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Budget 2026 Brings a Second Grocery Top-Up: Who Gets It and How Much

  Canadian Money Brief  |  Budget 2026  |  November 6, 2026 Another grocery cheque is on the way. In Thursday's federal budget, Ottawa proposed a second one-time top-up to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), a payment worth half the benefit's annual value, expected to land in early 2027. $339 budget estimate, qualifying single person $679 budget estimate, couple with two children Early 2027 expected timing, exact date not announced $4.1B cost of the expanded program What Ottawa actually announced Budget 2026, a 511-page document titled "Masters of our Destiny," is mostly about investment and productivity. But tucked into its affordability measures is a repeat of something Canadians have already seen this year. The government proposes a one-time payment equal to half of the CGEB's annual value, and the Canadian Press reports it is expected in early 2027. A similar payment went out in June. That June payment was a one-time top-up equal to 50% of t...

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Ottawa Expands Automatic Tax Filing to Simplify Tax Returns


 The federal government is taking significant steps to modernize the tax filing process for Canadians. In a recent fall economic statement, Ottawa announced plans to expand automatic tax filing services, aiming to make it easier for Canadians, especially those with simple tax situations, to file their annual returns.

The initiative, which builds on a national pilot program launched in 2023, will allow the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to automatically file tax returns on behalf of eligible lower-income Canadians starting as early as the 2025 tax year. The program has already shown promising results, with over two million eligible Canadians participating in the pilot and receiving billions in benefits and credits.

The expansion will also explore options to make free online tax software more accessible, ensuring that more Canadians can benefit from simplified tax filing. This move is part of Ottawa's broader efforts to reduce the complexity and cost of tax filing services, making them more user-friendly and efficient.

With these changes, the government hopes to increase tax compliance and ensure that more Canadians receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to. The CRA's SimpleFile service, which allows tax returns to be filed in as little as 10 minutes, will play a crucial role in this initiative.

As Ottawa continues to push for a more streamlined tax filing process, Canadians can look forward to a simpler and more efficient way to manage their taxes in the coming years.




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