Last Updated On 8 July 2026, 6:09 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
The first Ontario Trillium Benefit payment of the 2026–27 benefit year is arriving on Friday, July 10, 2026, marking the start of a new 12 month cycle with higher indexed amounts calculated from your 2025 income tax return.
This payment is part of a broader wave of federal and provincial benefit increases taking effect in July, and for many Ontario households the OTB is one of the most valuable tax credits available because it combines three separate provincial credits into a single monthly deposit.
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit maximum has increased to $378 per person for the new benefit year, up from $371 in the previous cycle, and the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit and Northern Ontario Energy Credit have also been adjusted upward under the annual inflation indexation.
Here is a complete breakdown of what the Ontario Trillium Benefit covers, who qualifies, exactly how much you can receive under each component, every confirmed payment date through June 2027, and what to do if your July 10 deposit does not arrive.
Table of Contents
What Is the Ontario Trillium Benefit
The Ontario Trillium Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment delivered by the CRA on behalf of the Province of Ontario, as described on the official Ontario government benefits page.
It is not a single credit but rather a combination of three separate provincial tax credits bundled into one deposit to reduce the number of individual payments recipients need to track.
The three credits are the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit.
You only need to qualify for one of the three credits to receive the OTB, and many recipients qualify for two or all three depending on where they live and whether they pay rent, own property, or cover energy costs.
Ontario Sales Tax Credit
The OSTC is a tax-free payment designed to offset the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax for low and moderate-income Ontario residents.
The CRA calculates your OSTC automatically from your filed tax return without any separate application form, and it is the easiest component of the OTB to receive because it requires nothing beyond having a filed return on record.
For the 2026–27 benefit year, the maximum OSTC is $378 per eligible individual, and you can receive an additional $378 for your spouse or common law partner and $378 for each dependent child under 19.
A family of four with two qualifying children and income below the phase-out threshold would receive up to $1,512 per year from the OSTC alone.
The OSTC begins to phase out at 4% of adjusted family net income above the applicable threshold, which is approximately $32,536 for families and $29,047 for single individuals under the 2025 tax year indexation.
Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit
The OEPTC is a tax-free payment designed to help Ontario residents with the property tax and sales tax on energy costs they pay throughout the year, and unlike the OSTC it requires you to complete Form ON-BEN with your tax return.
For the 2026–27 benefit year, the maximum OEPTC is approximately $1,309 for non-senior adults aged 18 to 64 and approximately $1,490 for seniors aged 65 and older.
Residents living on a reserve or in public or non-profit long-term care homes can receive up to approximately $291, and students living in a designated university, college, or private school residence can receive up to $25.
The OEPTC begins to phase out at 2% of adjusted family net income above approximately $25,000 for non-seniors and $50,000 for senior households, as outlined in the CRA’s Ontario program details.
This is the most commonly missed OTB component because many eligible recipients file their tax return without completing the ON-BEN form and never realize they are leaving up to $1,309 in unclaimed credits on the table.
Northern Ontario Energy Credit
The NOEC is an additional credit available only to residents of Northern Ontario who face higher home energy costs than residents in the southern part of the province.
For the 2026–27 benefit year, the maximum NOEC is approximately $189 for single individuals and approximately $291 for families.
Northern Ontario includes the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timiskaming.
Your NOEC eligibility depends on where you live on the first day of each payment month, meaning if you move from Northern Ontario to Southern Ontario partway through the benefit year, your NOEC payments will stop for subsequent months while your OSTC and OEPTC payments continue.
The NOEC also requires Form ON-BEN and phases out at the same income thresholds as the OEPTC, as covered in our March 2026 OTB payment guide.
Who Is Eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit
Eligibility for the OTB is determined separately for each of the three credits, and you only need to qualify for one to receive a payment on July 10.
OSTC Eligibility
You qualify for the Ontario Sales Tax Credit if you were a resident of Ontario at some point before June 1, 2027 and you meet at least one of the following conditions.
You must be 19 years of age or older, or you must have a spouse or common law partner, or you must be a parent who lives with your child.
There is no requirement to have paid rent, property tax, or energy costs to qualify for the OSTC, which is why it is the most broadly accessible component of the OTB.
Even Ontario residents with zero income should file a return to receive the OSTC, and workers who qualify for the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit almost always qualify for the full OSTC as well.
OEPTC Eligibility
You qualify for the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit if you were a resident of Ontario on December 31, 2025 and at least one of the following applies.
You or someone on your behalf paid rent for your principal residence and your landlord was required to pay property tax on that property.
You or someone on your behalf paid property tax on your principal Ontario residence.
You paid accommodation costs for living in a public or nonprofit long-term care home in Ontario.
You paid home energy costs for your principal residence on a reserve in Ontario.
You lived in a designated university, college, or private school residence in Ontario during 2025, which is a commonly overlooked eligibility category that many students miss.
NOEC Eligibility
You qualify for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit if you were a resident of a Northern Ontario district on December 31, 2025 and you or someone on your behalf paid rent, property tax, or home energy costs for your principal Northern Ontario residence during 2025.
How Much You Can Get From the Ontario Trillium Benefit
Your total OTB payment depends on which credits you qualify for, your household income, family size, housing costs, and whether you live in Northern Ontario, as calculated by the CRA using information from your 2025 tax return and Form ON-BEN.
Maximum Amounts for the 2026–27 Benefit Year
| Credit | Category | Annual Maximum | Monthly Equivalent |
| OSTC | Per person | $378 | $31.50 |
| OEPTC (non-senior) | Ages 18–64 | ~$1,309 | ~$109 |
| OEPTC (senior) | Ages 65+ | ~$1,490 | ~$124 |
| OEPTC (reserve/LTC) | All ages | ~$291 | ~$24 |
| OEPTC (student residence) | All ages | $25 | $2 |
| NOEC (single) | Northern Ontario | ~$189 | ~$16 |
| NOEC (family) | Northern Ontario | ~$291 | ~$24 |
Sample Calculations by Household Type
The following scenarios show what different Ontario households could receive from the OTB at full or near full entitlement under the new 2026–27 benefit year rates.
Single renter in Toronto, age 28, income $22,000: OSTC of $378 plus OEPTC of approximately $1,060 equals approximately $1,438 per year or $120 per month.
Single renter in Sudbury, age 30, income $20,000: OSTC of $378 plus OEPTC of approximately $1,200 plus NOEC of $189 equals approximately $1,767 per year or $147 per month.
Couple with two children in Ottawa, with a combined income of $28,000: OSTC of $1,512 (4 persons at $378) plus OEPTC of approximately $1,200 equals approximately $2,712 per year or $226 per month.
Senior homeowner in Thunder Bay, age 70, income $26,000: OSTC of $378 plus senior OEPTC of approximately $1,350 plus NOEC of approximately $170 equals approximately $1,898 per year or $158 per month.
Income Phase Out Thresholds
| Credit | Phase Out Starts | Rate |
| OSTC (single) | ~$29,047 AFNI | 4% |
| OSTC (family) | ~$32,536 AFNI | 4% |
| OEPTC (non-senior) | ~$25,000 AFNI | 2% |
| OEPTC (senior) | ~$50,000 AFNI | 2% |
| NOEC | Same as OEPTC | 2% |
Lump Sum vs Monthly Payments
If your total annual OTB entitlement is $500 or less for the 2026–27 benefit year, the CRA will pay your entire annual amount as a single lump sum on July 10 rather than spreading it across 12 monthly installments, as announced in the 2026 Ontario Budget.
This threshold was increased from $360 in the previous benefit year.
Recipients whose annual entitlement exceeds $500 will continue to receive monthly payments on the 10th of each month from July 2026 through June 2027.
OTB Payment Dates 2026 – 2027
The CRA issues OTB payments on the 10th of each month, with the date shifting to the previous Friday when the 10th falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, as confirmed on the official OTB questions and answers page.
All payments from July 2026 onward are calculated using your 2025 tax return at the new indexed rates for the 2026–27 benefit year.
- July 10, 2026 – new benefit year begins
- August 10, 2026
- September 10, 2026
- October 9, 2026
- November 10, 2026
- December 10, 2026
- January 8, 2027
- February 10, 2027
- March 10, 2027
- April 9, 2027
- May 10, 2027
- June 10, 2027
Direct deposit recipients will typically see funds in their bank accounts on the morning of each scheduled date.
Recipients who receive payments by cheque should allow five to ten additional business days for postal delivery after each official date and can set up direct deposit through CRA My Account to receive future payments faster.
How to Apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit
Since the April 30, 2026 tax filing deadline has already passed, the steps you take now depend on whether you have already filed your 2025 return and whether you included Form ON-BEN.
If You Filed Your Return With Form ON-BEN
You do not need to take any further action because the CRA will calculate your OTB entitlement automatically from the information on your assessed return and Form ON-BEN.
If your return was assessed before June 19, 2026, your first OTB payment will be issued on July 10 as scheduled, according to the CRA’s OTB Q&A page.
You can verify your expected payment amount and upcoming dates by logging into CRA My Account and navigating to the benefits section.
If You Filed Your Return Without Form ON-BEN
If you filed your 2025 return but did not complete Form ON-BEN, the CRA will only calculate your OSTC component automatically.
You will miss the OEPTC and NOEC components entirely, which can represent up to $1,309 or more in unclaimed annual credits.
To fix this, you can submit an amended return or a T1 Adjustment Request through CRA My Account to add the ON-BEN form to your already filed 2025 return.
Once the adjustment is processed, the CRA will calculate your full OTB entitlement and issue retroactive payments for any months you missed.
If You Have Not Yet Filed Your 2025 Return
Filing late will delay your July 10 payment, but it will not disqualify you from the OTB for the 2026–27 benefit year.
Submit your 2025 return as soon as possible with Form ON-BEN completed, and the CRA will process your OTB entitlement within four to eight weeks after your return is assessed.
Any payments you missed between July and the month your return is assessed will be issued as a retroactive lump sum, and you will then receive regular monthly payments going forward.
If You Filed but Your Return Is Still Being Processed
Returns filed close to the deadline or flagged for review may still be in processing on July 10.
Check the status of your assessment through CRA My Account under the Tax Returns section, and once your assessment is complete, your OTB payments will begin within four to eight weeks.
What to Do if You Do Not Get Your Payment on July 10
If your OTB deposit does not appear in your bank account on Friday, July 10, do not panic because there are several common reasons this can happen.
Your 2025 Return Is Not Yet Assessed
This is the most frequent cause of a missing July payment, and logging into CRA My Account to check your assessment status is the fastest way to confirm whether this is the issue.
The CRA requires your return to be assessed by June 19, 2026 for the July 10 payment to be issued on schedule.
You Did Not Complete Form ON-BEN
If you filed your return without the ON-BEN form, you may still receive the OSTC component automatically, but the OEPTC and NOEC components will not be calculated until you submit a T1 adjustment to add the form.
Your Income Exceeds the Phase Out Ceiling
If your 2025 adjusted family net income was high enough to reduce all three OTB credits to zero, you will not receive a payment, and no action is needed.
Your Entitlement Is Below the Lump Sum Threshold
If your total annual OTB entitlement is $500 or less, you will receive the full amount as a single lump sum on July 10 rather than monthly installments.
If you expected monthly payments but received a single larger deposit, check CRA My Account to confirm this is your full annual entitlement.
Banking or Address Issues
Verify that your direct deposit information is current in CRA My Account, because outdated banking details can cause deposits to be returned and reissued by cheque.
If you moved recently and did not update your address with the CRA, mailed cheques may be going to your previous address.
CRA Wait Period
The CRA recommends waiting 10 business days after the scheduled payment date before contacting the benefits inquiry line at 1-800-387-1193, as some deposits take additional time to clear through the banking system.
If you have a tax policy question specifically about the Ontario government’s OTB program, the Province of Ontario operates a separate inquiry line at 1-866-ONT-TAXS (1-866-668-8297), as noted on the CRA’s Ontario benefits page.
Low-income Ontario workers who discover they qualify for retroactive OTB payments should also verify their eligibility for the Canada Workers Benefit, which is another refundable credit that can be claimed retroactively through the same T1 adjustment process for any year where you had working income above $3,000.
The July 10 deposit marks the start of a new Ontario Trillium Benefit cycle with higher indexed amounts calculated from your 2025 tax return.
Ontario residents who filed on time with Form ON-BEN completed will see their updated payment arrive automatically on Friday morning.
Anyone who missed the ON-BEN form or filed late should submit a T1 adjustment or late return as soon as possible to unlock retroactive payments and join the monthly payment schedule going forward.
Check CRA My Account today to verify your OTB entitlement and confirm your direct deposit details are current before Friday’s deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does the Ontario Trillium Benefit affect my GST/HST credit or Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit?
No, the OTB is a provincial benefit administered by the CRA on behalf of Ontario, and it is calculated completely separately from federal programs like the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. Receiving the OTB does not reduce your CGEB, CCB, or any other federal payment, and your federal benefit amounts do not reduce your OTB. Ontario workers who receive the OTB alongside the ACWB advance payments that also arrive on July 10 will see two separate deposits on the same day, since the CRA processes provincial and federal payments independently.
Can I receive the Ontario Trillium Benefit and ODSP at the same time?
Yes, the OTB is fully stackable with Ontario Disability Support Program payments and does not count as income for ODSP purposes. A single ODSP recipient who also qualifies for the full OTB could receive over $120 per month in additional tax-free support on top of their provincial disability payments, and those with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate may also qualify for the federal Canada Disability Benefit of up to $204 per month.
I am a student living in residence. Do I qualify for the OTB?
Yes, students who lived in a designated university, college, or private school residence in Ontario during 2025 may qualify for the OEPTC component of up to $25 per month of residence. You must complete the residence section on Form ON-BEN using your school’s official residence status information, and you also qualify for the OSTC of up to $378 per year regardless of whether you pay rent or property tax.
What happens to my OTB if I move out of Ontario?
Your eligibility for the OEPTC and NOEC depends on where you live on the first day of each payment month. If you move out of Ontario on November 15, you would still receive the November payment because you were an Ontario resident on November 1, but you would not receive any subsequent payments. The OSTC follows the same residency rule, so all three OTB components would stop for months where you are not an Ontario resident on the first of the month.
Can I claim the OTB for previous years I missed?
Yes, you can file a T1 Adjustment Request through CRA My Account to add the ON-BEN form to any previously filed return going back up to 10 years. If you were eligible for the OEPTC or NOEC in prior years but never submitted the form, you could receive a substantial retroactive payment covering all the years you missed. This is one of the most underused features of the Ontario tax system, and thousands of Ontario residents have multiple years of unclaimed OEPTC credits sitting on the table.
Fact-checked: All payment dates, benefit amounts, eligibility requirements, income thresholds, phase-out rates, and application procedures in this article are verified against official Ontario government, Canada Revenue Agency, and Government of Canada sources as of July 7, 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Individual benefit amounts depend on personal circumstances, including income, marital status, housing costs, and location within Ontario. Always verify your specific entitlement through the CRA My Account. Consult a qualified professional for advice on your individual situation.
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