As you’ve probably heard before, the GST/HST Credit is a non-taxable amount paid to offset the burden of sales tax on low to modest income individuals and families. Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the credit:
Am I eligible to receive the GST/HST credit?
Most Canadian residents are able to receive the GST/HST credit as long as they have a valid social insurance number, and meet one of the following requirements:
+ are 19 years of age or older
+ have (or had) a spouse common-law partner
+ is (or was) a parent and lives with (lived with) their child
How much should I be receiving for the GST/HST credit?
The amount received by each eligible recipient of the GST/HST credit is not the same for everyone. Payments occurring between July 2019 – June 2020 are based off of your:
+ adjusted family net income for the 2018 year
+ number of eligible children registered for the GST/HST credit (a child is automatically registered for the GST/HST credit if, when they were born, you gave your consent on the provincial or territorial birth registration form or if you have applied for the Canada child benefit.)
How come I don’t receive GST/HST credits with my return?
GST/HST tax credits are paid out in quarterly instalments. If you are enrolled for CRA’s direct deposit system, you should’ve noticed a credit to your account on April 3th (and April 9th, if you were eligible for the COVID-19 GST/HST credit supplement). Otherwise, you would have received a cheque in the mail around that time.
How does the GST/HST credit work if I have a spouse/common-law partner?
It is important to note that, if you are in a spouse/common-law relationship, only one of you will be able to receive the GST/HST tax credit (this will be the person who’s return was submitted and assessed first).
If you had a spouse or common-law parter on December 31, 2018, and have not already registered your marital status in a previous filing, then you will be able to fill out “Information about your spouse or common-law partner” on page 1 of your return to claim their portion of the credit.
*also keep in mind that regardless of who claims the GST/HST on behalf of their spouse and/or children, the total amount paid out will be the same, so there’s no need to deliberate on who should claim the credit.
If you are curious to learn more about the GST/HST tax credit, such as the process for repaying over-disbursements and other related information, visit the tax man’s website.