The Canada Child Benefit is one of the largest family payments in the Canadian tax system. For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, it can pay up to $8,157 a year for each eligible child under 6, or $6,883 a year for each eligible child aged 6 to 17. That is $679.75 a month for a younger child and $573.58 a month for an older child before any income reduction. The payment is tax-free, arrives monthly, and is recalculated every July from the previous year’s adjusted family net income.
That July reset is the part families most often miss. A raise, bonus, parental leave year, separation, or new child does not always change the payment right away. The CRA uses 2025 income for payments from July 2026 through June 2027, so a 2026 income change usually appears in the July 2027 recalculation. This guide explains the 2026 CCB amounts, the clawback thresholds, the official payment dates, and the planning checks that keep the benefit predictable.
The 2026 CCB maximums
For the current payment period, the maximum Canada Child Benefit applies when adjusted family net income is below $38,237. Above that line, the benefit is reduced using CRA formulas that depend on the number of children.
| Child’s age | Annual maximum | Monthly maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 | $8,157 | $679.75 |
| 6 to 17 | $6,883 | $573.58 |
The age test is monthly. If a child turns 6 in March 2027, the younger-child amount applies for March and the older-child amount starts in April. If a child turns 18 in December 2026, the December payment is the final payment for that child.
The CCB is not reported as taxable income. That matters for household planning because the payment can help with childcare, rent, food, school costs, and savings without raising the recipient’s tax bill. If you want to see how the benefit fits beside pay deductions, the Canada salary and tax calculator estimates take-home pay after federal tax, provincial tax, CPP and EI.
How the income test works
The CRA uses adjusted family net income, often shortened to AFNI. In ordinary cases, that starts with line 23600 net income for you and your spouse or common-law partner, then adjusts for Universal Child Care Benefit and registered disability savings plan amounts if those lines apply.
There are two key thresholds for July 2026 to June 2027 payments:
| AFNI band | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Up to $38,237 | Full CCB maximum |
| $38,238 to $82,847 | First reduction rate applies |
| Over $82,847 | Fixed reduction plus second reduction rate applies |
The reduction rate rises with the number of children. With one child, the first reduction is 7 percent of income above $38,237. With two children it is 13.5 percent. With three children it is 19 percent. With four or more children it is 23 percent. Once AFNI is above $82,847, the CRA switches to a fixed reduction plus a smaller percentage of income above that second threshold.
That structure means the CCB can fall sharply when a family crosses the first threshold, especially with several children. It is not a marginal income tax, but it behaves like one for budgeting: extra income can reduce next year’s benefit as well as increase payroll and income tax.
Worked examples
Consider a family with one child under 6 and AFNI of $45,000. The income above the first threshold is $6,763. At the one-child reduction rate of 7 percent, the annual reduction is $473.41. Subtract that from the $8,157 maximum and the family receives $7,683.59 for the year, about $640.29 a month.
Now take a family with two children under 6 and AFNI of $60,000. The maximum before reduction is $16,314. The income above $38,237 is $21,763, and the two-child reduction rate is 13.5 percent, so the reduction is about $2,938. The annual CCB is $13,376, or about $1,114.66 a month.
For a higher-income example, a family with two young children and AFNI of $125,000 is above the second threshold. The CRA formula uses a fixed reduction of $6,022 plus 5.7 percent of income above $82,847. That produces a total reduction of $8,424.72 and an annual payment of $7,889.28, about $657.44 a month.
These are federal CCB figures only. Some provinces and territories have related child or family benefits that can be added to the same CRA payment or paid separately. Because those rules vary by province, check the provincial line in your CRA account before treating the federal CCB as the full picture.
Payment dates for the rest of 2026
The CCB is paid monthly. CRA lists these remaining 2026 payment dates:
| Month | Payment date |
|---|---|
| September | 18 September 2026 |
| October | 20 October 2026 |
| November | 20 November 2026 |
| December | 11 December 2026 |
Direct deposit is the safest way to avoid mail delays. If your payment is lower than expected, check three things before assuming the rate changed: whether CRA has the right marital status, whether both adults filed the required tax return, and whether a child aged into the next band or turned 18.
Shared custody and separation
Shared custody does not mean parents can divide the payment by a private percentage. CRA pays each eligible parent 50 percent of the amount they would receive if the child lived with them full time, calculated using that parent’s own adjusted family net income. The agency applies its shared custody test rather than a custom split.
After a separation, the practical step is to update CRA quickly once the living arrangement has changed for at least 90 days. Delays can create overpayments, missed payments, or later adjustments. The same principle applies when a child moves in or out, a new child is born, or a spouse or common-law partner joins the household.
How to plan around the July reset
The CCB uses the previous year’s income, so planning is easier when you separate cash flow from tax year timing. A family whose 2025 income was low because of parental leave may receive a larger CCB from July 2026 even if work income has already recovered. The reverse also happens: a strong 2025 income year can reduce payments in 2026, even after a 2026 job loss.
Three checks help:
- Estimate next July’s benefit with your expected tax-year income, not this month’s pay.
- Keep an emergency buffer for the July payment reset if income rose last year.
- Coordinate registered-account contributions and childcare cash flow with the full household picture.
The TFSA guide explains flexible tax-free savings room, while the savings goal calculator can turn an annual childcare or school-cost target into a monthly amount. If debt is competing with savings, the debt snowball calculator helps rank balances by payoff order.
CCB and the child disability benefit
If a child is eligible for the disability tax credit, the CCB payment may include the child disability benefit. For July 2026 to June 2027, CRA lists that support at up to $3,480 a year, or $290 a month, for each eligible child. CRA calculates it automatically when the disability tax credit and CCB records are in place, so the key task is keeping the disability tax credit approval and family details current.
FAQ
What is the maximum Canada Child Benefit in 2026? For July 2026 to June 2027, the maximum is $8,157 a year for each child under 6 and $6,883 a year for each child aged 6 to 17, before income reductions.
Is the CCB taxable? No. The Canada Child Benefit is tax-free and does not have to be reported as income on a tax return.
What income year is used for 2026 CCB payments? Payments from July 2026 to June 2027 are based on adjusted family net income from 2025. Payments from January to June 2026 used 2024 income.
When does the CCB start to shrink? For the July 2026 to June 2027 period, the reduction begins when adjusted family net income is above $38,237. A second threshold applies above $82,847.
What happens in shared custody? CRA pays each parent 50 percent of the amount they would receive if they had full custody, based on each parent’s own income. CRA does not split the payment using a different private percentage.
Do I need to apply again every year? No, but you and your spouse or common-law partner must file tax returns each year and keep CRA details current. Missing tax returns are a common reason payments stop.
These figures are for orientation, not financial advice. Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, Canada child benefit overview, how much you can get, and payment dates, all checked on 18 September 2026.