Key Takeaways
- The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) is a refundable tax credit that helps qualified low- and moderate-income residents in the province pay their taxes and energy expenses. It is a combined payment of the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit and Northern Ontario Energy Credit.
- The OTB is usually paid out on the 10th day of each month starting from July of the previous year. The benefit payment period for 2024/2025 is July 2024 to June 2025.
- Residents eligible for at least one of the three credits are qualified to receive the OTB. The amount you receive will depend on your family’s net income from the previous tax year, your age, marital status, family size, property taxes, accommodation costs, etc.
Ontario Trillium Benefit
The Ontario Trillium Benefit combines three benefits that help Ontarians with low- to moderate-income pay for sales and property taxes, and energy costs.
You can receive the OTB as long as you qualify for at least one of the following credits:
- Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)
- Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)
- Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)
The eligibility requirements vary for each credit, and they are discussed in more detail below.
OTB payments are funded by the Ontario government and disbursed through the Canada Revenue Agency.
Ontario Trillium Benefit Payment Dates 2025
The OTB is usually paid out on the 10th of each month starting from July of the previous year.
OTB 2025 payment dates are as follows:
- January 10, 2025
- February 10, 2025
- March 10, 2025
- April 10, 2025
- May 9, 2025
- June 10, 2025
- July 10, 2025
- August 8, 2025
- September 10, 2025
- October 10, 2025
- November 10, 2025
- December 10, 2025
If your annual OTB benefit is $360 or less, it will be paid in one lump-sum payment at the start of the benefit period in July.
If your annual OTB benefit is more than $360, you can choose to have your benefit paid out in one single payment at the end of the benefit year, i.e. June 2025.
If your OTB benefit amount is $2 or less, you do not receive a payment.
Lastly, if your trillium benefit is more than $2 but less than $10, it is increased to $10.
For questions relating to the OTB program, call 1-866-668-8297.
Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit is similar to the federal GST/HST credit and is aimed at offsetting the sales tax paid on the purchase of goods and services.
To be eligible, you must be a resident of Ontario and either:
- 19 years of age or older
- Married, in a common-law relationship, or divorced
- Be a parent who lives or has previously lived with your child
You do not need to apply for the OSTC as it is based on your previous income tax return, and CRA automatically assesses whether or not you are eligible and will notify you accordingly.
Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)
This credit helps low- to moderate-income Ontarians offset property tax payments and the sales tax paid on energy.
To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age or older and have lived in Ontario on December 31 of the previous year. Also, you must have either:
- Paid property tax or rent for your main residence, or
- Paid accommodation costs for living in a nursing home, or
- Paid energy costs while living on a reserve, or
- Lived in a designated university, college, or private school residence in the previous year
Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)
The Northern Ontario Energy Credit provides a tax-free benefit to low- and moderate-income residents of Northern Ontario to help offset the higher energy cost in the North.
To be eligible, you must have either:
- Paid property tax or rent for your main residence
- Paid accommodation costs for living in a nursing home
- Paid energy costs while living on a reserve
How To Apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit
Generally, you need to file your tax return for the previous year to be considered for the OTB.
For example, to receive the OTB in 2023 (July 2023-June 2024 payment period), you must have filed your income tax return for 2022, even if you do not have any income to report.
To receive the OTB in the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025 (July 2024-June 2025 payment period), you must have filed your income tax return for the 2023 tax year.
There is no separate application for the OSTC. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses information from your tax return to determine your eligibility.
For the NOEC and OEPTC, you must complete Form ON-BEN (Application for the Ontario Trillium Benefit and the Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit) along with your previous year’s tax return.
You must apply for the trillium benefit every year at tax time.
To be eligible for the NOEC and OEPTC for any particular year, you must meet the eligibility requirements on the first day of that payment month.
For example, if you moved out of Northern Ontario on February 1, you will be eligible to receive the credit for January and February but not for the rest of the year.
How Much Trillium Benefits Can You Expect?
You can apply to receive OTB payments if you qualify for at least one of the credits. The amount you receive will depend on your family’s net income from the previous tax year, your age, marital status, family size, property taxes, accommodation costs, etc.
The benefit payment period runs from July to June, and for 2024/2025, it is July 2024 to June 2025.
Payments are issued by the CRA and are typically paid via direct deposit. You can enter your bank details for direct deposit using the CRA MyAccount service.
If you don’t have a direct deposit set up, a cheque will be mailed to the address you have on file.
Learn about how to open a CRA My Account.
Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC) Amount
The maximum OSTC amount per adult and child is $360 in 2024/2025 (it was $345 for the 2023 payment period).
The amount you receive is reduced by 4% of your adjusted household net income over $27,729 (for singles with no children) or over $34,661 (for parents).
Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) Amount
The maximum OEPTC amount in 2024/2025 is:
- $1,248 for individuals between 18 and 64 years old.
- $1,421 for seniors who are 65 years and older.
- $277 for individuals living on a reserve or nursing home
- $25 for students living in a designated college, university, or private school residence
Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC) Amount
The maximum NOEC in 2024/2025 is $180 for single individuals with no children and $277 for families.
The credit amount is reduced by 1% of your adjusted net income exceeding $48,526 for singles or $62,391 for families.
You can estimate your OTB using the fed’s child and family benefits calculator.
For the OEPTC, you can also use these 2024 OEPTC calculation sheets.
For the NOEC, you can use these 2023 NOEC calculation sheets.
Is the OTB Taxable?
No, the OTB is a tax-free payment and is not included in your taxable income.
If you owe the CRA unpaid taxes or overpayments from other benefits, your OTB may be used to pay off your debt. If there’s an excess amount after, it will be sent to you.
OTB FAQs
A single individual can qualify for the full Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC) with an income of up to $27,729 and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC) with an income of up to $48,526. The threshold maximum income for families to get the full amounts for the OSTC and NOEC are $34,661 and $62,391, respectively.
If your 2023 tax return is assessed after June 10, 2024, your first OTB payment will include any unpaid amounts from previous months and will be paid 4-8 weeks after your tax return has been assessed. All other future OTB payments are paid on the 10th of each month. You can also choose to get your OTB in one lump-sum payment at the end of the benefit year in June 2025.
Other Benefits For Ontario Residents
Ontario Child Benefit
Residents of Ontario may be eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit in addition to the standard Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
The Ontario Child Benefit is combined with the CCB into one single monthly payment that is administered by the CRA. It provides up to a maximum of $1,680 per child per year or $140 per child per month.
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) payments fall on the same dates as the CCB. For 2025, it is:
- January 20, 2025
- February 20, 2025
- March 20, 2025
- April 17, 2025
- May 20, 2025
- June 20, 2025
- July 18, 2025
- August 20, 2025
- September 19, 2025
- October 20, 2025
- November 20, 2025
- December 12, 2025
CRA automatically assesses whether you are eligible for the OCB when you file your income tax return.
Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS)
Low-income seniors in Ontario may qualify for the GAINS benefit, a monthly non-taxable benefit.
GAINS payments range from $2.50 to $87 monthly, depending on your income (up to $174 per month for couples).
You may be eligible for GAINS payments if you:
- Are 65 years of age or older
- Are getting Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments
- Have been a resident of Ontario for the past 12 months, or have lived in Ontario for a total of 20 years since you were 18 years old
- Have been a Canadian resident for 10 or more years
- You earn a limited income
For 2024, your annual private income can be up to $4,176 if you are single, widowed or divorced, or up to $8,352 for a couple.
GAINS eligibility is automatically assessed if you receive OAS and GIS.
Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit
The Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit (OSHPTG) helps low- to moderate-income seniors offset the cost of their property taxes. The maximum grant is $500 each year.
To qualify for the maximum amount in 2023/2024, your adjusted family net income for the 2022 tax year has to be $35,000 or less (singles) or $45,000 or less (couples).
A 3.33% reduction applies to income between $35,000 and $50,000 for single individuals and between $45,000 and $60,000 for couples.
To apply, file your income tax return and complete the ON-BEN form.
The OSHPTG payment is issued 4-8 weeks after you receive your notice of assessment from the CRA.
Trillium Drug Program
Ontario’s Trillium Drug Program (TDP) caters to residents of the province who spend approximately 4% or more of their after-tax household income on prescription drugs. TDP covers the cost of 4,400 prescription drugs.
To be eligible for the trillium drug program, you should:
- Live in Ontario and have a valid Ontario health card
- Not have a private insurance plan that covers 100% of your drug costs
- Spend 4% or more of your net income on paying for prescription drugs
- Not be eligible for drug cost coverage under the Ontario Drug Benefit program
TDP kicks in after you spend about 4% of your household income to purchase prescriptions. This amount is your deductible and is split into four parts or quarterly amounts.
After you have exceeded your deductible in any quarter, you only have to pay $2 for eligible prescriptions that are filled for the rest of that quarter.
The Trillium Drug Program quarters are:
- 1st quarter: August to October
- 2nd quarter: November to January
- 3rd quarter: February to April
- 4th quarter: May to July
When your deductible is not used up in a quarter, the unpaid portion is added to your deductible total for the next quarter.
Apply for the TDP by September 30 using the application forms here or by calling 1-800-575-5386 (toll-free) or 416-642-3038 (Toronto).
After you have been accepted into the program, your household’s enrollment is automatically renewed every year.
I have a question I have been paying off a 1900.00 dollars to CRA for over 20 yes I’m not understanding how to get this paid they take all my refunds every year I’m not sure why it hasn’t been paid yet
@Gerrilynn: To confirm this, it is best to contact the CRA directly so they can look up their records.