The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is the single largest tax-free payment most Canadian families receive — up to $7,787 per year for each child under 6 and $6,570 for children aged 6–17. A family with two young children earning $75,000 can expect roughly $860 per month in CCB payments. The money is completely tax-free and does not affect any other benefit or credit.
The most important thing to know: both parents must file their tax return every year by April 30, even if one parent has no income. CCB is calculated from your filed return. Miss the deadline or forget to file, and payments stop. CCB amounts are indexed to inflation and recalculated each July based on the previous year’s family net income.
This page covers the 2026 benefit amounts, income reduction rates, calculation examples by family income, and payment dates. For eligibility rules, see am I eligible for the Canada Child Benefit. For the full payment schedule, see CCB payment dates 2026.
CCB Maximum Amounts for 2026
The maximum amounts below apply to families with adjusted net income below approximately $36,502. The Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is an additional top-up for families with a child who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit.
| Child’s age | Annual maximum | Monthly maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 | ~$7,787 | ~$649 |
| 6 to 17 | ~$6,570 | ~$548 |
| Child Disability Benefit (any age) | +~$3,322 | +~$277 |
A family with one child under 6 and one child aged 8, earning under $36,502, would receive a combined maximum of approximately $14,357 per year ($1,197/month) in CCB — before any provincial child benefit top-ups.
How Income Reduces Your CCB
CCB begins to be reduced once your adjusted family net income (AFNI) exceeds approximately $36,502. The reduction is gradual — not a hard cut-off — and is applied at different rates depending on how many children you have and which income band you fall into.
| Adjusted family net income | Reduction rate (1 child) | Reduction rate (2+ children) |
|---|---|---|
| Below ~$36,502 | No reduction — full benefit | No reduction — full benefit |
| $36,502 to $79,087 | 7% of income above threshold | 13.5% of income above threshold |
| Over $79,087 | Additional 3.2% | Additional 5.7% |
The two-tier structure means reductions slow down significantly above $79,087. Most families continue receiving meaningful CCB payments well above $100,000 in family income, particularly those with multiple children.
CCB Calculation Examples
Family with Two Children Under 6
| Family net income | Annual CCB | Monthly CCB |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | ~$15,574 | ~$1,298 |
| $50,000 | ~$13,693 | ~$1,141 |
| $75,000 | ~$10,322 | ~$860 |
| $100,000 | ~$8,522 | ~$710 |
| $150,000 | ~$5,322 | ~$444 |
| $200,000 | ~$2,722 | ~$227 |
Single Child Aged 8
| Family net income | Annual CCB | Monthly CCB |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | ~$6,570 | ~$548 |
| $50,000 | ~$5,625 | ~$469 |
| $75,000 | ~$4,240 | ~$353 |
| $100,000 | ~$3,440 | ~$287 |
These are approximations based on published CRA rates. Use the CRA’s CCB calculator for a figure specific to your situation. If your actual payments are lower than expected, see why is my CCB lower than expected.
2026 CCB Payment Dates
CCB is paid on the 20th of each month, or the preceding business day when the 20th falls on a weekend or statutory holiday.
| Month | Payment date |
|---|---|
| January | January 20 |
| February | February 20 |
| March | March 20 |
| April | April 17 |
| May | May 20 |
| June | June 20 |
| July | July 18 |
| August | August 20 |
| September | September 19 |
| October | October 20 |
| November | November 20 |
| December | December 12 |
Payments are deposited directly to your bank account if you have direct deposit set up with the CRA, which is strongly recommended. Cheques can take several additional business days to arrive and can be lost or delayed. Set up or update direct deposit through your CRA My Account.
How CCB is Calculated
The CRA calculates your CCB automatically once both parents file their tax returns. You do not need to do any math yourself. The formula works as follows:
- Start with the maximum benefit for each child based on age
- Calculate your adjusted family net income (AFNI) — this is line 23600 from both spouses’ returns combined
- If AFNI is below ~$36,502, you receive the full amount
- If AFNI is above the threshold, the reduction formula is applied based on income band and number of children
- If a child qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit, the Child Disability Benefit is added on top
- The result is divided by 12 for monthly payments
What counts as income for CCB purposes: Employment income, self-employment income, investment income, RRSP withdrawals, and rental income all count. CCB payments themselves, GST/HST credits, child support received, and tax refunds do not count toward AFNI.
Annual Recalculation in July
Every July, the CRA recalculates your CCB based on the previous year’s tax return. If your income increased, your CCB may decrease in July. If your income dropped — due to job loss, reduced hours, parental leave, or any other reason — your CCB will increase at the next July recalculation.
This one-year lag is important to understand. If you experienced a major income drop in 2025, your 2025 tax return (filed by April 2026) will trigger higher CCB payments starting July 2026. The system does not adjust mid-year for income changes; it always uses the previous year’s filed return.
Shared Custody
If you and your co-parent share custody of a child on roughly a 50/50 basis, the CRA splits the CCB equally between both parents — each parent receives approximately 50% of the monthly amount. For other custody arrangements, the CRA assigns payments to the parent who is primarily responsible for the child’s care. A formal custody agreement or court order helps establish this, but you can also declare custody arrangements through CRA My Account.
Provincial Child Benefits: Additional Top-Ups
CCB is a federal benefit, but most provinces offer their own child benefit programs on top of it. These are administered separately and have their own income thresholds and amounts.
| Province | Provincial benefit |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Ontario Child Benefit (up to ~$1,607/child/year) |
| British Columbia | BC Family Benefit |
| Alberta | Alberta Child Benefit |
| Quebec | Quebec Family Allowance |
Quebec’s Family Allowance is administered by Retraite Québec, not the CRA, and operates separately from CCB. If you live in Quebec, you apply for each program independently.
Strategies to Maximize Your CCB
Use RRSP Contributions to Reduce Your AFNI
Because CCB is income-tested, any strategy that legitimately reduces your adjusted net income increases your CCB. RRSP contributions are the most effective tool available to most families. A $10,000 RRSP contribution reduces your AFNI by $10,000, which can increase your annual CCB by $700–$1,350 depending on your income level — on top of the normal income tax savings of roughly $2,500–$4,000 at typical family income levels. See our RRSP calculator to estimate the combined tax and CCB impact of an RRSP contribution.
Invest CCB in an RESP
One of the smartest strategies for Canadian parents is depositing CCB payments directly into an RESP for your child’s education. CCB is treated as the child’s money for income attribution purposes, so investment income earned on it is taxed in the child’s hands — typically at zero. Contributing $2,500/year to an RESP also triggers the 20% Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG), turning your $2,500 into $3,000 immediately. Over 18 years, $2,500/year plus CESG compounding at 7% can build approximately $125,000 for education — funded almost entirely by government benefits. See the RESP CESG grant guide for details on maximizing the grant.
File Returns on Time — Both of You
Every year that either parent fails to file a return by April 30, CCB payments can be delayed or stopped. The CRA cannot calculate your benefit without a filed return. Even a parent with zero income must file. If you fall behind on filing, the CRA can retroactively pay missed CCB once you catch up, but you will not receive payments in the meantime.
What to Do If Payments Stop or Are Lower Than Expected
If your CCB stops, the most common reasons are: one parent did not file their tax return, a child turned 18 (eligibility ends), an address change was not updated with the CRA, or a custody arrangement changed without notification. Update your information through CRA My Account or by calling 1-800-387-1193.
If you were overpaid — for example, because your income was higher than expected — the CRA will typically deduct the overpayment from future CCB payments. If you cannot repay in full, contact the CRA to arrange a repayment plan. For a full walkthrough of why your payment may be lower than you expected, see why is my CCB lower than expected.