The Canada Child Benefit: How Much You Get, the Income Thresholds, and How to Maximize It
By Jordan Ellis · Published · Reviewed
Quick Answer
The Canada Child Benefit pays a maximum of $8,157 per child under 6 and $6,883 per child aged 6-17 per year (July 2026 to June 2027), tax-free, paid monthly. The full amount goes to families with adjusted family net income under $38,237; above that the benefit phases out at rates from 7% to 23% of income depending on the number and ages of children. Because the phase-out is based on net family income, RRSP contributions effectively earn a double return for parents — cutting tax and raising the next year's CCB simultaneously. File taxes every year even with zero income, or payments stop.
The CCB is the biggest tax-free payment most Canadian parents ever receive — up to $8,157 per child, per year — and the phase-out math hides one of the best RRSP strategies in the country. Here’s the full picture. (Checking your bracket for the strategy below: income tax calculator.)
The July 2026 to June 2027 numbers
| Child’s age | Maximum/year | Maximum/month |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 | $8,157 | $679.75 |
| 6–17 | $6,883 | $573.58 |
- Full amount up to $38,237 of adjusted family net income
- Phase-out above that: 7% (1 child), 13.5% (2), 19% (3), 23% (4+) of income over $38,237; above $82,847 the reduction is $3,123 / $6,022 / $8,476 / $10,260 plus 3.2% / 5.7% / 8% / 9.5% of income over $82,847
- Tax-free, paid monthly around the 20th, recalculated every July from the return just filed
The RRSP double-dip (read this twice)
The phase-out runs on net family income — line 23600 — and RRSP contributions reduce exactly that line. For a two-child family with adjusted family net income between $38,237 and $82,847 (the first phase-out band):
- $10,000 RRSP contribution → normal refund at
30% marginal rate: **$3,000** - Same contribution → CCB phase-out reversed at 13.5%: ~$1,350 more next July
- Effective first-year return: ~43% — before a dollar of investment growth
This is why the standard RRSP vs TFSA advice flips for parents: the CCB quietly raises your effective marginal rate by 7–23 points in the first phase-out band (3.2–9.5 points above $82,847), making RRSP deductions dramatically more valuable during child-rearing years. Run your own bracket with the RRSP vs TFSA calculator.
The rules that trip families up
- Both parents must file every year — even with $0 income. One missing return = payments paused
- Shared custody splits it 50/50 — and CRA must be told about custody changes within the month
- It’s recalculated every July — a big income year shows up as a smaller benefit the following July, which feels like a clawback but is just the lag
- Newcomers: apply once you have status and file Canadian returns — the benefit isn’t automatic on arrival (the newcomer playbook covers the rest of the setup)
Stack it with the rest
The CCB is one layer of the parenting stack: the child care expense deduction (up to $8,000/child), subsidized daycare fees, the RESP’s 20% CESG match on education savings, and parental EI in year one. Together these can add up to several thousand dollars per child per year, depending on income, ages and province, but only for families who file every return and claim each one.
Official sources
Rules and dollar limits change. Confirm current amounts with the official pages below before you act · Last reviewed .
- Canada child benefit: how much you can get (Canada Revenue Agency)