The GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It’s meant to help lower- and middle-income Canadians offset the goods and services tax (GST) or harmonized sales tax (HST) you pay on daily purchases. It’s automatically deposited into your bank account every three months, or delivered via cheque if you don’t have direct deposit.
How is the GST/HST credit calculated?
The GST/HST credit is calculated based on your net income, marital status, and the number of children in your household, according to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Generally, the lower your household income, the larger your quarterly payment will be.
The CRA uses the information from your tax return for the previous year to determine your eligibility and calculate the amount you’ll receive each pay period. Below is a table you can use to see which payment dates will be affected by which years:
Base year (tax return filed)
Payment period
Payment months
2025
July 2026 – June 2027
July 2026, October 2026, January 2027, April 2027
2024
July 2025 – June 2025
July 2025, October 2025, January 2026, April 2026
2023
July 2024–June 2025
July 2024, October 2024, January 2025, April 2025
2022
July 2023 – June 2024
July 2023, October 2023, January 2024, April 2024
2021
July 2022 – June 2023
July 2022, October 2022, January 2023, April 2023
GST/HST credit payment dates for 2026
The GST/HST credit is paid quarterly by the Canada Revenue Agency, typically in January, April, July, and October, as long as you’ve filed your taxes for the previous year.
For 2026, the official GST/HST credit payment dates are:
January 5, 2026
April 2, 2026
July 3, 2026
October 5, 2026
If you receive your GST/HST credit by direct deposit, the funds should appear in your account on these dates. If your GST/HST credit payments are delivered via cheque by mail, it may take up to 10 business days to arrive.
How to check your payment schedule
You can view your personalized GST/HST credit payment schedule any time through your CRA My Account. Here’s how:
Look for GST/HST credit under your payment summary
This portal will show your next payment date, amount, and whether it’s being sent by direct deposit or mail.
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What to do if your payment is late or missing
If your payment hasn’t arrived by the expected date, don’t panic. Here’s what to check first:
1. Allow for processing delays
If you receive payment by mail, wait 10 business days after the scheduled date before contacting the CRA. If you signed up for direct deposit, double-check your bank account and CRA My Account to confirm the deposit status.
2. Review CRA My Account
Your CRA My Account will tell you:
If the payment has been issued
If there are delays or holds
If your account info is outdated
3. Check for address or bank changes
If you moved recently or changed banks, your GST/HST credit may have been delayed or returned. You can update your info online through CRA My Account or by calling the CRA.
There are some unique considerations when you build or substantially renovate a home that are important for anyone considering it. And there may even be rebates available that can put money back into your pocket.
Is it a substantial renovation?
The concept of a so-called substantial renovation is important for residential real estate and sales tax implications. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) considers a home to be substantially renovated if 90% or more of the building that existed prior to the work started was renovated to some degree. This percentage is based on the interior area of the building.
The CRA gives several examples of substantial renovations:
A house has 10 rooms. Eight of the rooms are completely gutted and rebuilt. Of the remaining two rooms, the flooring in Bedroom A is replaced and the flooring and one wall are replaced in Bedroom B. Including these two bedrooms, over 90% of the total wall and floor space in the house is removed or replaced.
A 5,000-square-foot house is undergoing renovations. In one room measuring 250 square feet, there are no renovations. In another room measuring 200 square feet, the renovations carried out do not meet the “removed or replaced” test. The remaining 4,550 square feet of the house do, however, meet this test.
Douglas J.’s house consists of a living room, kitchen, family room, four bedrooms, and an unfinished basement. The renovation work on this house consisted of replacing the drywall throughout the house, installing laminate flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, laying new carpet over the old tile flooring in the other rooms, and replacing the kitchen counters and cabinets.
It matters how you use the property
The good news is that if you build or substantially renovate a home that is your primary place of residence, there are generally no sales tax implications beyond the tax you will pay for materials and labour. However, if your construction or renovation is done with the intention to earn a profit, things can change—and there may be additional sales tax payable.
The CRA focuses on whether the transaction is entered into in the course of a so-called adventure or concern in the nature of trade. When the builder or renovator’s intention is to earn a profit—even if they are not a home builder—the CRA may treat them as a “builder” for sales tax purposes.
In this case, the subsequent sale may, in fact, be subject to GST/HST to be remitted from the sale proceeds. Taxpayers should also be cautious about moving into the house for a short period of time after construction and then selling it. The CRA could still contend that the primary intention was to build, sell, and earn a profit rather than treating the property as their principal residence. This may have sales tax consequences, as well as income tax implications for the profit that may not be protected using the principal residence exemption.
An important consideration if a sale is subject to GST/HST is that a buyer will not pay more for the property. As an example: if you are hoping to sell a home with comparable properties selling for $1,000,000 in Ontario where the HST rate is 13%, a buyer will only pay you $1,000,000—not $1,130,000 ($1,000,000 plus 13% HST). That means $884,956 plus 13% HST.
Use our mortgage payment calculator
Our calculator will help you understand what a mortgage will cost you in real terms while factoring for interest rates, amortization period, fixed or variable terms, and more.
Available rebates
In several circumstances, there may be GST/HST rebates available that put sales tax refunds back in your pocket.
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You built or substantially renovated, or engaged someone else to build or renovate, a house on land that you already owned or leased to use as your primary place of residence. Some of the sales tax paid on your costs may be recoverable.
You converted a non-residential property into your home. Likewise, some of the sales tax paid on your costs may be recoverable.
You bought a new home from a builder to use as your primary place of residence. Some of the sales tax paid on the purchase may be recoverable.
You built, substantially renovated, or bought housing to rent to individuals as their primary place of residence for long-term residential use. Some of the sales tax paid on your costs or purchase may be recoverable.
You qualified for new first-time home buyer rebate of the GST on homes valued up to $1.5 million, under a rule introduced in May 2025.
The rules are complex, and may depend on the value of the home, or the province or territory where the home is located.
For example, an owner-built home in Ontario may not qualify for the HST rebate on the federal portion of the sales tax if the fair market value at the time that the work is substantially completed is more than $450,000. However, the home may be eligible for a rebate of the provincial portion of the sales tax, up to $24,000 if you paid HST when you purchased the land, or $16,080 if you did not.
What to do if you are building or renovating a home
Given the complexity, it is advisable to consult a professional before starting a major build or renovation. The rules are complicated and the CRA is looking very closely at these transactions by conducting GST/HST audits. There can be province or territory-specific considerations, as well.
A mistake can lead to a large tax bill, along with interest and penalties.
Jason Heath is a fee-only, advice-only Certified Financial Planner (CFP) at Objective Financial Partners Inc. in Toronto. He does not sell any financial products whatsoever.
Hence, if the GST on a specific product has been reduced by 10%, the customer will see a direct 10% discount in the price of that product in the market.
We have studied the new GST rates in detail, and here’s a detailed breakdown of which items will get more affordable, and the list of products set to get a price hike.
However, companies may not pass on these discounts to the customer, and instead increase the prices of the goods, equivalent to the GST difference.
The Government of India has introduced much-needed changes to the GST rates in India, notably removing the 28% slab. After this change, the majority of goods, which were earlier taxed at 28% will now attract an 18% GST, making them significantly cheaper. The new rules have also exempted life and medical insurance, select food products, educational stationery, and many other products, making them tax-free.
However, the tax rates on certain luxury goods like high-end cars, sin goods like alcohol and cigarettes, sugar drinks, etc., have been hiked to 40%. This new GST slab is set to make these products more expensive to control their consumption.
We have studied the new GST rates in detail, and here’s a detailed breakdown of which items will get more affordable, and the list of products set to get a price hike. Let’s have a look.
List of Products That Will Get Cheaper
Here are quick highlights of all the products and services that will get cheaper under the new GST rates:
Health insurance, life insurance, and family floater policies.
Health-related products like thermometers, diagnostic kits, glucometers, vision corrective glasses, etc.
Home appliances and electronics like AC, refrigerator, washing machine, and TV.
No change in GST rates for smartphones and laptops.
Complete GST exemption on stationery products like books, pencils, erasers, and more.
Major GST reduction on petrol and diesel-powered cars, bikes, and other automobiles.
No change in GST for electric vehicles.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi announced the Next-Generation GST Reforms in his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort.
Working on the same principle, the GST Council has approved significant reforms today.
While large appliances like AC, washing machine, etc are set to get cheaper, there is no change in GST for smartphones and laptops as they will continue to get taxed at 18%. The GST reduction on automobiles is also limited to cars below 1200cc and 4000cm length, and bikes below 350cc. Any vehicle beyond these limits will attract a higher GST.
Product Category
Old GST Rate
New GST Rate
Daily essentials
18%
5%
Packaged food
12%
5%
Healthcare
18%
5%
Life and medical insurance
18%
0%
Stationery
12%
0%
Farming equipments
12%
5%
Automobiles
28%
18%
Home Appliances
28%
18%
New Anti-Profiteering Clause
The motive behind reducing the GST rates is to boost consumption in the economy by making goods more affordable. However, companies may not pass on these discounts to the customer, and instead increase the prices of the goods, equivalent to the GST difference. This would result in the customer paying the same price, while the business gains higher profits.
To prevent this, the Government of India has introduced a new Anti-Profiteering Clause with the new GST rates. This rule forces all businesses to strictly reduce the prices of respective goods and services, and pass on the discounts to the customers. Violating this clause will result in legal action and heavy penalties from the government.
The anti-profiteering clause safeguards the Indian customer from possible profit milking by corporate companies. Hence, if the GST on a specific product has been reduced by 10%, the customer will see a direct 10% discount in the price of that product in the market.
List of Products That Will Get Expensive
The Government of India has introduced a new 40% GST slab for luxury, sin goods, and select other products. Such items are set to get more costly. However, the government has removed the concept of CESS. Hence, even with a higher GST rate, the prices of such goods may not increase that much, since CESS has been removed. However, you can expect a minor price hike on the following products:
Sin goods such as cigarettes, tobacco, pan masala, gutkha, etc.
Sugared and caffeinated drinks, sodas, energy drinks, and other high-sugar beverages.
Luxury cars above 4000cm, and engine capacity exceeding 1500cc, along with bikes over 350cc.
Clothes and apparel priced above Rs 2,500.
Product Category
Old GST Rate
New GST Rate
Cigarette, tobacco, gutkha, pan masala
28% + CESS
40% (no CESS)
High-sugar beverages
28%
40%
Luxury cars above 1500cc engine and 4000 cm length
28% + CESS
40 % (no CESS)
Motorcyles above 350cc engine
28% + CESS
40% (no CESS)
Clothes above Rs 2,500
12%
18%
Ticketing events like concerts, IPL, etc
28%
40%
Why No Change in GST Rate for Smartphones and Laptops
Many people are wondering why the GST rates of smartphones and laptops have remained the same, while we are getting lower prices for home appliances like TV, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. The answer is simple and straightforward.
Smartphones and laptops have an 18% GST, whereas home appliances attract a 28% GST under the old rules. Since the Government of India has scrapped the 28% GST slab, home appliances have received a tax relief under the 18% GST slab. Since phones and laptops were already in the same slab, there is no change in GST rate for them.
Hence, you won’t see any major price difference in smartphones or laptops. However, you can still wait for the upcoming Flipkart Big Billion Days and the Amazon Great Indian Festival to get some discounts.
FAQs
Q. Will petrol get cheaper with new GST rates?
Petrol and diesel do not come under GST, as they are taxed by VAT by the respective state governments. Hence, the new GST rates will not affect the price of petrol in India.
Q. Will smartphones get cheaper with new GST?
Smartphones will continue to attract 18% GST as earlier under the new rules. Hence, there will not be any change in phone prices.
Q. What is the GST on vehicle insurance?
Under the new rules, vehicle insurance will continue to attract an 18% GST. The tax exemption is only applicable on health and life insurance.
Wrapping Up
The reduction in GST on daily essentials, home appliances, insurance, automobiles, farming equipment, stationery, and many other items will significantly reduce the prices of commodities in India. This will boost the consumption in the country, driving more revenue in the economy. It is also expected to bring additional positive effects like new job opportunities, reduced cost of living, bring inflation under control, and more.
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The other excellent reason to charge GST and HST is that it pays off in dollars and cents.
One of the great advantages of being self-employed is that when you charge these taxes, you only give the government what you charged minus the GST or HST you pay on your deductible business expenses.
For freelance writers like us, this is the sales tax we pay on printer paper, internet service, professional development workshops and more. The government lets us in essence deduct the sales taxes we pay on deductible expenses from the sales taxes we charge our clients. We then pocket the difference. The amount we save each year is roughly enough to pay for a trip to Europe.
HST quick method or detailed method?
The good news is that we don’t have to add up every bit of GST and sales tax we pay on our expenses to take advantage of this. That’s because we use the “quick method” for our calculations.
The government gives you two choices for paying GST and PST/HST instalments: the “detailed method” and the “quick method.” With the quick method, you simply pay 3.6% of the 5% GST you collect. In the case of provinces with HST, it’s a percentage of the HST: so, in Ontario, you only pay 8.8% to the government from the 13% you collect.
Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik
The advantage of the quick method is that it’s much less work. You must only add up how much sales tax you charge your clients or customers. My spouse and I use the quick method and find it easy to do our calculations with an Excel spreadsheet. There is no need to keep a detailed account of the sales tax you pay on all the pens, paper, printer cartridges and more you claim as deductible expenses.
There’s another bonus to using the quick method. Governments offer a credit of an additional 1% on the first $30,000 of gross revenue. So, for example, in Ontario you pay 7.8% (instead of 8.8%) of the 13% HST you collect for that amount and pocket the other 5.2%. However, if you use the quick method, you must add the credit to your total revenue when you file your income tax return.
The detailed method involves more work, since you must add up the GST and PST/HST you paid on each of your expenses and subtract it from the taxes you collect to determine the amount you have to pay. But this calculation method is useful if your taxable expenses are proportionately high, amounting to roughly more than 50% of your income. The advantage of the detailed method is that you don’t have to add the amount you retain to your revenue when you file your income tax return.
LAHORE: In a bid to foster financial literacy and raise awareness about tax implications among its employees, Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA), organized a tax workshop at CBD Punjab Complex.
The workshop organized by the Authority’s Finance Department was aimed to provide insight into tax laws and amendments done in Finance Act 2023.
The workshop addressed a wide spectrum of tax-related subjects, including income tax implications on salaries, commissions, property transactions, rentals, sales, goods, services, General sales tax (GST) and Punjab Sales Tax (PST). The workshop was a proactive effort to empower participants with knowledge of taxation laws aiding them in making informed financial decisions.
Executive Director Finance CBD Punjab, Syed Habban Subhani, while expressing his thoughts said, “Financial awareness is essential for sustainable economic growth. Our workshop serves as a platform to empower individuals with knowledge about tax regulations, enabling them to navigate the financial landscape more effectively.”
Tax filing platform Cleartax has forayed into the crypto tax segment with the launch of crypto tax calculation and filing products. It aims to provide an end-to-end solution to tax filers.
Clear is looking to simplify the legal obligations of investors in digital assets by streamlining and enabling an accurate taxation process for investors and businesses.
As per the rules, users cannot offset crypto losses across different crypto tokens, making it difficult to track net profit/loss. The platform enables users to optimize crypto taxes to offset losses and manage GST and TDS on crypto transactions. It also offers DIY taxation management solutions for retail investors.
Avinash Polepally, Senior Director-Crypto Business Head, Cleartax, told businessline, “We see a huge market opportunity with 25 lakh people estimated to be filing taxes this year. The market is anywhere around Rs100-120 crore and we expect to get 50 per cent of the market share. The new offering is expected to bring in revenues in the range of Rs40 – 50 crore. The platform will leverage crypto communities and influencers to inform users about the product.”
The platform has integrated with over 100 exchanges, including Coinbase, CoinDCX, Binance, WazirX, and many others. Apart from this, the platform also enables Taxation and management services for Airdrops and staking in cryptos. The amalgamation of various exchanges and offerings enhances user experience with a single view of all their investments.
The platform leverages advanced algorithms and historical market data to ensure accurate tax calculations, while automatic API integration with several popular exchanges makes it easy to sync transactions in real time, said the company.
Global Systems Technology, Inc. to support the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) as a Prime Contractor.
Press Release –
Feb 3, 2023 12:00 EST
YARDLEY, Pa., February 3, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Global Systems Technologies, Inc. (GST) has been awarded a $900 million, four-year base and one four-year option period contract to support the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND). The IDIQ contract, Joint Enterprise Contracted Logistics and Services Support II (JE-CLaSS II) is designed as a streamlined, quick response vehicle to provide contractor logistics support (CLS) and related services for JPEO-CBRND developed and/or managed systems. GST’s contract spans both unrestricted and small business suites (Domains 1 and 2).
Achintya Bhattacharjee, GST President and CEO, said, “This award allows GST to expand into the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) space as we conduct CBRN CLS activities in a variety of subject areas. We have a great team and look forward to offering our expertise in support of JPEO-CBRND’s critical mission.”
GST is headquartered in Yardley, PA, with offices in Galloway, NJ, and Crystal City, VA.
