Canada Child Benefit Calculator
2024–2026 · Free · Instant Results
Model your CCB payments, clawback thresholds, income changes, and provincial top-ups for BC and Ontario.
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TL;DR
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment from the federal government. A family earning $75,000 with one child under 6 receives about $4,000–$5,000 per year. Higher incomes reduce the benefit through a gradual clawback. BC and Ontario add provincial supplements on top.
What Is the Canada Child Benefit?
Source: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), 2024. CRA CCB Overview.
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment the federal government sends to eligible families to help cover the cost of raising children under 18. It replaced the old Universal Child Care Benefit and the Canada Child Tax Benefit in 2016 and has been indexed to inflation every year since 2018.
The CCB is one of the most valuable government programs for Canadian families. A single parent with two young children and a modest income can receive well over $10,000 a year—money that makes a real difference for food, childcare, and housing.
Who uses the CCB? Almost every family with children qualifies at some level. It is designed to give the most help to lower- and middle-income households, with the benefit gradually reducing as family income rises. Very high-income families may receive little or nothing. But even families earning $100,000 to $150,000 often still get partial payments.
The CCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Your payment amount is recalculated every July based on your prior year's tax return. That means filing your taxes on time is essential—late filers can miss months of payment.
Provincial programs add another layer. British Columbia's BC Family Benefit and Ontario's Ontario Child Benefit both deliver extra monthly amounts on top of the federal CCB. Families in those provinces receive combined payments from both programs, which can push total monthly support significantly higher.
Before this calculator, many parents had no easy way to estimate what they should be receiving or how an income change would affect their benefit. A family on parental leave, for example, might see a sharp income drop—and a sharp CCB increase—but not know how much to expect. This tool closes that gap. Enter your income, children, and province, and you get an instant estimate with a clawback breakdown and provincial supplement included.
The adjusted family net income (AFNI) is the key number that drives your CCB. If your family income changes—through a new job, parental leave, or a partner returning to work—your CCB will change at the next July recalculation. The income simulator on this page lets you test those scenarios before they happen.
How the CCB Formula Works
Source: CRA Benefit Amounts, 2024–2026 benefit year. Based on the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The CCB benefit amount is calculated using your adjusted family net income (AFNI) relative to two income thresholds. The math has two phases: a flat zone where you get the maximum, and a phase-out zone where a clawback rate reduces your benefit.
CCB Phase-Out Rates and Clawback Thresholds
For the 2024–2026 benefit year (July 2024 to June 2026), the base maximum amounts are:
- Under age 6: $7,786.92 per child per year ($648.91/month)
- Ages 6 to 17: $6,570 per child per year ($547.50/month)
These maximum amounts apply when your AFNI is at or below $36,502 (Threshold 1).
Above $36,502, Phase 1 clawback applies. Above $79,087 (Threshold 2), Phase 2 applies at a steeper rate.
Phase 1 clawback rate (income between $36,502 and $79,087):
- 1 child: 7.0% of income above $36,502
- 2 children: 13.5% of income above $36,502
- 3+ children: 19.0% of income above $36,502
Phase 2 clawback rate (income above $79,087):
- 1 child: 3.2% of income above $79,087 (added to Phase 1)
- 2 children: 5.7%
- 3+ children: 8.0%
Worked example: A family with AFNI of $75,000 and one child under 6.
- Max annual CCB: $7,786.92
- Income above threshold: $75,000 − $36,502 = $38,498
- Phase 1 clawback (7%): $38,498 × 0.07 = $2,694.86
- Annual CCB: $7,786.92 − $2,694.86 = $5,092.06 (~$424/month)
Shared custody splits the final amount 50/50 between households.
| Family Income | 1 Child (<6) | 2 Children | 3 Children | Phase-out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $7,787 | $14,357 | $20,927 | None (max) |
| $60,000 | $5,934 | $10,623 | $14,542 | Phase 1 |
| $100,000 | $3,558 | $6,089 | $8,085 | Phase 1+2 |
| $150,000 | $1,958 | $2,637 | $3,085 | Phase 1+2 |
| $200,000 | $358 | $533 | $685 | Near zero |
Note: Figures rounded. Children aged 6–17 earn a lower base rate. 3-child rows use one child under 6, two aged 6–17.
How to Use This CCB Calculator
Adjusted Family Net Income (AFNI): Enter the combined net income of you and your spouse or partner from your most recent T1 tax return. If you are single, enter your own income. Use your actual line 23600 figure if you have it handy. This is the single most important number—it directly controls your benefit level.
Children Under 6: Enter the number of children in your household who are under six years old. The CCB pays a higher base amount for younger children ($648.91/month max per child in 2024–2026), so getting this count right matters.
Children Aged 6 to 17: Enter the count of children in this age bracket. The max rate is $547.50/month per child. Include all children up to but not including their 18th birthday. CCB stops the month after a child turns 18.
Province: Select British Columbia or Ontario if you live there. BC's Family Benefit adds a meaningful monthly amount for lower- and middle-income families. Ontario's Child Benefit does the same. Both programs are income-tested and calculated separately but paid at the same time as your federal CCB.
Simulate Alternate Income: This is optional but very useful. Enter a projected income—maybe after a job change, during parental leave, or after a spouse returns to work—to instantly compare your CCB at two income levels side by side.
Shared Custody: Select "Yes" if custody is shared 50/50. CRA splits the CCB equally between both households in genuine shared-custody situations. Each parent receives 50% of the benefit they would otherwise get as the sole recipient.
Real-World Examples
Scenario 1: Priya — Single Parent, Modest Income
Situation: Priya is a single mother in Vancouver earning $42,000 net. She has two children: one aged 3 and one aged 7.
- AFNI: $42,000
- Children under 6: 1 (max $7,786.92/yr)
- Children aged 6–17: 1 (max $6,570/yr)
- Province: BC (BC Family Benefit applies)
- Income above threshold: $42,000 − $36,502 = $5,498
- Phase 1 clawback (2 children, 13.5%): $5,498 × 0.135 = $742.23
- Federal CCB: ($7,786.92 + $6,570) − $742.23 = $13,614.69/yr = $1,134.56/mo
- BC Family Benefit adds approximately $133/mo at this income
- Total monthly: ~$1,268
For Priya, the CCB covers roughly two months of rent or three months of full-time daycare. Understanding that her income is just barely above the max-benefit threshold helps her see why even a small raise won't dramatically cut her payments.
Scenario 2: Marcus & Danielle — Dual-Income Household
Situation: Marcus and Danielle live in Mississauga. Marcus earns $95,000 and Danielle earns $35,000. They have one child under 6. Danielle is considering taking a year of parental leave, dropping their AFNI to $100,000 total.
- Current AFNI: $130,000
- Current annual CCB: ~$2,698 (~$225/mo)
- Simulated AFNI on parental leave: $100,000
- Simulated CCB: ~$3,558/yr (~$297/mo)
- Ontario Child Benefit at $100,000: ~$0 (OCB phases out near $82,000 for one child)
- Net gain from parental leave income drop: +$72/month
Using the income simulator helped Marcus and Danielle see that the CCB gain from taking parental leave is real but modest. The bigger financial picture is the EI income replacement—but knowing the CCB side-effect helped them budget more accurately.
Scenario 3: The Chen Family — High-Stakes Income Planning
Situation: The Chen family has three children (ages 2, 5, and 10). Their AFNI is currently $160,000. One parent is considering starting a small business, which could reduce net income to $110,000 in the first year through legitimate deductions.
- Current AFNI: $160,000 → Annual CCB: ~$3,285 (~$274/mo)
- Simulated AFNI: $110,000 → Annual CCB: ~$8,085 (~$674/mo)
- Difference: +$4,800/year in CCB
- Downstream calculation: Over 3 years while the youngest two are still under 6, the income reduction would generate roughly $14,400 in additional CCB payments
- BC or ON provincial top-up at $110,000 income: +~$25–60/month depending on province
- Total 3-year benefit of the income reduction: ~$15,000–$17,000 in CCB value
The Chens were surprised to see how much the CCB clawback recovery was worth at their income level. Combined with their business deductions, the CCB gain became a meaningful part of their financial case for launching the new venture. This kind of downstream projection is exactly why the income simulator matters for real-life planning decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment from the federal government to help families with children under 18 cover the cost of raising them. The amount depends on your adjusted family net income and the number and ages of your children.
- CCB is calculated using your adjusted family net income (AFNI) from the previous year's tax return. The maximum amounts are $7,786.92/year per child under 6 and $6,570/year per child aged 6–17, reduced by a phase-out rate once your AFNI exceeds $36,502.
- The CCB clawback begins when your AFNI exceeds $36,502 (Threshold 1). Above $79,087 (Threshold 2), a second, steeper rate also applies. For most families, the benefit reaches zero somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000 depending on family size.
- Yes—British Columbia offers the BC Family Benefit and Ontario offers the Ontario Child Benefit. Both are income-tested supplements paid monthly alongside the federal CCB. Other provinces have their own programs, though they vary in structure and delivery method.
- CCB is recalculated every July using your prior year's tax return. If your income drops significantly (like during parental leave), you can request an early reassessment from CRA to get higher payments sooner. Use the income simulator on this page to estimate the difference.
- No. CCB payments are completely tax-free. You do not report them as income and they do not reduce other benefits or credits tied to your net income. The provincial supplements (BCFB and OCB) are also non-taxable.
- AFNI is the combined net income of you and your spouse or common-law partner, taken from your T1 tax returns (line 23600 for each of you), with certain additions for things like universal child care benefits received. It is the core variable that determines your CCB amount each July.
- Yes. The income simulator lets you enter projected or hypothetical income to see how your CCB changes. This is helpful for parental leave planning, career moves, retirement of a spouse, or any situation where your household income is expected to shift significantly.
Bookmark This Calculator
This Canada Child Benefit Calculator is free, forever. No sign-up needed. Bookmark it and come back every July when CRA updates your benefit amount.
Last Updated: July 2026 · MultiCalculators.ca · Free Forever
About The Author
Shakeel Muzaffar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MultiCalculators.com, bringing over 15 years of experience in digital publishing, product strategy, and online tool development. He leads the platform's editorial vision, ensuring every calculator meets strict standards for accuracy, usability, and real-world value. Shakeel personally oversees content quality, formula verification workflows, and the platform's commitment to publishing tools that are genuinely useful for students, professionals, and everyday users worldwide.
Areas of Expertise: Editorial Leadership, Digital Publishing, Product Strategy, Online Calculators, Web Standards
