Skip to main content

Featured

What to Do with Your Tax Refund: 5 Smart Moves for Canadians

  Tax Season · Personal Finance By MoneySavings.ca Editorial Team • May 7, 2026 • 7 min read Tax season is wrapping up across Canada, and for millions of Canadians, that means a refund cheque — or a direct deposit — is on its way. The average Canadian tax refund hovers around $1,800. That's real money. The question is: what's the smartest thing you can do with it? It's tempting to treat a tax refund like "found money" and splurge. But here's the truth — that refund was your money all along. The government was just holding it for you, interest-free. So before it quietly disappears into day-to-day spending, let's look at five moves that will make it work harder for you. $1,800 The average Canadian tax refund — enough to make a meaningful dent in debt, pad an emergency fund, or kick-start your TFSA for the year. 1 Pay Down High-Interest Debt First If you're carrying a balance on a credit card, this should be your very first call. Most Canadian credit car...

article

Canadian Dental Care Plan: Who Qualifies?

 

The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) aims to provide essential dental coverage to those in need. To be eligible for this program, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Canadian Residency: You must be a Canadian resident for tax purposes.

  2. Adjusted Family Net Income: Your adjusted family net income should be less than $90,000. This calculation considers various factors, including income reported on tax returns and any universal child care benefit or registered disability savings plan income received.

  3. Filed Tax Return: You must have filed your tax return in the previous year.

  4. No Access to Dental Insurance: To qualify, you must not have access to dental insurance. This includes coverage through employers, family members, pensions, professional or student organizations, or group plans from insurance companies. Even if you choose to opt out of available benefits, you are still considered to have access to dental insurance.

If you already have dental coverage through provincial, territorial, or federal government social programs, you can still qualify for the CDCP. In such cases, your coverage will be coordinated to avoid duplication or gaps in care.

Remember that providing false information on your application may result in removal from the plan, and ineligible family members may need to repay the full cost of care received through the CDCP.


Comments