Quick Start: Is Ontario Trillium Benefit for you?
You should check OTB if any of these are true:
- You paid rent in Ontario in 2025 (even student housing can count)
- You paid property tax in Ontario in 2025 (homeowners)
- You lived in Northern Ontario on December 31, 2025
- Your income is low to modest, and every dollar helps
OTB is not one “program” you sign up for—it’s a combined payment CRA calculates when you file taxes.
What OTB includes (3 credits bundled into 1 payment)
| Credit | What it helps with | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| OEPTC (Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit) | Energy + rent/property tax related support | File taxes + Form ON-BEN |
| OSTC (Ontario Sales Tax Credit) | Sales tax relief | Automatic from your tax return |
| NOEC (Northern Ontario Energy Credit) | Extra help for higher energy costs in the north | File taxes + Form ON-BEN |
You can qualify for one, two, or all three. Your CRA payment is still called OTB.
Ontario Trillium Benefit Eligibility checklist
The “must-haves”
You generally need to:
- File your 2025 income tax return (this is what triggers 2026 OTB payments)
- Be an Ontario resident on December 31, 2025 (and for NOEC, you must be in Northern Ontario on that date)
- Meet the credit-specific rules below
OEPTC (renters, homeowners, some students, long-term care)
You may qualify if you were an Ontario resident on Dec 31, 2025, and in 2025 you had eligible housing costs, such as:
- Rent for your principal residence (Ontario)
- Property tax for your principal residence (Ontario)
- Designated Ontario college/university residence
- Certain long-term care or reserve energy costs
There’s also an age/family rule: you qualify if you’ll be 18+ before June 1, 2027, or had a spouse/partner by Dec 31, 2025, or are a parent living (or who lived) with your child in the year.
NOEC (Northern Ontario)
NOEC is only if you lived in Northern Ontario on Dec 31, 2025 and had eligible housing costs (rent/property tax/residence/other eligible costs).
What counts as Northern Ontario (CRA list): the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timiskaming.
OSTC (sales tax credit)
No separate form. CRA calculates it automatically if you qualify based on your return.
What to gather before you file (saves the most headaches)
Have these ready for 2025:
- Total rent paid (ask landlord for a rent statement if needed)
- Property tax amount (from bills/statement)
- If you lived in a designated residence, the school/residence details + months
- Your current address and marital status (update CRA if it changed)
- Direct deposit info (so you don’t wait for cheques)
How to apply for Ontario Trillium Benefit (step-by-step)
Step 1: File your 2025 tax return
Most people’s filing deadline is April 30, 2026.
If you (or your spouse) are self-employed, the filing deadline is usually June 15, 2026—but any tax owing is still due April 30.
Step 2: Complete Form ON-BEN (only for OEPTC and/or NOEC)
- Tick OEPTC: Box 61020
- Tick NOEC: Box 61040
- Enter rent paid (if applicable): Box 61100
- Enter property tax paid (if applicable): Box 61120
- If student residence (designated): Box 61140
Step 3: Submit ON-BEN with your return (and keep proof)
In most normal situations, you don’t send receipts with your tax return—you keep them in case CRA asks.
If you’re requesting an adjustment for past years, CRA can require you to include supporting documents with that adjustment request.
Timeline: when you’ll actually get paid
Benefit year = July 1 to June 30
- Payments from July 2026 to June 2027 are based on your 2025 tax return.
The “deadline that matters” for getting July payments
If CRA assesses your 2025 return by June 19, 2026, your OTB payments start on the regular monthly schedule (starting July 10, 2026).
If CRA assesses it after that date, your first payment usually comes within 4–8 weeks after assessment, and it includes any months you already missed (retroactive in a combined payment).
2026 Ontario Trillium Benefit payment dates
OTB is scheduled for these dates in 2026:
- Jan 9, 2026
- Feb 10, 2026
- Mar 10, 2026
- Apr 10, 2026
- May 8, 2026
- Jun 10, 2026
- Jul 10, 2026
- Aug 10, 2026
- Sep 10, 2026
- Oct 9, 2026
- Nov 10, 2026
- Dec 10, 2026
(If the 10th falls on a weekend/holiday, CRA issues it on the last working day before.)
Monthly vs one lump sum
If your annual OTB entitlement is over $360
You can choose to wait and get it as one payment at the end of the benefit year.
On your return, you make this choice by ticking Box 61060 on ON-BEN (the “wait for one payment” option).
For 2026 OTB (based on your 2025 return), if you choose to wait, the lump sum is issued on June 10, 2027.
If your annual OTB entitlement is $360 or less
CRA issues it as one lump sum in the first payment month (usually July). You don’t get monthly payments for small entitlements.
How much can you get (maximums for the 2026 benefit year)
These are the maximum annual amounts before income reductions:
- OEPTC (age 18–64): up to $1,307
- OEPTC (age 65+): up to $1,488
- NOEC: up to $189 (single, no children) or $290 (families/couples)
- OSTC: up to $378 per eligible adult and per child
Your actual amount depends on:
- Your income (and family income)
- Your rent/property tax and other eligible housing costs
- Your family size and eligibility months
A simple “monthly estimate” that’s always correct
Once CRA tells you your annual entitlement, monthly is just:
Annual OTB ÷ 12 = monthly payment
Example: If your Notice says $1,560/year, that’s $130/month.
Income reductions (official thresholds you can actually trust)
OSTC reduction thresholds (2026 payments based on 2025 income)
- Single (no children): reduced by 4% of adjusted net income over $29,047
- Families / single parents / couples: reduced by 4% of adjusted family net income over $36,309
NOEC reduction thresholds (2026 payments based on 2025 income)
- Single (no children): reduced by 1% over $50,833
- Families / couples: reduced by 1% over $65,356
OEPTC “phase-out”
OEPTC doesn’t have one clean cutoff like your draft table, because it’s calculated using a worksheet with your housing costs + income. The practical guidance is:
- If you have eligible rent/property tax and modest income, apply—CRA calculates it.
- If your income is high, OEPTC usually shrinks quickly (and may disappear).
Special situations (fast answers)
Students in residence
If you lived in a designated post-secondary residence in 2025, you may still qualify for part of OEPTC. Use the residence section on ON-BEN (don’t guess—use the school’s official residence status).
You moved
To receive a payment for a month, you must be eligible and resident at the start of that month.
For NOEC specifically: if you move out of Northern Ontario mid-year, payments can stop after the month you no longer qualify.
Newcomers to Canada
Some newcomers need to file extra information so CRA can calculate benefits correctly (for example, CRA may require Form RC66SCH in some situations). If you’re new, it’s worth confirming your benefit setup in CRA My Account.
Debts / offsets
OTB can be used to pay debts you owe to CRA (and certain other arrears CRA collects). If anything remains, CRA issues the rest to you.
How to check your Ontario Trillium Benefit status (and fix missing payments)
- CRA My Account → Benefits & credits → Ontario Trillium Benefit
- Check your Notice of Assessment / Notice of Determination
- If you think something is wrong, wait for your notice first, then call 1-877-627-6645 (CRA line used for OTB-related help in these program Q&As).
Ontario Trillium Benefit FAQs
Is OTB taxable income?
No—OTB is a non-taxable benefit.
Do I need to apply every year?
You must file taxes every year. ON-BEN is needed whenever you’re claiming OEPTC and/or NOEC.
If I forgot ON-BEN last year, can I still get OTB?
Yes. CRA generally allows adjustments for returns within the last 10 calendar years (you request an adjustment—don’t file a brand-new return).
Who gets paid in a couple?
OSTC is usually paid to the spouse whose return is assessed first. For OEPTC/NOEC, the person who applies on ON-BEN receives it (and there are special rules when one spouse is a senior).
Why is my payment smaller than last year?
Common reasons: higher income, fewer eligible months, rent/property tax changed, marital status changed, or CRA updated your info mid-year.
Can OTB stop mid-year?
Yes—if you move out of Ontario (or out of Northern Ontario for NOEC), or CRA updates eligibility based on your file.
