CanadiaNow

Finance & Taxes covers practical money and tax basics for newcomers and residents in Canada. It explains how taxes work, when you may need to file a return, and how benefit and credit payments are connected to your tax filing.

What you’ll find in this section:
– Newcomer tax basics (residency for tax purposes and first return questions)
– Filing your personal income tax return and common mistakes to avoid
– CRA benefits and credits (including GST/HST credit) and payment schedules
– Setting up direct deposit for CRA payments
– Everyday banking basics (opening an account, understanding fees)
– Credit report and credit score basics (how to check and protect your information)

Reality check: This content is informational only. Rules can change, and personal situations differ. Always confirm details using official CRA and Government of Canada resources before making financial decisions.

CRA — Newcomers to Canada and the CRA
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada-immigrants.html

Canada.ca — Who should file a tax return
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/income-tax/personal-income-tax/who-should-file-tax.html

CRA — Completing your return for newcomers
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada-immigrants/completing-return-newcomers.html

CRA — GST/HST credit (overview)
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/gst-hst-credit.html

CRA — GST/HST credit payment dates
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/gst-hst-credit/payment-dates.html

CRA — Direct deposit (individuals)
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/direct-deposit/individuals.html

Service Canada — SIN overview
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin.html

Service Canada — Apply for a SIN
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html

FCAC — Opening a bank account
https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/banking/opening-bank-account.html

FCAC — Credit report and score basics
https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/credit-reports-score/credit-report-score-basics.html

FCAC — Getting your credit report and score
https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/credit-reports-score/order-credit-report.html

No New GST Payment Coming In February 2026 (Fact Check)

No New GST Payment Coming In February 2026 (Fact Check)

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Updated July 2026. If you saw claims online about a GST/HST payment landing in February 2026 — on the 4th, ...

New Canada Groceries And Essentials Benefit Of Up To $1,890 In 2026

New Canada Groceries And Essentials Benefit Of Up To $1,890 In 2026

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Updated July 2026. On January 26, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) — ...

New Canada Child Benefit Payment To Be Sent On January 20

Canada Child Benefit: Full 2026 Payment Schedule and Amounts

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Updated July 2026. The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment for families raising children under 18, administered ...

New Ontario Trillium Benefit Payment Coming On January 9

Ontario Trillium Benefit: Full 2026 Payment Schedule and How Payments Work

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Updated July 2026. The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) pays out monthly to eligible Ontario households, combining the Ontario Energy and ...

New GST Payment To Be Sent Canada-Wide On January 5

New GST Payment To Be Sent Canada-Wide On January 5

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Updated July 2026. The first GST/HST credit payment of 2026 landed Canada-wide on Monday, January 5, giving millions of eligible ...

6 New CRA Benefits Payments Coming In January 2026

6 New CRA Benefits Payments Coming In January 2026

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Updated July 2026. Canadians receive a rotating set of federal and provincial benefit deposits every month, and January is always ...

Ontario's New Tax Brackets, Rates, And Benefits For 2026

Ontario’s New Tax Brackets, Rates, And Benefits For 2026

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Updated July 2026. Ontario’s full 2026 tax and benefit framework rolled out in two phases: income tax changes took effect ...

New CPP Payments To Be Sent Canada-Wide On December 22

CPP and OAS: How They Work and the Full 2026 Payment Schedule

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Updated July 2026. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) are Canada’s two main public retirement income ...

All The New CRA Payment Dates In 2026

All The New CRA Payment Dates In 2026

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Updated July 2026. The CRA and Service Canada run several tax-free benefit programs on their own predictable schedules. Here’s an ...

New GST Payment Increase Coming In 2026

GST/HST Credit Becomes the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: What Changed

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Updated July 2026. Earlier forecasts expected a modest inflation-based adjustment to the GST/HST credit for the 2026-27 benefit year. What ...

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