Climate action incentive payment

The CRA has resumed its work to address taxpayer debt. Tax refunds, benefit and credit payments may be applied to pay outstanding balances. You can check the status of your benefits by logging into your CRA My Account. Contact the CRA if debt repayment causes you financial hardship. Call 1-888-863-8662 for benefit debt or, 1-888-863-8657 for tax return debt. Learn more at Canada.ca/balance-owing.

If you are looking for Climate action incentive (CAI) credit information claimed on a tax return for the 2018 to 2020 tax years, please visit Tax packages for all years. You will need to select the appropriate year and province, and then look for information related to Schedule 14 - Climate action incentive.

On this page

• What is the CAIP
• Who is eligible for the CAIP
  • Do you have an eligible child
  • Are you a newcomer to Canada
• Do you need to apply for the CAIP
• How much you can expect to receive
• When will you get your payments

What is the CAIP

The CAIP is a tax-free amount paid to help individuals and families offset the cost of the federal pollution pricing. It is available to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. It consists of a basic amount and a supplement for residents of small and rural communities.

The Government of Canada has changed the payment method for the CAI from a refundable credit claimed annually on personal income tax returns to quarterly tax free payments made through the benefit system starting in July 2022.

The federal fuel charge will only come into effect as of July 1, 2023 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Residents of these provinces will receive three quarterly payments (July 2023, October 2023, and January 2024) in the first year and four payments in the year(s) after that.

The Government of Canada will apply the federal backstop fuel charge in New Brunswick as of July 1, 2023. Residents of New Brunswick will receive a double payment in October 2023 that will cover the July and October 2023 payments and a single payment in January 2024.

Who is eligible for the CAIP

You are eligible for this credit if you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes at the beginning of the month in which the CRA makes a payment. To be eligible, you must also be a resident of an applicable CAIP province on the first day of the payment month.

In the month before the CRA makes a quarterly payment, you must be at least 19 years old. If you are under 19 years old, you must meet at least one of these conditions during the same period:

• Have (or previously had) a spouse or common-law partner
• Are (or previously were) a parent and live (or previously lived) with your child

Do you have an eligible child

You have an eligible child if all the following conditions are met at the beginning of the payment month:

• your child is under 19 years of age
• your child lives with you
• you are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of your child
• your child is registered for the Canada child benefit

If you are eligible for the Canada child benefit, a credit for each eligible child will be included in the calculation of the CAIP.

If you have not registered your child for the Canada child benefit, go to Canada child benefit - How to apply.

If you and your ex-spouse share custody of your child/children, if entitled, you will receive payments equal to 50% of the amount you would have received if the child resided with you full-time.

Are you a newcomer to Canada

If you are a new resident of Canada, follow the steps below to apply for the CAIP:

1. Complete one of the following forms:
   • If you have children: fill out and sign Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application to apply for all child and family benefits, including the GST/HST credit. You must also complete form RC66SCH, Status in Canada and Income Information for the Canada Child Benefits Application to capture your citizenship and residency information, along with your Statement of Income.
   • If you do not have children: fill out and sign Form RC151, GST/HST Credit and Climate Action Incentive Payment Application for Individuals Who Become Residents of Canada.
2. Mail the completed form to your tax centre.

Do you need to apply for the CAIP

You don’t need to apply to receive the payment for the CAIP. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will determine your eligibility when you file your income tax and benefit return and will send you payments if you’re entitled to them.

If you have a spouse or common-law partner, only one of you can get the credit for the family. The credit will be paid to the spouse or common-law partner whose tax return is filed first. No matter which one of you receives the credit, the amount will be the same.

In order to continue receiving your payments for the CAIP, you and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable, must continue to file an income tax and benefit return every year.

The CAIP includes a supplement for residents of small and rural communities. To claim the rural supplement you must complete the question on page 2 of your income tax and benefit return.

Find out if you qualify for the supplement for residents of small and rural communities.

If you are eligible for the rural supplement, but forgot to apply for it when you filed your income tax and benefit return, simply complete the question on page 2 on your income tax and benefit return and mail it to your tax centre or contact us at 1-800-387-1193 to apply.

How much you can expect to receive

The amount you receive depends on your family situation and the province you reside in. The payment for the CAIP will be universal and therefore not subject to a benefit reduction based on adjusted family net income.

To access the calculation sheets, please click on the province of residence.

For the 2022 base year:

The Ontario program provides an annual credit of :

• $488 for an individual
• $244 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $122 per child under 19
• $244 for the first child in a single-parent family

The Manitoba program provides an annual credit of:

• $528 for an individual
• $264 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $132 per child under 19
• $264 for the first child in a single-parent family

The Saskatchewan program provides an annual credit of:

• $680 for an individual
• $340 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $170 per child under 19
• $340 for the first child in a single-parent family

The Alberta program provides an annual credit of:

• $772 for an individual
• $386 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $193 per child under 19
• $386 for the first child in a single-parent family

The CAIP includes a rural supplement of 10 per cent of the base amount for residents of small and rural communities.

The CRA does not charge or give interest on any CAIP overpayments or underpayments.

Starting in July 2023:

The Newfoundland and Labrador program provides a quarterly credit of:

• $164 for an individual
• $82 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $41 per child under 19
• $82 for the first child in a single-parent family

The Nova Scotia program provides a quarterly credit of:

• $124 for an individual
• $62 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $31 per child under 19
• $62 for the first child in a single-parent family

The *Prince Edward Island program provides a quarterly credit of:

• $120 for an individual
• $60 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $30 per child under 19
• $60 for the first child in a single-parent family

The **New Brunswick program provides a quarterly credit of:

• $92 for an individual
• $46 for a spouse or common-law partner
• $23 per child under 19
• $46 for the first child in a single-parent family

* The amount for PEI includes the 10 per cent rural supplement, as all residents are eligible.

** The October 2023 payment for New Brunswick is a double payment covering the July to September 2023 and October to December 2023 periods. The 2022 rural supplement question for residents of small and rural communities will be on the 2023 income tax and benefit return and a retroactive payment will then be issued for the 2022 base year.

Rural residents in other provinces will also receive the 10 per cent rural supplement, which is not reflected above for Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

CAIP annual amounts for the previous base years

When will you get your payments

If you’re entitled to receive the CAIP, you can expect to receive them on the 15th of April, July, October and January.

If you get your tax refund by direct deposit, you will also get your CAIP by direct deposit. For more information and ways to enroll for direct deposit, go to our Direct deposit web page.

If you are registered for direct deposit, you will see these payments in your bank accounts as “Climate Action Incentive” (wording may vary based on financial institution).

If you have a tax debt with the CRA, the CAIP will be applied to amounts owing for income tax balances or amounts owing to other federal or provincial government programs.

If you do not receive your CAIP on the expected payment date, please wait 10 working days before you contact us.