The Canada Carbon Rebate (called the Climate Action Incentive Payment before 2024) has ended. The last regular payment went out on April 22, 2025. But if you lived in an eligible province and didn’t file a tax return for any year from 2021 to 2024, money may still be waiting for you.
The catch is a proposed deadline. The federal government wants to stop paying the rebate on any return or adjustment request filed after October 30, 2026.
Key dates at a glance
- March 15, 2025: the government stopped the consumer carbon charge and the rebate.
- April 22, 2025: the final quarterly payment. There have been no regular payments since.
- October 30, 2026: the proposed last day to file an old return (2021 to 2024) and still get the rebate.
Is the October 30, 2026 deadline law?
Not yet. Budget 2025 proposed it, and it is written into Bill C-31, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2. The bill says no Canada Carbon Rebate would be paid on tax returns or adjustment requests filed after October 30, 2026.
As of September 23, 2026, Parliament’s records show the bill is still being studied by the House of Commons Finance Committee. A Senate committee (National Finance) is doing an early “pre-study”. The bill has not passed the House or the Senate, and it has not received royal assent.
If it does become law, the change would count back to November 4, 2025. So the safest plan is to treat October 30, 2026 as your real deadline and file before then.
Who can still claim
You may be owed money if all of these are true for a year you haven’t filed:
- You lived in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island or Saskatchewan. (The rebate was never paid in B.C., Quebec or the territories.)
- You were 19 or older, or under 19 with a spouse, partner or child you lived with.
- You have not yet filed your return for 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024.
Your income doesn’t matter. If you had a spouse or partner, only one of you gets the family’s payment, usually whoever’s return is assessed first.
How to get missed payments
Residents don’t apply. You file the missing tax returns, and the CRA pays what you’re owed once each return is assessed.
- Work out which years you missed: 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024.
- File a return for each one, even if you had no income.
- If you lived outside a big city area, tick the box on page 2 of each return to claim the rural supplement. People in P.E.I. don’t need to, because it was already built into their amount.
- Set up direct deposit if you can. The payment goes the same way as your tax refund.
If your income is modest and your taxes are simple, a free tax clinic can do the returns for you. If you were new to Canada during those years, the CRA asks you to send Form RC66 (if you have children) or Form RC151 instead.
How much you might get
Amounts depended on your province and family size. Here is the base amount for one adult for each tax year. Returns for 2021 to 2023 were generally paid in four quarterly payments, so multiply by four for a full year. The 2024 return paid only once, in April 2025.
| Province | 2021 return (per payment) | 2022 return (per payment) | 2023 return (per payment) | 2024 return (one payment) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $134.75 | $193 | $225 | $228 |
| Saskatchewan | $137.50 | $170 | $188 | $206 |
| Manitoba | $104 | $132 | $150 | $150 |
| Ontario | $93.25 | $122 | $140 | $151 |
| New Brunswick | Not available | $92 | $95 | $165 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not available | $164 | $149 | $149 |
| Nova Scotia | Not available | $124 | $103 | $110 |
| Prince Edward Island | Not available | $120 | $110 | $110 |
A spouse or partner added half the adult amount. Each child under 19 added a quarter, and the first child in a single-parent family added half. From the 2023 return on, the rural supplement added 20% more.
Example: a single adult in Ontario who never filed 2021 to 2024 could get about $373 + $488 + $560 + $151 = $1,572. The same person in Alberta could get about $539 + $772 + $900 + $228 = $2,439. Rural supplements and family members would add to that.
If you owe money to the government, the CRA can use the rebate to pay down that debt first.
Payment missing or different?
The payment arrives after your return is assessed, not when you file. Check your notice of assessment and CRA My Account first. For benefit questions, call the CRA at 1-800-387-1193.
Watch out for scams
The CRA says it will never send refunds or payments by text or e-transfer, never demand payment by gift card, prepaid card or crypto, and never charge a fee to talk to an agent. There is no “carbon rebate application” to pay for. If a text says you have a rebate waiting, don’t click the link. Log in to My Account yourself or call the number above.
Other help you might be missing
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit), paid to lower-income people who file.
- Canada Child Benefit, if you have children under 18.
- Canada Workers Benefit, for people working on a low income.
- Alberta Energy Rebate, $100 per adult in Alberta, with applications closing September 30, 2026.
Common questions
Do I need to apply for missed carbon rebate payments?
No, if you were a resident. Filing the missing tax returns is enough. Only newcomers use a form.
What if I file after October 30, 2026?
If Bill C-31 becomes law as written, you would not get the rebate for that return. Filing before October 30 avoids the risk.
I had no income. Do I still need to file?
Yes. The CRA says you must file for each year to get the rebate, even with no income to report.
Can I still get the rebate if I lived in B.C. or Quebec?
No. The federal rebate was never paid in British Columbia, Quebec, Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut.
