Financial Benefits for new comers to Canada

GST/HST Credit

The GST/HST credit is a non-taxable quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low and modest incomes offset all or part of the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) that they pay.

You are eligible for this credit if you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes in the month before and at the beginning of the month in which we make a payment.

To get the GST/HST credit, including any related provincial credits, you have to file a tax return for 2017, even if you have not received income in the year.

If you are a new resident of Canada and you want to get the GST/HST credit. You have to apply for it. The detailed procedure is discussed in the subsequent articles.

You need a social insurance number (SIN) to get the GST/HST credit.

You can get the credit for your spouse or common-law partner. Generally, your spouse or common-law partner has to be a resident of Canada in the month before and at the beginning of the month in which we make a payment. Only one of you can get the credit for both of you.

The credit will be paid to the spouse or common-law partner whose tax

return is assessed first. No matter which one of you receives the credit, the amount will be the same.

You can get the credit for each of your children if all of the following apply at the beginning of the month in which we make a payment.

The child:

• is your child, or is dependent on you or your spouse or common-law partner for support
• is under 19 years of age
• has never had a spouse or common-law partner
• has never been a parent of a child they lived with
• lives with you

The CRA administers the following provincial programs that are related to the GST/HST credit:

• Alberta climate leadership adjustment rebate
• BC climate action tax credit
• New Brunswick harmonized sales tax credit
• Newfoundland and Labrador income supplement
• Newfoundland and Labrador seniors’ benefit
• Nova Scotia affordable living tax credit
• Ontario sales tax credit
• Prince Edward Island sales tax credit
• Saskatchewan low-income tax credit

You do not need to apply to a province to get payments for these programs. If you are eligible for the GST/HST credit, your provincial credit payments will be combined with your GST/HST credit payments (except for the Ontario sales tax credit, as part of the Ontario trillium benefit, and the Alberta climate leadership adjustment rebate, which are issued separately).

Once your application is received by CRA, you will receive payments in 4 quarterly instalments. If you use the direct deposit service for your GST/HST credit payments, CRA will deposit your provincial payments into the same account.

For more information of GST/HST Credit go to canada.ca/gst-hst-credit or call 1-800-387-1193. You can also contact our settlement experts for extended support

Child Care in Canada

If you are working and have young children, you may need to make arrangements for child care. In Canada, most families do not leave children under the age of 12 at home alone. You may need to ask a family member or pay someone to look after your children while you are at work.

There are different options for child care : licensed day-care centres, nursery schools, “drop-in” day-care centres and home-based day-care services. To learn about the options available near you, speak to someone at an immigrant-serving organization.

Child care benefits in Canada

The federal government of Canada has two programs that provide financial support for families raising children : the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) and the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB). For information about eligibility and how to apply for the UCCB and CCTB, go to www.cra.gc.ca/bnfts or call the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) at 1-800-387-1193. You can also visit a Service Canada office.

Other financial benefits in Canada

There are a variety of other financial support programs provided by the government for people in need. In most cases, you must meet certain criteria to benefit from these programs. You can obtain information on what support is available in your province or territory in several ways:

• By going to canadabenefits.gc.ca;
• By using the provincial or territorial government websites or telephone numbers listed on the websites;
• By contacting an immigrant-serving organization near you go to cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/map/services.asp for location
• by speaking to any settlement expert available in your province.