What a CGEB notice is
A CGEB notice is a determination letter from the Canada Revenue Agency. It tells you whether you qualify for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, how much you receive for the benefit year, and when the quarterly deposits land. It is the CGEB equivalent of the GST/HST credit notice that families received every year before the program changed.
CGEB replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. Finance Canada announced the benefit in January 2026 and Parliament passed the legislation in February 2026. The first CGEB benefit year started in July 2026, and the CRA issues a determination notice once it recalculates entitlements from filed tax returns.
TL;DR: a CGEB notice is the CRA letter confirming your CGEB amount, the AFNI it was based on, and the quarterly payment dates. No application is needed — file your tax return and the CRA issues the notice automatically if you qualify.
Why you would receive a CGEB notice
You receive a CGEB notice for the same reasons the CRA sent a GST/HST credit notice. The most common triggers are:
- A new benefit year. The CRA recalculates CGEB each July from the AFNI on your most recent return and issues a notice with the new amount.
- You filed a tax return. Filing is the only requirement. When your return is assessed, the CRA determines your CGEB and confirms it in writing.
- A change in your circumstances. A change in marital status, the number of children under 19, or a recalculated income can prompt an updated notice mid-year.
- The switch from the GST/HST credit. When CGEB replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026, the transition generated a first determination notice for families who previously received the credit.
What a CGEB notice contains
CRA benefit notices follow a consistent layout, so a CGEB notice states, in plain terms:
- Your benefit amount. The annual CGEB entitlement and how it splits across four quarterly deposits. For 2026-27 the base amounts are $679 a year for a single adult, $890 combined for a couple, and $234 per child under 19.
- The quarterly schedule. CGEB pays on or near the 5th of July, October, January, and April. The notice confirms the dates for your benefit year.
- The AFNI used. The adjusted family net income the CRA pulled from your filed return to calculate the amount. CGEB phases out at 5% of AFNI above approximately $46,500.
- The benefit year it covers. The July-to-June period the amount applies to.
- How it was calculated. A short breakdown of the entitlement and any phase-out reduction, so you can check the figure yourself.
If you have direct deposit set up for the Canada Child Benefit, the same account receives CGEB, and the notice reflects that. Without direct deposit, a cheque is mailed.
What to do when your CGEB notice arrives
When the notice arrives, the job is to confirm it is right. Three checks cover almost every case:
- Check the AFNI. Compare the income figure on the notice against your filed return. For a couple, AFNI is both spouses' net income (line 23600 each) added together. If it matches, the rest usually follows.
- Check the amount. Confirm the entitlement matches the 2026-27 rates for your household size, less any phase-out if your AFNI is above ~$46,500. The calculator on this site reproduces the same math.
- Check your details. Make sure the CRA has your current marital status, your children, and your direct-deposit account. The fastest place to verify all of this is CRA My Account.
If everything lines up, there is nothing to do — the quarterly deposits follow the schedule on the notice. If the income or amount looks wrong, the usual cause is a return that was filed late or not at all, or a missing update to your marital status. Filing the outstanding return is what lets the CRA recalculate.
How a CGEB notice ties to your tax return
CGEB is calculated entirely from your tax return, the same way the GST/HST credit and the Canada Child Benefit are. There is no separate CGEB form, no portal to apply through, and no income to report twice. The CRA reads the AFNI off your assessed return and that single figure drives the amount on your notice.
This is why filing on time matters even when your income is low or zero. A family that does not file gets no notice and no deposit, because the CRA has no AFNI to work from. Once both spouses file, the CRA determines CGEB and issues the notice — that determination is what produces your CGEB letter.
For the figure behind the notice, see how the income is built in adjusted family net income explained. For the schedule the notice quotes, see the CCB and benefit payment dates, which CGEB tracks on its own quarterly cadence.
Common questions
What is a CGEB notice?
A CGEB notice is a determination letter from the Canada Revenue Agency that states your entitlement to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: the amount, the quarterly payment schedule, and the adjusted family net income (AFNI) used to calculate it. It works the same way the old GST/HST credit notice did, which CGEB replaced in July 2026.
Do I need to apply to receive a CGEB notice?
No. There is no CGEB application. The CRA calculates your benefit automatically from the AFNI on your filed tax return and issues a notice if you qualify. The single requirement is a filed return — file your 2025 taxes and the CRA does the rest.
When does the CRA send a CGEB notice?
CGEB replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. The CRA issues a CGEB determination notice after it assesses your tax return and recalculates your entitlements for the benefit year — most families see one after they file, and again each July when the benefit year rolls over.
What should I do when I receive a CGEB notice?
Read the AFNI figure and the amount, then check them against your filed return. If the AFNI matches your return and the amount lines up with the 2026-27 rates ($679 single, $890 couple combined, $234 per child under 19, phasing out at 5% above ~$46,500), no action is needed. If the income looks wrong, confirm both spouses filed and that the CRA has your current marital status and direct-deposit details in CRA My Account.