CRA issuing one-time grocery rebate payments July 5

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be issuing the long-promised "grocery rebate" payments to eligible Canadians on July 5.

Months after Parliament passed the one-time benefit first unveiled as part of the 2023 federal budget, the payments will be hitting Canadians' bank accounts on Wednesday.

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The food-inflation focused affordability measure is set to roll out to approximately 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians.

Essentially a re-branded GST rebate boost, the payment will be issued through Canada's GST/HST tax credit system, alongside the regular quarterly GST/HST payments.

Individuals and families that were entitled to receive a GST/HST credit payment for January 2023, and have filed their latest tax returns, should expect to receive this rebate.

The grocery rebate will be equivalent to double the GST/HST credit amount received in January.

The amount those eligible can expect to see, is calculated based on each family's situation and adjusted family net income.

For example, if you are single you could receive a maximum payment of:

• $234 if you have no children
• $387 if you have one child
• $467 if you have two children
• $548 if you have three children
• $628 if you have four children

And, if you are married or have a common-law partner, you could receive up to:

• $306 if you have no children
• $387 if you have one child
• $467 if you have two children
• $548 if you have three children
• $628 if you have four children

Though, CRA has flagged that it's possible that some individuals may be entitled to the grocery rebate, but not the July GST/HST credit, or vice versa.

"The Grocery Rebate is calculated based on your 2021 tax return, but the next quarterly GST/HST credit payment in July 2023 is calculated based on your 2022 tax return," said the tax agency. 

Unveiled as a measure to help Canadians offset higher grocery bills due to inflation, the rebate comes with a price tag of $2.5 billion for the federal government.

This spring, CTVNews.ca spoke to Canadians about how they plan to use the grocery rebate, and the responses ranged from fresh fish to children's snacks.