Canadians might not get carbon tax rebate this week

The final carbon tax rebate will be sent out on Tuesday, April 22; however, some Canadians may not see it in their bank accounts immediately.

In March, the consumer carbon tax was axed as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first order of business in Ottawa.

He said the fuel charge was "too divisive when we should be pulling together."

While the tax was officially scrapped on April 1, Carney said that the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR) would be issued for the last time this month.

Formerly known as the Canada Climate Action Incentive Payment (CAIP), the carbon tax rebate is a quarterly, tax-free amount to help eligible individuals and families offset the cost of federal pollution pricing.

The government's tax credits and benefits page notes that the final CCR payment will be issued on Tuesday, April 22, but only to those who filed their 2024 income tax and benefit return electronically by April 2.

Haven't filed your taxes yet? Not to worry. You will still receive the carbon tax rebate, but only after your 2024 tax return is assessed.

Who's eligible for the carbon tax rebate?

The government implements federal pollution pricing in provinces that don't have their own system.

If you live in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario, you can get the final CCR payment.

Residents in those provinces must be at least 19 years old in the month preceding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) payment to be eligible.

If you are under 19 years old, the government says you must meet at least one of the following conditions for eligibility:

• You have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner
• You are (or were) a parent and live (or lived) with your child

A credit for each eligible child will be included in the calculation of the CCR for Canadians with kids who are already registered for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) or the GST credit.

Kids are eligible if all of 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 CCR (or already registered for the CCB or GST/HST credit)

Canadians living in the Yukon, Quebec, Northwest Territories, and British Columbia are not eligible because these provinces and territories have their own pollution pricing systems.

How much will you get?

Canadians who are single with no children may receive the following CCR amounts tomorrow:

• $225 in Alberta
• $150 in Manitoba
• $140 in Ontario
• $188 in Saskatchewan
• $95 in New Brunswick
• $103 in Nova Scotia
• $110 in Prince Edward Island
• $149 in Newfoundland and Labrador

Residents in small and rural communities also receive a 20 per cent supplement from the carbon tax rebate.

The supplement applies only to residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia whose primary residence is outside a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) and who expect to continue to reside outside the same CMA on April 1, 2024.

All carbon tax rebate recipients in Prince Edward Island are eligible for the rural supplement, which is included in their basic amount.

A notice on the government's website states that the rural supplement was paid out to some individuals who were not eligible for it.

"To maintain a fair and equitable tax system, the CRA is required to recover any overpayments or payments made in error," reads the alert.

Notifications were sent out to impacted individuals starting on April 15.

Calculate your amount based on your location, marital status, and number of children on the government website.