time, the national minimum price was $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). It went up to $50 in 2022, $65 in 2023 and $80 in April 2024. The minimum price will continue rising $15 every April until it reaches $170 per tonne in 2030.
Carbon prices are collected through fuel charges and an output-based pricing system for industry. Since April 1, 2023, drivers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon and Nunavut have paid a fuel charge of $0.1431 per litre of gas. Since July 1, 2023, this charge has also applied to drivers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. (Rates for other fuel types vary.) In April 2024, the fuel charge rate increased to $0.1761. See the rates for 2025 to 2030. MoneySense hack: You can’t avoid fuel charges and other fuel consumption levies, but you might be able to find cheaper gas or get cash back. (Read more about why gas is so expensive.)
Provincial and territorial governments can use the federal carbon pollution pricing system or develop their own carbon pricing model or cap-and-trade system, as long as it meets or exceeds federal standards.
The CCR and tax credits are meant to offset the cost of fuel charges for individuals and families while also encouraging them to reduce their GHG emissions. Before 2021, the climate action incentive was a refundable tax credit claimed on personal income tax returns.
Ottawa returns 90% of the carbon pricing money it collects back to the jurisdictions where it came from, either to the provincial and territorial governments or, in the case of the CCR, directly to residents. The other 10% is used to support schools, small and medium-sized businesses, hospitals and Indigenous programs.
To be eligible for the CCR, you must be a resident of Canada for income tax purposes at the beginning of the month in which the CRA makes the payments. You also have to be a resident of “an applicable CCR province” on the first day of the payment month, as well as be at least 19 years old in the month before the payments go out.
If you’re under 19, you must meet one of these conditions during the same period, says the CRA:
If you have a spouse or common-law partner, just one of you will get the credit—whoever’s tax return was filed first. According to the CRA, “No matter which one of you receives the credit, the amount will be the same.”
If you have a child under age 19 who lives with you and is registered for the Canada Child Benefit, a credit (for each eligible child) will be included in your CCR calculation. If you share custody of a child with a former spouse, you will each get 50% of the amount you’d have received if the child lived with you full-time. If you live in a small or rural community, you’ll receive a supplement of 20% of the base amount—check your eligibility. (The rural supplement increased from 10% to 20% in April. The federal government also reverted back to using 2016 Census data to determine eligibility, meaning that people deemed ineligible under the 2021 Census data will start receiving the rural supplement again. According to the CRA, “The increased supplement and retroactive payments from April and July will be issued together in October’s payment.”)
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Most residents don’t need to apply—the government bases eligibility on last year’s income tax returns. (Another good reason to file your tax return on time.) If you get your tax refunds via direct deposit, that’s how you’ll receive your CCR payments, too.
If you’re a newcomer to Canada, you will need to apply for the CCR. If you have kids, fill out Form RC66 and Form RC66SCH to apply for all family and child benefits. If you don’t have kids, fill out Form RC151 to apply for both the CCR and GST/HST benefits.
To keep receiving the CCR, you must file a personal income tax return each year.
If you receive tax refunds by direct deposit, that’s how you’ll get your CCR as well. (Not registered for direct deposit? You can set that up.) If you get tax refunds by mail, your CCR cheques may take up to 10 business days to arrive.
If the payment date rolls around and you don’t receive anything, the CRA says to wait 10 business days before inquiring. And if you happen to owe taxes or other amounts to the government, the CCR amount will be applied to your debt first.
The size of carbon rebates varies by province, where you live in the province and your family’s composition, and the amounts can change from year to year. Your household income is not a factor, says the CRA: “The CCR amount you receive depends on your family situation and the province you reside in. The CCR is not subject to a benefit reduction based on adjusted family net income.”
Each province has a base amount, with additional amounts for a spouse/common-law partner, eligible children, and living in a small or rural community. Below are the quarterly base amounts for 2024–2025. The amounts for P.E.I. include the 10% rural supplement, since all residents are eligible. (See previous base years.)
Most provinces are getting an increase, but if you live in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador, you will receive less than you did last year, says the finance department: “This year’s Canada Carbon Rebate amounts reflect the temporary pause of the fuel charge on deliveries of home heating oil that came into effect on November 9, 2023. In Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador—where households more often rely on home heating oil—rebate amounts have been adjusted to reflect expected fuel charge proceeds in 2024–25 compared to 2023–24. In all other provinces where the federal fuel charge applies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick), Canada Carbon Rebate amounts have increased.”
AB | SK | MB | ON | NB | NS | PEI | NL | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First adult | $225 | $188 | $150 | $140 | $95 | $103 | $110 | $149 |
Second adult | $112.50 | $94 | $75 | $70 | $47.50 | $51.50 | $55 | $74.50 |
Each eligible child | $56.25 | $47 | $37.50 | $35 | $23.75 | $25.75 | $27.50 | $37.25 |
Family of four | $450 | $376 | $300 | $280 | $190 | $206 | $220 | $298 |
Nope! Canada Carbon Rebate payments are tax-free. To learn more about the CCR, visit the Government of Canada website.
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Where do I make payments? At my bank?
I’ve received notification that I was to receive a payment in July for 307 dollars on July 15th. I did not receive.
Anyone know when octobers payment will happen? Will it be the 14th as the 15th is a Saturday?
I received a notice details that we owe 156.00 because residency requirement not met. I have no information supporting that we received this money. Moved to BC from MB end of Sept. 2022. How do I find info on this.
Regarding: “MoneySense hack: You can’t avoid fuel charges and other fuel consumption levies, but you might be able to find cheaper gas or get cash back.”
Moneysense missed the obvious hack of buying an electric car. I am on my second one now and the payback is real. You don’t need to spend Tesla money either, there are good offerings from other manufacturers. The technology is mainstream and the charging networks are there to make road tripping easily possible. Plus, you are saving something more important than just gas money 🙂
I just did my income tax return for 2022 will l get my climate insensitive payment in May for April payment please & thanks
Does someone come to the house to check the property?
I just received a text saying that CAIP sent me an e-transfer but I already received the cheque. I don’t believe the text
Why does the government confuse us with two different rebate name and yet it’s the same thing. Carbon tax rebate…… climate action incentive .. CAIP. This is ridiculous, pick one and then make it easier for us seniors to figure this out.
Why do Alberta citizens get so much more CTR than citizens of Ontario when the price of gas is so much cheaper than ours in Northern Ontario. The CTR may only partially cover my car on tax paid on gas for my vehicle but certainly doesn’t cover the extra I have to pay for my natural gas heating. As well, the added costs of delivering food to the stores I believe is not covered as well. So why do the Liberals insist that 80% will get more rebate than they pay. I call this complete BS.
I do know that BC has their own plan but why isnt is mentioned so we can compare who gets what in each Province
We’ve submitted our 2023 Tax Return and received an assessment report declaring that we will receive $ 210 of CCR which will be deposited in our account by April 15.
We’re doing our best to reduce our carbon print by burning less fuel by driving our vehicles at the posted speed limits.
Yesterday, when I drove to New Hamburg from Kitchener at least 200 vehicles, cars and big rig trucks had passed me driving at slightly over the speed limit of 90 Kph.
I’m confused. Can someone please explain something? If “Ottawa returns 90% of the carbon pricing money it collects back to the jurisdictions where it came from, either to the provincial and territorial governments or, in the case of the CCR, directly to residents.” why are they collecting it in the first place. Mr Trudeau claims that most people will get back more than they pay at the pump.
It seems to me that there is a major cost to administer this program. So can someone explain who benefits and how does this reduce pollution and GHG emissions.
What can residents of BC do to collect a rebate since the tax here is imposed provincially?
do british columbia people get the rebate.
The leading cause of mental illness…THE GOVERNMENT
So far if any cheques fall on a weekend or holidays it’s always the day before when they come in but I understand that this months climate incentive cheques are coming late because I didn’t receive mine yet and I have direct deposit.Has anyone else not received their cheques yet
I haven’t driven in over a decade. Why should this affect me? I didn’t receive any payment on the 15th of this month as promised.
Did not receive my carbon tax rebate today, may 15th. filed tax form april 8th, 2024 . where is rebate.
Figure Quebec has the highest carbon tax and no carbon rebate. Thieves.
Totalitarian nightmare. Pure evil. Canada is a western experiment ground rooted in nightmares and psychotic communist ideology by pushed and propagated by powerful, incompetent narcissists.
What if I’m legally separated, am I entitled to anything extra than what I’m receiving now
I’m in BC and As far as I know rebates went away when the NDP came in! They just piss it away on useless government programs