The Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) is a monthly tax credit payment from the Ontario government that helps low-to-moderate income residents offset energy costs and sales tax. It combines three provincial credits into a single monthly payment that many Ontario residents receive automatically when they file their taxes. Here is how it works.
The OTB is a refundable tax credit, which means you receive it as a payment even if you owe no taxes. It is paid monthly from July through June of each year. The combined credit can be worth several hundred to over a thousand dollars per year for eligible residents.
The CRA administers the OTB on behalf of the Province of Ontario. You do not apply separately from your tax return. Filing your Ontario tax return (which is part of your federal return) and completing the appropriate schedules automatically registers you for the OTB.
The OSTC helps offset the provincial sales tax paid on goods and services. For 2025, the maximum annual amount is approximately $345 for a single person, $345 for a spouse or common-law partner, and $345 for each dependent child. The credit phases out as income rises, beginning around $24,000 for a single person.
The OEPTC helps with energy costs and property tax. There are two portions:
Renters can claim the OEPTC based on their rent paid, since a portion of rent is considered equivalent to property tax for this credit.
Residents of Northern Ontario (defined districts in the north) receive an additional energy credit. The maximum is approximately $174 for a single person and $268 for a family. You qualify based on your address — the credit is automatically applied to northern Ontario residents.
To receive the OTB, you must be a resident of Ontario, be 18 years or older (or have a spouse, common-law partner, or child), and have filed your Ontario tax return. Additionally, to claim the property tax and energy components, you must have paid rent or property tax on your principal residence in Ontario during the year.
Complete Schedule ON-BEN (Application for the 2024 Ontario Trillium Benefit and Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant) when you file your Ontario return. Tax software handles this automatically — you are prompted to enter:
Enter your exact rent paid during the year. As a renter, 20% of your annual rent is treated as the property tax equivalent for this credit. So on $18,000 in annual rent ($1,500 per month), you are treated as having paid $3,600 in property tax.
The amount you receive depends on your net family income and the credits you are entitled to. Lower income means higher OTB payments. As income rises, the credits phase out. A single person with $25,000 income might receive $400 to $700 in OTB annually, while a family at the same income level receives more due to the per-spouse and per-child components of the OSTC.
OTB payments arrive on the 10th of each month (or the business day before if the 10th falls on a weekend or holiday). If your total annual OTB is $360 or less, the CRA may pay it as a lump sum in July rather than monthly installments.
Separate from the regular OTB, the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant provides up to $500 for low-to-moderate income seniors (65 or older) who own and reside in their home in Ontario. This grant is also claimed on Schedule ON-BEN and is paid annually in June.
If you fail to complete Schedule ON-BEN when filing, you miss the OTB for that year. You cannot retroactively receive monthly OTB payments after the fact, though you may be able to request adjustments for prior years in some circumstances. Make sure your tax software includes Schedule ON-BEN every year if you are an Ontario resident.
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