# GST payment dates for 2026, and when the next one lands

Source: https://canadapaymentdates.com/gst-credit/gst-payment-dates
Publisher: Canada Payment Dates (canadapaymentdates.com), independent editorial site
Topic: GST Credit and CGEB
Last updated: 2026-10-20

> GST payment dates in 2026 are January 5, April 2, July 3 and October 5. The first two were paid as the GST/HST credit and the last two as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), its new name. The next payment is due on January 5, 2027, the date set in the CRA's guide to the benefit, although its payment calendar had not listed it yet as of October 20, 2026.

## Key facts

- Next GST payment: Tuesday, January 5, 2027 (CRA guide)
- Last 2026 payment: Monday, October 5, 2026
- Payments per year: 4 (July, October, January, April)
- Yearly total under $200: Paid in one July payment
- Wait before calling the CRA: 10 business days

## GST payment dates 2026

These are all the GST credit payment dates the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) used in 2026, taken from the Government of Canada benefits calendar and the CRA's payment dates page. The date shown is the day the CRA issues the money, not a guaranteed arrival day.

In the benefits calendar the October payment appears under the new name, Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, not GST/HST credit. It is the same quarterly payment. If you only search the calendar for GST, you will not see July or October listed, which is why many people think the payment was dropped.

The one-time top-up on Friday, June 5, 2026 was an extra payment outside this quarterly cycle, equal to half of the 2025-26 credit. It does not repeat.

## When is the next GST payment?

The next GST payment is on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, after the October 5, 2026 deposit. It will be the third payment of the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year and should match your July 3 and October 5 amounts unless the CRA sends you a notice of redetermination in between. The date comes from the CRA's guide to the benefit, which sets payments on the 5th of July and October 2026 and of January and April 2027 ([CRA, RC4210](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4210/gst-hst-credit.html)); the payment calendar had not added it yet as of October 20, 2026.

The government's calendar notes that a payment can take a few days to reach you after it is issued. Direct deposit is normally the quicker route; a mailed GST cheque also depends on postal delivery. If you are still waiting for a paper cheque, see [GST cheque](https://canadapaymentdates.com/gst-credit/gst-cheque) for how mailed payments work and when a replacement can be requested.

## Why the GST credit is paid on different days each quarter

Every 2026 GST payment date fell on the 5th of the month or on the last business day before it. Reading the dates against the calendar shows why each one landed where it did.

- **January 5, 2026** was a Monday, so the payment went out on the 5th.
- **April 5, 2026** was Easter Sunday and April 3 was Good Friday, so the payment moved back to Thursday, April 2.
- **July 5, 2026** was a Sunday, so the payment was issued on Friday, July 3.
- **October 5, 2026** is a Monday, so it stays on the 5th.

The weekend and holiday adjustments above are our reading of the published dates, not a rule the CRA states in writing. For how other benefits shift around holidays, see [benefit payments on long weekends](https://canadapaymentdates.com/payment-calendar/benefit-payments-long-weekend).

## GST payment dates 2027: when will they be published?

The CRA's payment dates page and the benefits calendar still listed 2026 only as of October 20, 2026. Next-year dates are usually added late in the year, around November or December.

What is confirmed: the CRA's payments chart for the 2025 base year says that year's entitlement is paid in July 2026, October 2026, January 2027 and April 2027, and the CRA's guide to the benefit puts each payment on the 5th of the month, or on the last business day before it when the 5th is a weekend or holiday. That gives Tuesday, January 5 and Monday, April 5, 2027.

| Month | Date | Why this day |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January 2027 | Tuesday, January 5 | The 5th is a business day, so no move |
| April 2027 | Monday, April 5 | The 5th is a business day and Easter 2027 falls in March |

Early-2027 GST (CGEB) dates from the CRA's guide (not yet on the payment calendar)

> **Check the calendar before you call:** The two dates above come from the CRA's guide, not yet from its payment calendar, so confirm them on the CRA's payment dates page once the 2027 calendar is posted. The [January benefit payment dates](https://canadapaymentdates.com/payment-calendar/cra-payment-dates-january) page will list every January deposit when the calendar is out.

## Why was my GST paid only once, in July?

If the quarterly amount would be under $50, the CRA pays the whole year in the July payment instead of four instalments. In practice this affects anyone whose yearly credit is under $200, usually because their income is close to the phase-out point.

Example: a single person whose credit works out to $150 for July 2026 to June 2027 received all $150 on July 3, 2026, got nothing on October 5, 2026, and will get nothing in January or April 2027. That is not a missed payment. The next deposit for that person would come in July 2027, based on the 2026 tax return.

## Which provincial credits arrive on the same day as the GST credit?

Provincial credits that the CRA runs alongside the federal credit are paid in the same deposit, on the same GST payment dates. That is why the October 5, 2026 payment could be larger than the federal amount alone, and the January 5, 2027 payment can be too.

| Province | Credit paid with the GST credit |
| --- | --- |
| Nova Scotia | Affordable Living Tax Credit |
| New Brunswick | Harmonized Sales Tax Credit |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Income Supplement and Seniors' Benefit |
| Prince Edward Island | Sales Tax Credit (to be renamed the PEI Essentials Benefit from November 2026) |
| Saskatchewan | Low-Income Tax Credit |

Provincial credits paid on GST credit dates (CRA provincial program pages)

Ontario residents will not see their provincial sales tax credit on these dates. It is part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit, paid monthly around the 10th; the next Trillium payment is on November 10, 2026.

## What to check if the GST payment is not in your account

1. Count 10 business days from the payment date. For October 5, 2026, that is Tuesday, October 20, because Thanksgiving on October 12 is not a business day.
2. Sign in to your CRA account and open the benefits section to see whether a payment was issued and for how much.
3. Check that your direct deposit account is still open; if a deposit fails, the CRA mails a cheque instead.
4. Look for a notice of redetermination or an offset against a debt.

Our step-by-step page for a [GST credit not received](https://canadapaymentdates.com/payment-problems/gst-credit-not-received) covers each cause in detail. For the rules and amounts behind the payment, start at the [GST credit guide](https://canadapaymentdates.com/gst-credit) or read how the [Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit](https://canadapaymentdates.com/gst-credit/canada-groceries-essentials-benefit) differs from the old credit.

## Common questions

### Is there a GST payment in October 2026?

Yes. The CRA paid it on Monday, October 5, 2026, under the name Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. It was the last quarterly payment of 2026; the next one comes on January 5, 2027.

### Is there a GST payment in November or December 2026?

No regular one. After October 5, the next quarterly payment is January 5, 2027. Prince Edward Island's renamed credit starts in November 2026 with a one-off payment for some residents, but that is a provincial program.

### What day is the January 2027 GST payment?

Tuesday, January 5, 2027. That is the date the CRA's guide to the benefit sets, although its payment dates calendar had not listed it yet as of October 20, 2026.

### Why can't I find the GST credit on the benefits calendar?

Since July 2026 the calendar lists it as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. Look for that name on July 3 and October 5.

### Are GST payment dates the same for everyone in Canada?

Yes. The CRA issues the federal payment on the same day to all recipients, whether paid by direct deposit or cheque. Arrival can differ by a few days, especially for mailed cheques.

## Sources

- [CGEB payment dates](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-groceries-essentials-benefit/payment-dates.html)
- [Benefits payment dates calendar](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/calendar.html)
- [CGEB payments chart, July 2026 to June 2027](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-groceries-essentials-benefit/how-much/payments-chart.html)
- [CRA: Ontario programs](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/provincial-territorial-programs/province-ontario.html)
- [CRA: Prince Edward Island programs](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/provincial-territorial-programs/province-prince-edward-island.html)