Another government program that is available for parents in Canada is called the Canada Child Tax Benefit. This particular benefit is one of the few income-tested programs that actually has reasonable income limits so you can be fairly middle class and still get some cash out of this.
Eligibility for CCTB
- Child must be under 18 years of age.
- Primary caregiver must be a Canadian resident.
- Family net income must be less than approximately $102,000. Keep in mind that net income is AFTER any deductions such as RRSP contributions.
How to apply for the CCTB
The form for this benefit is called Form RC66 – Canada Child Benefits Application and can be downloaded from www.cra.gc.ca/forms or call 1-800-959-2221. Keep in mind that this application is the same one as for the UCCB (Universal child care benefit) so you only have to fill out this form once for both benefits.
Do I need proof of income to apply for the CCTB?
No you don’t. However the exception is if one of the parents became a new resident or returned as a resident of Canada in the last 2 years – or if you became a Canadian citizen in the last 12 months.
Do I need proof of birth to apply for the CCTB?
No, unless the child was born outside of Canada or was born in Canada and is one year of age or older.
How much will I get from CCTB?
Check out the CRA’s online calculator to find out how much your benefit will be. The benefit is a sliding scale so the more net family income you have, the smaller the benefit will be.
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Congratulations April – you picked the perfect country to get knocked up in. In addition to the CCTB your child will also be 100% eligible for RESP, RRSP and when the time comes can enjoy a full CPP pension along with OAS payments.
Rebecca,
You will have to file a return regardless if you have not made any money every singel year to qualify for CCTB. Retroactive questions..if you are already receiving CCTB for another child it will only take a few months. If not, then it could take a little longer all depending on how long it takes them to process your info. Looking at 3 months on average.
We (Myself spouse and Five Kids under 18) arrived in Canada with on a Temporary Work Permit. WE have no outside Canada ties since September 10 2008. My Job is permanent ($80K /pa- contract holds me in Alberta 2 years) from day one, We have a residential house and bills , furniture bought in Canada. the Kids are in Full time school. I now have an AB drivers licence (UK licence surrendered and gone) and own a Dodge Caravan outright.
We intend to apply for PR but the cost of living in AB at the moment is making this impossible to pay for let alone to aply for (school fees, Kids dental clothing bills food etc). I have been informed by the ITO that even though we have Immigration Status on a temporay Work Permit until Sept 9 2010, The CRA considers our residency Permanent for tax purposes.
However
The CCTB seem to think my wife (as primary care giver) does not meet residency requirements and cannot have any monies to support the children. (She has been told she is entitled on the 19 month of her stay to “prove she has build up significant ties”. this will mean she is only entitled to Five months CCTB, even though I (as sole breadwinner) have paid in full tax and pension contributions, as if a permanent since Sept 2008 and not Temporary.
Below is the Body Text letter that accompanied the NR74 we sent to the International Tax office. We are awaiting on the ITO to confirm our residency Permanent for tax purposes
any advice as to why they wont release, what would be a significant sum (ITO said it should be backdated), or how we can appeal their discission would be appreciated.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Re: Determination of Residency Status for Canadian Child Tax Benefits
My wife has recently made application for Canadian Child Tax Benefits, as advised by her Tax Accountant. Her claim has been subsequently denied on the grounds of not meeting the appropriate residency requirements.
Upon further investigation with the CCTB, we were informed that they currently hold our status to be that of Temporary Residents, although all of the other qualifying criteria for eligibility as Permanent Residents have been met. After Further discussions with an officer of the CCTB, they suggested we should contact the International Tax office in Ottawa to review our Status.
We contacted the International Tax office Thursday October 15 2009 and discussed our situation with an officer over the Phone.
The officer in question directed me and my wife to apply for Determination of Residency Status by means of CRA form NR74E, which we have enclosed, for your consideration. Where applicable we have included source material (Work Permits, letters of appointment, driving licences etc).
We trust all the above meets with your approval, should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours Faithfully
Patrick
Patrick – I don’t know anything about your situation. It seems like you are already taking the proper steps to get the situation fixed so I would suggest you keep doing what you are doing.
If CCTB made a mistake then it will take time to correct. Hopefully the eventual CCTB payments will be retroactive.
My only suggestion is that you get someone to proofread any letters/applications you send to the government – your post had quite a few typos and made it hard to read.
Good luck!
I am a canadian citizen, my child is 19 months right now and he is receiving CCTB, but we planned to leave canada and go back to HK with my child. I am a single mother before and I just married with my hk-citizen husband. So due to family reasons, I decided to go back to HK for 2-3 years, am I eligible to receive CCTB while out of the country? If I still report my world income, is it possible to get the CCTB? If i am not qualify, should I stop the CCTB when I leave the country or after 6 months?
I really would like an answer to GIGI’s questions.
I have the same concerns with regards to receiving CCTB, whilst working abroad. I’m student teacher and I recently got an offer to be a leading teacher in an Elementary school for a year, in middle east. I intend to pay taxes to Canada. Does that qualify me to receive child tax benefits? I also intend to my apartment and pay rent, have my bank accounts and assets as this move isnt a permanant one. Taking this job will enable me an opportunity for me, as a young single Mom , to earn some cash to invest in a home and provide for my 2 kids. Please help me as I do want to receive benefits that are NOT my rights. It will also determine whether or not I really want to take this job. Thanks
The rules say that you have to be a Canadian resident which I assume means you are living in Canada. I would strongly suggest that you contact the government about whether you will qualify or not.
My boyfriend’s ex-wife dropped their child off in April and no longer wants to raise him.
She is still collecting the Child Tax Benefit. The child is currently living with dad. Dad said he filed in July but nothing has been received in the mail. I am pretty sure he hasn’t filled out the application because he is scared the ex will go after him for something else. What are the long term consequences of her getting this money and keeping it for herself. Isn’t this tax fraud?
Amanda – your boyfriend should file and get the money. To collect the CCTB you have to be the primary caregiver which his ex clearly is not.
I don’t know what the legal ramifications are of her keeping the money.
Mike –
She has another daughter who is 17…not his. I think he is scared that if he files for the money, the ex will come after him for child support for her other child.
Are there such things as retro-payment if he files after the other child turns 18? Will the ex incur an overpayment?
Amanda – I don’t know the details of how the CCTB would work in that sort of situation.
Bottom line is that if your boyfriend doesn’t file properly then nothing will happen.
If you want to report the ex-wife to the CRA then this link has the details. I don’t know what else you can do.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/nvstgtns/lds-eng.html
This is in regard to Jessica’s post about the CCTB not being a cash grab – we live in the United States, and we are receiving the CCTB. We are deemed residents of Canada based on rules and regulations governing our country. We are NOT committing fraud, as the Canada Revenue Agency knows exactly where we are, and we file tax returns as Canadian citizens. I am in the US on a student visa, and my husband and I have worked our entire adult lives in Canada while all the while paying income tax. When we return to Canada this coming June, we will be paying income tax and filing income tax returns, just as we have the entire time we have been living out of country. Please get your facts straight before you accuse people of defrauding the government. And, please, feel free to contact CCTB and let them know we are committing fraud. I’ll be happy to share my contact information with you should you provide me an email address.
I have an inquiry about the CCTB. I was receiving it until 2006. I received a letter from Revenue Canada in March 2006 that I owed $1400.00. I paid them promply. (Being under tremendous stress at the time.) Now 4 years later it is my turn to claim the child tax. Having 1 of my 2 children with me fulltime. As I was inquiring I noticed that the other parent had to sign a consent form for the other to be eligible to receive the child tax. Well I never signed anything in 2006. Can Revenue Canada just assume that the other parent has the children fulltime? Why was I not advised of this in 2006. I was surely advised that I owed them money , but I didn’t receive any forms to sign. If there were forms I didn’t sign them. And if I didn’t sign them how come my Ex is still receiving the CCBT .
Heather, you really need to follow up with revenue Canada.
Im not sure if this a comment I didnt know where to post I applied on my account on the cra website for my child who came into my care over 11 months ago as i was told by a lady at the 1800 number that since this child was in my care before i wouldnt have to send in a copy of her bc hc etc now i called today and was told on feb1 they mailed me out a questionaire as my ex is fighting the dates. The only reason hes doing so is so he wont have a large back pay and lose his income tax return etc My ? is has anyone recieved one of these questionaires? If so what is on them and what are the documents that they require to prove she resides with me and not him
If your baby is born Jan 27th , will you recieve CCTB and UCTB for the month of January?
I”ve never rec’d CTB – Child Tax Benefit. Whats the secret. Right now I’m trying to find out why I’m not receiving R.E.S.P.I.D. funds, evryone else does. Whats the secret there as well. I had asked my counsellor and she just told me I had to tal to a representative here on the reservation, and so I asked, and again another dead end.
Its starting to look its for women only, how in the hell would they be getting ahead by denying me help that everyone else is receiving?
I am also a Canadian living outside of the country, but I still must file taxes in Canada. I understand the comments about the children (yes my son is Canadian and we moved to the US six months ago) must reside in Canada in order to receive CCTB. I will follow up as I am paying Canadian income tax the same as if I was residing in the country so it is an issue that must be clarified directly with Revenue Canada.
My husband has been raising his son since march of 2005 without help from the childs mother, we live in BC and she lives in alberta. we have recently applied for the cctb and the universal of 100.00 a month even though the child is eight now. After a long few months of proving to the cctb that the child does live with him we are awaiting to see if we we qualify we have two other children together that we recive the payment for every month but not his son prior to our relationship. My question is will we get any kind of back pay for the child not cliamed since 2005 from the cctb or the universal? I know you can only recive the universal benifit until the child turns six but since we have been raising him since he was three and is now eight shoulnt we recive that benifit for the three years the child was eligiable? Also should we recive the CCTB since march of 2005?? And if the biological mother claimed this money while living in alberta and the child living here shouldnt she have to pay back the money she wrongfully claimed?
thanks so much for any help any one is willing to provide for us:)
I am a Canadian citizen ,but I have lived out of Canada for the past 16 yrs, and both my children were born out of Canada, however both have Canadian citizenship and social security numbers (applied for and processed via the embassy). Now we are moving back to Canada as a family, my husband was issued his permanent residency visa …my question is, can I apply for CCTB for my children (age 8 & 11) RETROACTIVELY for all those years, or will I only be able to get the money for them as from when we move back?
I like to answer Cecilia’s question. and the answer is Yes you can.
My wife and I lived in US for 12 years . Within that year we became a Canadian Resident and went back to study in US for another Two years and our baby was born within those two years. We moved back to Canada in 2008 and Filed CCTB. CCTB gave us the lump some amount. So you can go ahead and file with the birth certificates and details for your kids.
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