# OAS Pension Estimate and Recovery Tax

> Estimate your OAS pension from years in Canada and start age, then see the 15% recovery tax that hits higher net incomes

A full Old Age Security pension for ages 65 to 74 is $751.97 a month from July to September 2026, or $9,024 a year. Put in your years in Canada, the age you'll start and your income below, and the OAS calculator shows your own amount and any recovery tax.

## What decides how much OAS you get?

Three things: the years you've lived in Canada after 18, which set your share, the age you start, which sets a bonus for waiting, and your net income, which decides how much you might have to hand back, all measured against amounts the federal government reviews every quarter. The calculator uses the ones in force today.

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Full pension, 65 to 74, July to September 2026 | $751.97 a month |
| Full pension, 65 to 74, October to December 2026 | $762.50 a month |
| Full pension, 75 and over, July to September 2026 | $827.17 a month |
| Full pension, 75 and over, October to December 2026 | $838.75 a month |
| Years in Canada for a full pension | 40 after age 18 |
| Increase for each month you wait | 0.6%, up to 36% at 70 |
| Rate of recovery tax | 15% of income above the threshold |

The newest quarter matters because the amount rises with inflation. The federal [OAS payment amounts page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/payments.html) shows $762.50 for ages 65 to 74 and $838.75 for 75 and over from October to December 2026.

## What do three real-looking cases give?

Use the July to September rate. Forty years in Canada, a start at 65 and $70,000 of income: you get $751.97 a month and repay nothing. That's $9,024 a year.

Push the income to $110,000 and the recovery tax is $2,202, because 15% applies to the part above $95,323. Of the $9,024, you keep $6,822.

Now try 30 years in Canada, a start at 70 and $120,000 of income. Thirty of 40 years pays 75% of the full amount, and waiting adds 36%, so the pension is about $767 a month, or $9,204 a year. The recovery tax is $3,702, which leaves roughly $5,500. Waiting did raise the amount, but a short residence record kept it well below a full pension, and the high income took a big bite. That's the trade-off in one line.

Here's a ballpark check you can do yourself. Take your net income, subtract the threshold, and if the answer is positive, multiply it by 0.15. At $100,000 that's $4,677 times 0.15, about $702 a year.

## Does OAS go up at 75?

Yes. It's 10% more, starting the month after your 75th birthday. In the July to September table that's $827.17 against $751.97. The calculator asks for your current age and switches to the higher table when it applies. Start age and current age are separate fields, so fill in both.

## How many years in Canada do you need?

Forty for the full amount. Your share is your years divided by 40, so 20 years pays half. You need at least 10 years if you live in Canada, and 20 if you live abroad. Only years after your 18th birthday count. Think of Amara, who arrived in Calgary at 38 and turns 65 after 27 years here. She'd qualify for 27 of 40, which is 67.5% of the full pension.

## Which income threshold applies to you?

The recovery threshold is the number most likely to confuse people, because it depends on which year's income is being measured. The calculator uses $95,323, the figure for 2026 income. The federal [OAS recovery tax page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/recovery-tax.html) shows $93,454 for 2025 income, which is what's repaid through the payments from July 2026 to June 2027, and $95,323 for 2026 income, which affects payments from July 2027. So if you're checking this year's deductions, $93,454 is the one in force for this year's payments. Always check the current page before you decide anything.

## Where can this estimate go wrong?

The tool also leaves out the income-tested Guaranteed Income Supplement, and it treats your yearly net income as one number. Deferral doesn't go on forever, either. It only pays for the five years after 65, so wait past 70 and you won't gain a thing.

## How does OAS fit with your other income?

It's taxed as income, so it belongs in the same picture as your other pensions. Add your CPP with the [CPP calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/rrsp-retirement/cpp-calculator), then test the tax on the lot with the [retirement income tax calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/rrsp-retirement/retirement-income-tax). Wondering whether savings fill the gap? The [retirement savings calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/rrsp-retirement/retirement-calculator) will tell you.

## Our sources

The amounts come from the federal quarterly pension tables for 2026, and the rules from the federal OAS pages. Treat results as estimates. This website has no tie to any government body.

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Source: https://tax-services.ca/calculators/rrsp-retirement/oas-calculator
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Independent information site. Not affiliated with the CRA. No services, no guarantee of accuracy. See https://tax-services.ca/disclaimer