Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The EITC is a US credit, so it doesn’t apply to your Canadian return. The nearest thing here is the Canada Workers Benefit, which tops up the income of people who work for low pay. For the 2025 tax year the CRA lists a maximum basic amount of $1,633 for a single person and $2,813 for a family.
What is the Canadian version of the EITC?
The Canada Workers Benefit, or CWB. It goes to working people on low incomes, and it’s claimed on your return, so the comparison holds up. The CRA calls it a refundable tax credit, which means you can get it even when you owe no tax. The rules differ from the US ones, though, and that matters. We haven’t checked IRS figures for this page, and none of the US numbers you might have seen apply here.
The figures below are for the 2025 tax year, which is the year you file for in 2026. We couldn’t confirm 2026 amounts on a CRA page, so we don’t quote any.
| 2025 tax year | Single | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum basic amount | $1,633 | $2,813 |
| Basic amount starts to shrink above | $26,855 | $30,639 |
| Basic amount is gone at | $37,742 | $49,393 |
| Disability supplement, maximum | $843 | $843 |
The income used is adjusted net income for a single person and adjusted family net income for a couple, which can differ from your gross pay. Quebec, Alberta and Nunavut have different rules and amounts, so residents there should read the CRA’s page on how much you can get rather than this table.
How does the benefit shrink as you earn more?
Between the two thresholds, the CWB is reduced as income rises. The CRA page gives the thresholds but we didn’t find the reduction rate printed there, so we won’t state one as official. The numbers do hint at it, though. For a single person the basic amount falls from $1,633 to zero over $10,887 of income, which is a drop of roughly 15 cents for each extra dollar. That’s our own arithmetic, so treat it as a rough guide only.
Here’s an example of where that leaves you. A single person in Ontario with $30,000 of employment income sits above $26,855 and below $37,742. Our income tax calculator puts their federal and Ontario tax at $2,452.11 and their CPP and EI at $2,065.75, leaving $25,482.14. The CWB isn’t in that figure. If we assume the full maximum applies before the reduction, the $3,145 of income over the first threshold would trim about $472 off it, leaving something near $1,161. That’s a ballpark, not a payment amount. The CRA page we read doesn’t show how the amount builds up at very low earnings, so we can’t say what someone at $10,000 would get.
Who else can help low earners keep more?
The CWB is one piece of the puzzle. Look at the others too. The GST/HST credit is another, and our GST/HST credit calculator notes that the credit is paid under a new name from July 2026. Families with children should look at the Canada Child Benefit calculator.
For your tax bill, the income tax calculator shows what you owe before any benefit. The tax credits calculator covers federal non-refundable credits only.
Do you have to file to get it?
Yes. Benefits like this are worked out from your return, so a year without a return is a year without the money. That’s true even when you owe no tax. If you earned a modest paycheque last year and didn’t file, that’s the first thing to fix.
Which mistakes and limits should you know about?
Assuming a number from a US site applies to you is a common one. It doesn’t. And don’t treat any online figure, ours included, as a payment amount. The CRA works out your actual CWB from your return, so the notice of assessment is the answer.
Eligibility has conditions we haven’t listed here, and some of them depend on your situation, such as your age or if you’re a full-time student. Read the CRA’s eligibility section before you count on the money.
What is this page based on?
The CWB amounts and income thresholds are from the Canada Revenue Agency page “How much you can get” for the 2025 tax year, read in September 2026 and checked again in October. Tax figures in the example come from our calculators.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an EITC in Canada?
No, it is a US credit. The closest Canadian benefit is the Canada Workers Benefit for people with low working income.
How much is the Canada Workers Benefit for 2025?
The CRA lists a maximum basic amount of $1,633 for a single person and $2,813 for a family, with a disability supplement up to $843.
When does the CWB start to shrink?
For 2025 it starts to shrink above $26,855 for a single person and $30,639 for a family, and the basic amount is gone at $37,742 and $49,393.
Are 2026 amounts published?
We could not confirm 2026 amounts on a CRA page, so we do not quote any.
Do Quebec, Alberta and Nunavut use the same numbers?
No. The CRA says the maximum amounts differ there. Check the CRA page for those provinces.
All family and benefits calculators
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill