CCB Calculator 2026: Your Exact Child Benefit by Income + Kids
Quick Answer
For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, the Canada Child Benefit pays a maximum of $7,997 per year ($666.41/month) for each child under 6 and $6,748 per year ($562.33/month) for each child aged 6 to 17. You receive the full amount only if your adjusted family net income (AFNI) is below $37,487. Above that, the benefit reduces on a sliding scale: 7% of the excess for one child, 13.5% for two, 19% for three, and 23% for four or more, up to AFNI of $81,222 — then a lower second rate applies. A family earning $50,000 with one child under 6 receives roughly $7,121 a year; the same family earning $100,000 receives about $4,335.
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A severance payout, a maternity leave, or a one-time capital gain can swing your adjusted family net income — and your CCB — by thousands. Book a free 15-minute call with our team and we will show you how to time income and deductions so your family benefit lands where you want it.
The 2026 CCB Amounts: Exact Maximums by Child Age
The Canada Child Benefit is calculated per child, and the only thing that changes the maximum is the child's age. There are two age bands. Here are the exact maximum amounts for the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year — the figures CRA published in late 2025 and pays until the July 2026 reset:
| Child's age | Maximum per year | Maximum per month |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 | $7,997 | $666.41 |
| 6 to 17 | $6,748 | $562.33 |
| Child Disability Benefit (per eligible child, on top) | $3,411 | $284.25 |
Those are ceilings, not the cheque most families receive. You get the full maximum only if your adjusted family net income (AFNI) for the prior tax year was below $37,487. Earn more than that and the benefit reduces. The rest of this guide is about how much it reduces, because that is the number that actually hits your bank account on the 20th of each month.
Calculate Your Estimated CCB Payment
Canada Child Benefit Calculator
Calculate your monthly Canada Child Benefit (CCB) based on your family income and number of children.
Combined income of you and your spouse/common-law partner (before taxes)
Your CCB Estimate
How CCB works: The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18. The maximum benefit for 2026 is $7,787/year per child under 6 and $6,570/year per child 6-17. The benefit reduces as family income increases above $34,863.
CCB Reduction Rates
How the Phase-Out Works: The Two Income Thresholds That Drive Your Number
The CCB does not cut off at a single income line. It steps down across two thresholds, and the reduction rate climbs with the number of children. Here is the part most online "CCB calculator" pages bury: there are two separate phase-out zones, each with its own rate.
Zone 1 — AFNI between $37,487 and $81,222
In this band, your maximum CCB is reduced by a flat percentage of every dollar of AFNI over $37,487. The rate depends on how many children you have:
| Number of children | Reduction rate (on AFNI over $37,487) |
|---|---|
| 1 child | 7% |
| 2 children | 13.5% |
| 3 children | 19% |
| 4 or more children | 23% |
Zone 2 — AFNI above $81,222
Once your AFNI passes $81,222, CRA stops applying the Zone 1 rate and switches to a fixed dollar reduction (the total reduction accumulated at $81,222) plus a smaller percentage on income above that line:
| Number of children | Fixed reduction at $81,222 | Plus % of AFNI over $81,222 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $3,061 | 3.2% |
| 2 children | $5,904 | 5.7% |
| 3 children | $8,310 | 8.0% |
| 4 or more children | $10,059 | 9.5% |
The reason the percentage drops in Zone 2 is deliberate policy design — the benefit tapers more gently at higher incomes so it does not vanish abruptly. But because a fixed dollar amount is already subtracted at $81,222, a family well above that threshold still ends up with a much smaller benefit.
Worked Examples: Your Exact CCB at $50K, $80K, and $120K
The tables above tell you the rates. What you want is the dollar figure. Here are three worked calculations using the real 2026 numbers. Note that "income" here means adjusted family net income — your and your spouse's combined net income, not gross salary.
One child under 6, AFNI $50,000
- Maximum: $7,997
- AFNI over $37,487: $12,513
- Reduction (1 child, Zone 1): 7% × $12,513 = $876
- Annual CCB: ~$7,121 (about $593/month)
One child under 6, AFNI $100,000
- Maximum: $7,997
- Reduction is now in Zone 2 (AFNI over $81,222)
- Fixed reduction at $81,222 (1 child): $3,061
- Plus 3.2% × ($100,000 − $81,222 = $18,778) = $601
- Total reduction: $3,061 + $601 = $3,662
- Annual CCB: ~$4,335 (about $361/month)
Two children, one under 6 and one aged 6–17, AFNI $50,000
- Maximum: $7,997 + $6,748 = $14,745
- AFNI over $37,487: $12,513
- Reduction (2 children, Zone 1): 13.5% × $12,513 = $1,689
- Annual CCB: ~$13,056 (about $1,088/month)
Two children, both under 6, AFNI $80,000
- Maximum: $7,997 × 2 = $15,994
- AFNI over $37,487: $42,513
- Reduction (2 children, still Zone 1, under $81,222): 13.5% × $42,513 = $5,739
- Annual CCB: ~$10,255 (about $855/month)
Two children, one under 6 and one aged 6–17, AFNI $120,000
- Maximum: $14,745
- Reduction is in Zone 2 (AFNI over $81,222)
- Fixed reduction at $81,222 (2 children): $5,904
- Plus 5.7% × ($120,000 − $81,222 = $38,778) = $2,210
- Total reduction: $5,904 + $2,210 = $8,114
- Annual CCB: ~$6,631 (about $553/month)
The pattern that jumps out: the swing between $50,000 and $120,000 of family income for a two-child household is roughly $6,400 a year of benefit. That is not a rounding error — it is a meaningful chunk of cash that responds directly to the income figure on your tax return. Which is exactly why deductions matter.
A windfall year can quietly cut your CCB — plan around it
Selling a rental, exercising stock options, or taking a large RRSP withdrawal all raise next July's adjusted family net income and shrink your benefit. See how our income-transition planning works — we map the timing of one-time income against your CCB, OAS, and tax brackets so a single big year does not cost you on three fronts at once.
The Lever Most Parents Miss: RRSP Contributions Raise Your CCB
Because the CCB is driven by adjusted family net income, and an RRSP contribution reduces your net income dollar-for-dollar, contributing to an RRSP does two things at once: it cuts your tax bill and it raises next July's child benefit. This is the single most overlooked planning move for families with young kids.
Take the two-children-under-6 family at $80,000 of AFNI. They are in the 13.5% Zone 1 reduction band. If one spouse contributes $10,000 to an RRSP, AFNI drops to $70,000, and the CCB reduction falls by 13.5% × $10,000 = $1,350. So that $10,000 contribution buys back $1,350 of tax-free child benefit on top of the income-tax refund the deduction itself generates. The 2026 RRSP annual contribution limit is $33,810 (or 18% of prior-year earned income, whichever is less), so there is usually plenty of room to work with.
The effect is strongest in the steep Zone 1 band for families with two or more children, where the marginal CCB reduction rate (13.5%, 19%, or 23%) stacks on top of your ordinary marginal tax rate. For a family with three kids, an RRSP dollar in that band can return 19 cents of CCB plus your marginal tax saving — an effective return well north of 40% before the money has even grown inside the plan. For the mechanics of how RRSP deductions interact with your tax brackets, see our RRSP withdrawal tax guide.
What Counts as "Adjusted Family Net Income" — and What Doesn't
The whole calculation hinges on AFNI, so it is worth being precise about what goes into it. AFNI is the combined net income (line 23600) of you and your spouse or common-law partner, with a few adjustments. The figures that do count and those that don't catch a lot of families off guard:
- Counts: employment income, self-employment income, taxable capital gains, RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, EI and CPP benefits, rental income, taxable severance, and interest income.
- Reduces AFNI (good): RRSP and FHSA contributions, deductible employment expenses, child care expenses claimed on line 21400, and union or professional dues.
- Does NOT count: TFSA withdrawals (tax-free and invisible to AFNI), the CCB itself, the GST/HST credit, and the principal residence exemption on your home sale under section 40(2)(b) of the Income Tax Act.
That last group is the planning gold. A TFSA withdrawal funds a family expense without touching AFNI, so it never reduces your CCB — unlike an RRSP or RRIF withdrawal, which is fully taxable and counts in full. For a household straddling a phase-out threshold, drawing from the TFSA rather than the RRSP in a given year can be worth several hundred dollars of preserved benefit. The 2026 TFSA annual limit is $7,000, with a cumulative room of $109,000 for anyone 18 or older in 2009.
Timing and Life Events That Change Your CCB Mid-Year
CCB is recalculated every July using the prior tax year's AFNI, but several events change your entitlement immediately rather than waiting for the annual reset:
A new child
Payments for a newborn start the month after birth, and because a child under 6 attracts the higher $7,997 maximum, a new baby adds the larger band to your benefit. The fastest setup is the Automated Benefits Application at birth registration — consent to share the data with CRA and the CCB and GST/HST credit are arranged automatically.
A child turning 6 or turning 18
When a child turns 6, their maximum drops from $7,997 to $6,748 — a $1,249 annual reduction at the maximum, applied from the month after the birthday. When a child turns 18, CCB eligibility ends entirely; the last payment is for the month of the 18th birthday.
Separation or divorce
A marital-status change is one of the biggest CCB swings, because the benefit shifts from being calculated on combined household income to a single parent's income. After a separation of more than 90 consecutive days, the primary caregiver's CCB is recalculated on their income alone — which often increases it sharply for the lower-earning parent. In shared custody (40–60% with each parent), each parent receives 50% of what they would get based on their own income. You must report the change to CRA; doing it late can mean an overpayment CRA later claws back.
The Bottom Line: Your CCB Is a Function of One Number You Can Influence
The maximums are fixed — $7,997 under 6, $6,748 from 6 to 17, plus $3,411 for a child with a disability. Everything after that is a function of your adjusted family net income against the $37,487 and $81,222 thresholds. That makes the CCB unusual among Canadian benefits: it responds directly and predictably to deductions you control.
The three highest-leverage moves are: (1) RRSP and FHSA contributions to pull AFNI down, especially in the steep 13.5%–23% Zone 1 band for multi-child families; (2) drawing from the TFSA rather than the RRSP in a year you are near a threshold, since TFSA withdrawals are invisible to AFNI; and (3) timing one-time income — a property sale, a severance, a big capital gain — into a year where it does the least damage to the benefit. Run your own numbers against the tables above, and if a windfall or income-transition year is coming, model it before the income lands rather than after.
Map your CCB against the rest of your tax picture
Your child benefit, your tax bracket, and your RRSP room all move together — a smart contribution can win on all three. Book a free 15-minute call with our CFP team to model your adjusted family net income and find the contribution and timing moves that maximize your tax-free benefit this year.
Figures reflect the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, sourced from the Canada Revenue Agency (canada.ca, last updated November 2025). CCB amounts are indexed and reset each July; confirm current figures in your CRA My Account. For how income thresholds drive other federal benefits in retirement, see our 2026 GIS eligibility and income thresholds guide.
Key Takeaways
- 1The 2026 (July 2025–June 2026) CCB maximum is $7,997/year per child under 6 and $6,748/year per child aged 6–17 — fully tax-free and paid monthly
- 2You get the full maximum only below an adjusted family net income (AFNI) of $37,487; above that the benefit reduces on a sliding scale by number of children
- 3Between $37,487 and $81,222, the reduction is 7% (1 child), 13.5% (2), 19% (3), or 23% (4+) of income over $37,487 — above $81,222 a lower second rate kicks in
- 4Because reduction follows AFNI, an RRSP contribution lowers your AFNI and can raise next July's CCB — the same dollar saves tax and lifts the benefit
- 5A child who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit adds up to $3,411/year through the Child Disability Benefit, on top of the regular CCB
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What is the maximum Canada Child Benefit per child in 2026?
A:For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, the maximum CCB is $7,997 per year ($666.41 per month) for each child under 6, and $6,748 per year ($562.33 per month) for each child aged 6 to 17. These are the maximums — you receive the full amount only if your adjusted family net income (AFNI) is below $37,487. Above that threshold the benefit reduces on a sliding scale. CCB amounts are indexed each July, so the July 2026 to June 2027 figures will be slightly higher once CRA publishes them.
Q:At what income does the CCB start to phase out in 2026?
A:The CCB begins to reduce once your adjusted family net income (AFNI) exceeds $37,487. Below that, you get the full maximum. Between $37,487 and $81,222, the benefit is reduced by 7% of the income over $37,487 for one child, 13.5% for two children, 19% for three children, and 23% for four or more. Above $81,222, a second, lower reduction rate applies on top of a fixed dollar reduction. AFNI is your and your spouse's combined net income (line 23600) minus certain amounts like UCCB and RDSP income — not your gross salary.
Q:How much CCB does a family earning $80,000 with two young kids get in 2026?
A:A family with two children both under 6 has a maximum of $15,994 ($7,997 × 2). At an AFNI of $80,000 — just under the $81,222 second threshold — the reduction is 13.5% of the income over $37,487. That is 13.5% × $42,513 = $5,739. So the annual CCB is roughly $15,994 − $5,739 = $10,255, or about $855 per month. If one child were aged 6 to 17 instead, the maximum drops to $14,745 and the benefit falls accordingly. Your exact figure depends on the ages of each child and your precise AFNI.
Q:Is the Canada Child Benefit taxable income?
A:No. The CCB is completely tax-free. It does not appear as income on your T1 return, it is not added to your taxable income, and it does not affect your federal tax bracket or trigger OAS clawback. You do, however, have to file a tax return every year — even with no income — for CRA to calculate and continue your CCB. Both spouses must file. If you stop filing, your payments stop, because CRA recalculates the benefit each July based on the prior year's adjusted family net income.
Q:How does CCB work in a shared custody arrangement in 2026?
A:When a child lives roughly equally with two parents in separate households (between 40% and 60% of the time with each), CRA splits the CCB. Each parent receives 50% of the amount they would get if the child lived with them full-time, calculated on their own adjusted family net income. So two separated parents with very different incomes will receive different half-shares for the same child. If custody is not roughly equal — one parent has the child more than 60% of the time — that parent is treated as primarily responsible and receives the full benefit. You must notify CRA when a custody arrangement changes.
Q:What is the Child Disability Benefit and how much is it in 2026?
A:The Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is an extra, tax-free amount paid on top of the CCB for a child who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit. For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, the maximum CDB is $3,411 per year ($284.25 per month) per eligible child. It uses its own income phase-out: the maximum is paid up to an adjusted family net income of $81,222, then reduces by 3.2% of income over that threshold for one eligible child (5.7% for two or more). To receive it, the child must have an approved Form T2201 (Disability Tax Credit Certificate) on file with CRA.
Q:Do I get more CCB for a newborn, and when do payments start?
A:Yes — a child under 6 attracts the higher $7,997 maximum versus $6,748 for a child aged 6 to 17, so a newborn adds the larger amount to your benefit. Payments for a new child start the month after birth, provided you have applied. The fastest route is the Automated Benefits Application: when you register the birth with your province, you can consent to have the information sent to CRA, and your CCB (and the GST/HST credit) is set up automatically. Otherwise, apply through CRA My Account or by filing Form RC66. CCB is paid monthly, usually on the 20th.
Q:How does the CCB interact with provincial child benefits in Ontario in 2026?
A:The CCB is the federal benefit. Most provinces and territories add their own child benefits, which CRA administers and pays in the same monthly deposit. In Ontario, that is the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB), paid on top of the CCB for lower- and middle-income families with children under 18. Quebec runs its own Family Allowance separately through Retraite Québec. Because these provincial amounts are bundled into one CRA payment in most provinces, the deposit you see can be higher than the federal CCB figures shown here — check the breakdown in your CRA My Account to see the federal-versus-provincial split.
Question: What is the maximum Canada Child Benefit per child in 2026?
Answer: For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, the maximum CCB is $7,997 per year ($666.41 per month) for each child under 6, and $6,748 per year ($562.33 per month) for each child aged 6 to 17. These are the maximums — you receive the full amount only if your adjusted family net income (AFNI) is below $37,487. Above that threshold the benefit reduces on a sliding scale. CCB amounts are indexed each July, so the July 2026 to June 2027 figures will be slightly higher once CRA publishes them.
Question: At what income does the CCB start to phase out in 2026?
Answer: The CCB begins to reduce once your adjusted family net income (AFNI) exceeds $37,487. Below that, you get the full maximum. Between $37,487 and $81,222, the benefit is reduced by 7% of the income over $37,487 for one child, 13.5% for two children, 19% for three children, and 23% for four or more. Above $81,222, a second, lower reduction rate applies on top of a fixed dollar reduction. AFNI is your and your spouse's combined net income (line 23600) minus certain amounts like UCCB and RDSP income — not your gross salary.
Question: How much CCB does a family earning $80,000 with two young kids get in 2026?
Answer: A family with two children both under 6 has a maximum of $15,994 ($7,997 × 2). At an AFNI of $80,000 — just under the $81,222 second threshold — the reduction is 13.5% of the income over $37,487. That is 13.5% × $42,513 = $5,739. So the annual CCB is roughly $15,994 − $5,739 = $10,255, or about $855 per month. If one child were aged 6 to 17 instead, the maximum drops to $14,745 and the benefit falls accordingly. Your exact figure depends on the ages of each child and your precise AFNI.
Question: Is the Canada Child Benefit taxable income?
Answer: No. The CCB is completely tax-free. It does not appear as income on your T1 return, it is not added to your taxable income, and it does not affect your federal tax bracket or trigger OAS clawback. You do, however, have to file a tax return every year — even with no income — for CRA to calculate and continue your CCB. Both spouses must file. If you stop filing, your payments stop, because CRA recalculates the benefit each July based on the prior year's adjusted family net income.
Question: How does CCB work in a shared custody arrangement in 2026?
Answer: When a child lives roughly equally with two parents in separate households (between 40% and 60% of the time with each), CRA splits the CCB. Each parent receives 50% of the amount they would get if the child lived with them full-time, calculated on their own adjusted family net income. So two separated parents with very different incomes will receive different half-shares for the same child. If custody is not roughly equal — one parent has the child more than 60% of the time — that parent is treated as primarily responsible and receives the full benefit. You must notify CRA when a custody arrangement changes.
Question: What is the Child Disability Benefit and how much is it in 2026?
Answer: The Child Disability Benefit (CDB) is an extra, tax-free amount paid on top of the CCB for a child who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit. For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, the maximum CDB is $3,411 per year ($284.25 per month) per eligible child. It uses its own income phase-out: the maximum is paid up to an adjusted family net income of $81,222, then reduces by 3.2% of income over that threshold for one eligible child (5.7% for two or more). To receive it, the child must have an approved Form T2201 (Disability Tax Credit Certificate) on file with CRA.
Question: Do I get more CCB for a newborn, and when do payments start?
Answer: Yes — a child under 6 attracts the higher $7,997 maximum versus $6,748 for a child aged 6 to 17, so a newborn adds the larger amount to your benefit. Payments for a new child start the month after birth, provided you have applied. The fastest route is the Automated Benefits Application: when you register the birth with your province, you can consent to have the information sent to CRA, and your CCB (and the GST/HST credit) is set up automatically. Otherwise, apply through CRA My Account or by filing Form RC66. CCB is paid monthly, usually on the 20th.
Question: How does the CCB interact with provincial child benefits in Ontario in 2026?
Answer: The CCB is the federal benefit. Most provinces and territories add their own child benefits, which CRA administers and pays in the same monthly deposit. In Ontario, that is the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB), paid on top of the CCB for lower- and middle-income families with children under 18. Quebec runs its own Family Allowance separately through Retraite Québec. Because these provincial amounts are bundled into one CRA payment in most provinces, the deposit you see can be higher than the federal CCB figures shown here — check the breakdown in your CRA My Account to see the federal-versus-provincial split.
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