Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB): Payment Dates 2026

The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) is a monthly payment from the province of Ontario. It helps low-to-moderate income households in Ontario pay for energy costs and certain taxes. It is not a personal loan, but you do have to apply to get it.

With the cost of living being tough for many people, the OTB was created to provide relief for energy, property taxes, and sales tax. Here is everything to know about the Ontario Trillium Benefit and the OTB payment dates.

What Is The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB)?

The OTB is a refundable tax credit made to give financial relief to low-to-moderate income Ontarians. It helps offset some of the everyday costs you face, such as utility bills and property taxes. The benefit is a combination of three separate credits.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)

The Northern Ontario Energy Credit is a tax-free payment that helps low-to-moderate income people in Northern Ontario with the higher energy costs that come with living in the north. You can qualify if you paid rent or property tax on your main home, paid to live in a long-term care home, or paid home energy costs on a reserve, all in Northern Ontario. To get it, you apply on your prior-year tax return by filling out Form ON-BEN. For example, you claim the 2026 credit on your 2025 return.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit is a tax-free payment that helps Ontario residents with the sales tax on their energy costs and with their property taxes. It has two parts, an energy part and a property tax part, and you can apply if you qualify for either one. Like the NOEC, you claim it on your prior-year tax return using Form ON-BEN. This is the largest of the three credits, worth up to $1,307 if you are 18 to 64, or $1,488 if you are 65 or older.

Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)

The Ontario Sales Tax Credit is a tax-free payment that gives back part of the sales tax you pay on everyday goods and services. It is worth up to $378 for each adult and each child in your household. Unlike the other two credits, you do not have to apply for this one. The CRA automatically checks your tax return and pays it if you qualify.

When Are The Ontario Trillium Benefit Payments Issued?

OTB payments come on the 10th of each month. The payment period runs from July to June of the next year. So if you file your income tax by the due date (April 30), you can start getting your Trillium payments in July. If the 10th falls on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the payment is issued on the last working day before the 10th.

Here are the 2026 payment dates on a calendar.

Monthly Payments Or One Lump Sum?

You will get monthly OTB payments if your benefit is more than $500 for the year. If your benefit is $500 or less, you will get the whole amount as one payment in July instead.

If your benefit is more than $500, you can still choose to get it all in one payment at the end of the benefit year (in June) rather than monthly. To do this, tick box 61060, under “Choice for delayed single OTB payment,” on the ON-BEN form. Note that this $500 cut-off is up from $360 in the previous year, so more people now get a single July payment.

How Much Can You Receive With The Ontario Trillium Benefit?

How much OTB you get depends on your age, income, family size, where you live, and how much you pay in rent or property tax. Here is the most you can get from each of the three credits for the 2026 benefit year.¹

These amounts are adjusted each year for inflation, so they can change from one benefit year to the next.

Ontario Trillium Benefit Income Limits

There is no single income cutoff for the OTB. The rule is simple: the lower your income, the more you get. As your income rises, your payment shrinks, and at higher incomes it can drop to zero. How fast it shrinks depends on which credits you qualify for, your family size, and how much you pay in rent, property tax, or energy costs.

As a guide, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit (the part most people get) starts to go down once your income passes these levels for the 2026 benefit year.³

Above those points, the sales tax credit drops by 4 cents for every extra dollar you earn. The other two credits, the OEPTC and the NOEC, also shrink as your income goes up, each at its own rate. Because the math depends on your exact situation, the best way to know your own limit is to use the government’s calculator or check the notice you get from the CRA. (“Adjusted family net income” means your income plus your spouse or partner’s income, after certain deductions.)

How Is The Ontario Trillium Benefit Calculated?

The good news is you do not have to do the math yourself. The CRA works out your OTB from the information on your tax return and your ON-BEN form. Behind the scenes, it figures out how much you qualify for under each of the three credits, adds them together, and that total is your OTB for the year. If the total is more than $500, it is split into 12 monthly payments. If it is $500 or less, you get it all in one July payment.

Here is a simple example to show how it fits together. Say you are single, you rent an apartment, and you have a low income. You might qualify for the OEPTC (because you pay rent) and the OSTC (the sales tax credit), but not the NOEC (since you do not live in Northern Ontario). If your OEPTC came to about $900 and your OSTC to about $360, your OTB for the year would be around $1,260, which is about $105 a month. This is only an example. Your real amount depends on your income, your rent or property tax, and your family size.

Ontario Trillium Benefit Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the OTB, you need to be eligible for at least one of the three credits. Each credit has its own rules.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit Eligibility

To qualify, you must be a resident of Northern Ontario and fall into at least one of these groups:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have, or previously had, a spouse or partner.
• You are a parent who lives with, or has lived with, your child.

You must also have paid for at least one of the following:

• Property taxes or rent on your main home.
• Occupancy costs while living in a long-term care home.
• Home energy costs while living on a reserve.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit Eligibility

To qualify, you must fall into at least one of these groups:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have, or previously had, a spouse or partner.
• You are a parent who lives with, or has lived with, your child.

You must also have paid for at least one of the following:

• Property taxes or rent on your main home.
• Occupancy costs while living in a nursing home.
• Home energy costs while living on a reserve.

You also qualify if you lived in a residence at a post-secondary school in the previous year.

Ontario Sales Tax Credit Eligibility

To qualify, you must fall into at least one of these groups:

• You are at least 19 years old.
• You are married, previously married, or in a common-law relationship.
• You are a parent who lives with, or has lived with, your child.

If your child or spouse has a disability, it is also worth looking into the disability tax credit, which can lower the income tax you owe.

How Do You Apply For The OTB?

To get the OTB, you must file your income tax and benefit return. If you file late, your OTB payments may be delayed.

• NOEC and OEPTC. To be considered for these two credits, fill out Form ON-BEN and send it in with your tax return.
• OSTC. There is no form to fill out. The CRA looks at the details on your tax return to decide if you qualify.

Once you are approved, you must reapply each year when you file your tax return to keep getting payments. You are not guaranteed the same monthly amount every year. The CRA adjusts your payments based on changes in your family’s net income, your age, where you live, and other factors.

Even if you did not earn any income during the tax year, you should still file your taxes. Filing is what makes you eligible for benefits like the OTB. If you do not file, you will not qualify for anything.

What To Do If You Did Not Get Your OTB Payment

If your payment does not show up, do not panic. Here are the steps to take.

• Wait a few days. A payment can take up to 10 business days to arrive. Give it that time before doing anything else.
• Make sure you filed your taxes. This is the most common reason payments stop. If you did not file last year’s return, and the ON-BEN form for the energy and property credits, your OTB will not be paid. File it, even if it is late, and the CRA will restart your payments once your return is processed.
• Check if you owe the CRA money. If you have a tax debt, the CRA can hold back or lower your OTB to cover what you owe.
• Check your details. Make sure your address and direct deposit information are up to date, so the money does not go to an old account or a wrong address. You can update these in CRA My Account.
• Look in CRA My Account. You can see your benefit status and payment history there.
• Call the CRA. If everything looks right and you still have not been paid, call the Ontario Trillium Benefit line at 1-877-627-6645.

Is The OTB Taxable?

No, OTB payments are not taxable. You do not have to include them as income on your tax return. What you receive is yours to keep.

What Does “Canada PRO” Or “FPT” Mean On My Statement?

If you see a deposit labeled “Canada PRO” or “FPT” on your bank statement, that is most likely your OTB. The “PRO” stands for “provincial,” and it means the CRA has paid you a provincial benefit on Ontario’s behalf. “FPT” stands for “federal, provincial, territorial.” Neither one is a separate benefit, it is just how the payment is labeled at your bank. Payments that arrive under the name Canada PRO can include other provincial benefits too, not only the OTB.

Additional Reading

GST/HST Tax Credit Payment Dates 2026 (Now The Canada Groceries And Essentials Benefit)

Going Green: Tax Credits, Rebates, and Government Programs

Family Tax Benefits For Parents

Final Thoughts

If you live in Ontario, you know how hard it can be to keep up with the cost of everyday life. Anything that eases that pressure helps. If you are a low-income earner, applying for the OTB at tax time is a smart move, since it gives you some extra income with no strings attached. The most important step is simple: file your taxes every year, even if you earned nothing.

Ontario Trillium Benefit FAQs

References

1. Government of Ontario. (2026). Ontario Trillium Benefit. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-trillium-benefit
2. Canada Revenue Agency. (2026). Ontario Trillium Benefit: Questions and answers. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/provincial-territorial-programs/ontario-trillium-benefit-questions-answers.html
3. Canada Revenue Agency. (2026). Province of Ontario: Ontario Trillium Benefit amounts. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/provincial-territorial-programs/province-ontario.html