Trillium Payment Dates 2023

Whether you’ve recently moved out of your parents’ home or you’ve recently encountered a change in your living situation and are now forced to pay the majority of the bills on your own, you’ve likely noticed how difficult it can be.

Paying for rent, property taxes and utilities can completely wipe out your bank account, and when that happens you’ll be hard-pressed to make ends meet to pay for other necessities like groceries or gas for your car.

This is why Canada’s Trillium benefit exists to help out low-income people who are struggling just to get by. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Trillium, Trillium payment dates, eligibility and more in this article.

What is the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB)?

It’s likely just as important (and maybe even more so) to know what the Ontario Trillium Benefit is as it is to find out about Trillium payment dates, so we’ll provide you with and explanation of the benefit here.

OTB is a type of tax credit, which is refundable, designed to help low-to-middle income people in Ontario by offering a bit of financial relief.

The purpose of the credit is to help with some of the financial strain caused by things like property taxes and utility bills which homeowners struggle with.

Trillium is actually made up of three different tax benefits:

• Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC): This is a payment (tax-free) that is designed to help homeowners in Northern Ontario with the high energy bills that people in Northern Ontario face.
• Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC): This is another tax-free payment that helps residents in Ontario cover property taxes, as well as the sales taxes on their energy bills.
• Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC): This tax-free payment is designed to help residents of Ontario offset the sales tax payments they make on various goods and services.

OTB eligibility requirements

Of course learning about Trillium payment dates is important, but many people who are just learning about Trillium don’t know much about its eligibility requirements.

Since OTB is made up of three separate tax benefits, there are three different sets of eligibility requirements.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit eligibility requirements

To qualify for this tax benefit you have to meet one of these requirements:

• Be 18 years of age or more
• Currently have or have previously had a partner or spouse
• Are a parent who currently lives with or has lived with a child

Additionally, you have to have paid for one of the following:

• Rent or property taxes for your home or primary residence
• Occupancy costs of living in a nursing home
• Home energy costs associated with living on a reserve.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit eligibility requirements

The eligibility requirements for this benefit are quite similar to the last one.

You must meet one of these requirements:

• 18 years or more of age
• Either currently have or have previously had a spouse or partner
• Are either a parent currently living with a child, or who has previously lived with a child

You must also have paid for one of the following:

• Property taxes or rent for your primary residence or home
• Home energy costs of living on a reserve
• Occupancy costs of a nursing home

You can also qualify if you’ve lived in post-secondary school residence during the previous year.

Ontario Sales Tax Credit eligibility requirements

The eligibility requirements for this benefit are slightly different from the previous two. You must meet one of the following criteria:

• 19 years or more of age
• Be a parent living with a child, or who has previously lived with a child
• Be married or in a common-law relationship, living with a spouse or partner.

You don’t have to apply to receive the OSTC, but instead the CRA will determine your eligibility and then contact you if you qualify.

Trillium payment dates

This is the section you’ll be most interested in if you’re here to learn about this year’s Trillium payment dates.

Here are the Trillium payment dates for 2023:

January 10, 2023
February 10, 2023
March 10, 2023
April 6, 2023
May 10, 2023
June 9, 2023
July 10, 2023
August 10, 2023
September 8, 2023
October 10, 2023
November 10, 2023
December 8, 2023

It’s worth knowing when discussing Trillium payment dates that if you receive $360 or less in annual OTB payments, then instead of keeping track of Trillium payment dates you’ll receive one payment in a lump sum in July.

If your annual benefit amount is more than $360, then you can choose to receive one lump-sum payment at the end of the payment year.

When it comes to Trillium payment dates, the year runs from July to June of the next year, so to receive your lump-sum payment this way, you’d receive it June 2023.

Furthermore, if your total payment is under $2, you won’t receive a payment. But if your payment is between $2- $10, then they’ll round up and increase your payment to $10.

How much can you get from trillium payments?

Another thing people typically want to know, aside from Trillium payment dates, is how much they can get from Trillium payments.

The amount you receive is dependent on a number of eligibility factors, such as the size of your family, your age, your residence, age, and the amount of your property tax or rent.

Here’s a look at how much you can get from Trillium payments:

Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)

The maximum amount you can receive from this payment is dependant on your family size.

Single: $158

Family: $243

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)

There are a few factors that effect your payment amounts for this benefit:

• 18- 64 years old: $1,095
• 65+ years old: $1,247
• Living on a reserve or in a long-term care facility (like a nursing home): $243
• A student that lives in a post-secondary school residence: $25

Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)

The largest OSTC payment you can receive is $316. This goes for every adult and child in your household.

It’s far easier to use a payment calculator to estimate your payment amounts, so we tracked some down for you.

2022 OEPTC Calculation Sheets

2022 NOEC Calculation Sheets

You can also use the Child and Family Benefits Calculator to determine your OTB payment amount.

How to apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB)

Of course, learning about Trillium payment dates is important, but while you’re here you may want to learn a bit about the application process as well.

The first thing you need to know is that you’ll need to file your tax return as well as a benefit return to qualify for the OTB, and if you’re late filing then your payments may be delayed.

Here’s how to apply for OTB payments:

NOEC and OEPTC: To qualify for these two benefits you’ll need to fill out an ON-BEN form and submit it when you file your tax returns.

OSTC: There’s no specific form you need to file or application you’re required to submit to qualify for the OSTC. Instead, when you file your tax returns, the CRA will look over them and determine whether you qualify for the OSTC.

After the initial approval of your OTB payments, you’ll have to re-apply annually for them when you file your tax returns in order to keep receiving them.

The same amount for each OTB payment period isn’t guaranteed, which means that you may receive a different payment amount on different Trillium payment dates.

The CRA adjusts your payments based on things like changes to your residence, family size and income.

Your eligibility requirements must be met at the first of the month on the payment month. This means that if you move out of Canada in May, then as long as your eligibility requirements were met for April and May, you qualify for payments in April and May that year, but not for the rest of the year.

Is the OTB taxable?

The OTB is a tax-free payment, which means that it can’t be included as part of your taxable income. So, no the OTB isn’t taxable.

However, if you owe money to the CRA either from over payments on other benefits or from taxes then they can use your OTB payment to pay off the debt. Once the debt has been paid then the amount left over will be paid to you.

How to request direct deposit

You have the option to either receive your OTB payments in the form of a paper cheque or direct deposit payments to your bank account. Direct deposit is by far the easiest option that ensures you’ll receive your payment faster than waiting for a cheque by mail.

There are several options available to sign up for direct deposit. You can use the CRA My Account portal online, or you can fill out and submit the Canada direct deposit enrolment form online.

If you require assistance in setting up direct deposit, you can always call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281.

Objections

There are a few instances in which you may have objections to your OTB benefits.

• If you qualify for OTB payments but haven’t received a payment by the 24^th of July, or the 24^th of subsequent months.
• If you didn’t receive Ontario tax credits that you qualify for.
• If you received a smaller amount than you’d anticipated.
• If you’ve been ordered to repay a payment that’s under assessment or reassessment by the government.

If you have an objection, you can contact the CRA. If you’d like to make a formal objection to the CRA you’ll need to follow the process they lay out in their Notice of Assessment or Reassessment guide, which you can find here.

You might also like…

• How to Use a Wealthsimple Referral Code
• EI Payment Dates
• What Does BPF Payment Date Mean?