The Canadian government announced the Working Canadian Rebate to 18.7 million Canadians in November 2024 with a two-month tax break. The announcement came under the administration of former PM Justin Trudeau, and the government promised to bring the legislation for this rebate to Parliament.
However, as the former PM resigned and the Parliament session was postponed, the proposal for the rebate did not occur in the Parliament. Now that the new PM of Canada, Mark Carney, has been elected, people are expecting the Working Canadian rebate in April 2025 as promised.
The Canadian Parliament session was suspended till 24 March 2025; the official announcement of the next session has not been made. The Canadians expecting the Working Canadian Rebate can check everything about the rebate in the article below.
| Rebate | Working Canadian Rebate |
| Who qualifies? | All Canadians who worked and earned income up to a certain level in 2023 and filed the 2023 tax return with the mentioned claims |
| Income Limit | $150,000 in 2023 |
| Rebate Payout | $250 |
| Payout Date | April 2025 (Expected) |
| Payment method | Direct deposit or Cheque |
| Expected Beneficiaries | 18.7 million |
| Official Website | https://www.canada.ca/ |
Who is eligible?
According to the government announcement, Canadians who meet the following eligibility requirements will receive the Working Canadian Rebate:
- All the Canadians who worked and earned net income up to $150,000 in 2023 will be eligible.
- You must be a permanent resident of Canada as of 31 March 2025
- The Canadians must have filed the 2023 tax return by the deadline, 31 December 2024, and claimed any of the following:
- With a tax return, you must have claimed the tax credit for self-employment earnings, Canada Pension Plan, or Quebec Pension Plan;
- With a tax return, you must have claimed the Employment Insurance (EI) or QPIP (Quebec Pension Plan Contributions premiums) on self-employment or employment earnings;
- You have claimed the QPIP or EI benefits with the 2023 tax return.
- The Canadians who are not deceased as of 01 April 2025 will be eligible;
- The Canadians who were not in imprisonment or confinement for at least 90 days before 01 April 2025 would be ineligible for the rebate.
Do you need to apply?
The Canadian government declared during the announcement that the payment would be made automatically to the eligible Canadians based on their tax return information. The Canada Revenue Agency would process the rebate for the eligible taxpayers.
The rebate is a tax-free payment to all eligible Canadians that will support them with the rising cost of living. The government introduced this rebate intending to put money back in the pocket of taxpayers and the working class. The government wished that with this extra money, hard-working Canadians could buy the things they wished to buy and cover their expenses.
When can you expect?
As mentioned earlier, the former PM plans to present the legislation in Parliament to deliver this rebate, but as the Parliament was dissolved, the proposal was not made till now. Now, the Canadians are hoping the new PM from the same Liberal Party, who was sworn in as PM in March 2025, will introduce the legislation in the new session.
In the previous announcement, the government said the CRA is already working on processing the automatic payment of the Working Canadian Rebate, so if the rebate is proposed in the new session and gets the approval, Canadians can expect the payout in April 2025 as promised in the early spring of 2025.
However, no other party has indicated their support for the rebate, though Bloc Québécois and NDP have proposed to expand the rebate to seniors, the unemployed, and retirees as well. Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks that will decide the rebate possibilities.
Payment Mode
According to the announcement made in November 2024, the government has confirmed that the rebate of $250 will be issued to eligible Canadians through two payment modes – Direct deposit and Cheque.
The eligible Canadians may expect the rebate through the same payment mode they receive their tax refund from the CRA. The bank account details or mailing address will be based on the tax return you filed; hence, if by any chance your mailing address or bank account is changed, you must update the information with CRA.
You can update your personal information with CRA via the CRA My Account portal, by mail using the form RC325, or by calling 1-800-959-8281 with the account login credentials or necessary tax information, respectively.
The Canadians expecting the Working Canadian Rebate in early spring 2025 should check the government channels regularly, as they can announce the payment soon.