Families raising children in Nova Scotia can receive a tax-free monthly deposit that combines the federal Canada Child Benefit with the provincial Nova Scotia Child Benefit, both paid out by the Canada Revenue Agency. For the benefit year running July 2025 through June 2026, the federal portion alone pays up to $7,997 per year for each child under six and up to $6,748 for each child aged six through seventeen.1Government of Canada. Canada Child Benefit – How Much You Can Get Lower-income households receive an additional provincial top-up. One application and one annual tax return trigger both.
How Much You Can Receive
The Federal Portion
The CCB is calculated from your adjusted family net income (AFNI), the number of children in your care, and each child’s age. For July 2025 to June 2026, the maximum amounts per child are:
- Under age 6: $7,997 per year, or $666.41 per month
- Ages 6 through 17: $6,748 per year, or $562.33 per month
Families with an AFNI below $37,487 receive the full amount. Above that threshold, the benefit is reduced on a sliding scale that depends on how many children you have: 7% of income above $37,487 for one child, 13.5% for two, 19% for three, and 23% for four or more. A second, steeper reduction kicks in once AFNI passes $81,222.1Government of Canada. Canada Child Benefit – How Much You Can Get
The Nova Scotia Child Benefit
The provincial supplement targets low and modest-income families. Based on the most recent published rates, the NSCB pays up to $1,525 per year for each child when adjusted family net income is below $26,000. Between $26,000 and $33,999, the first child still receives $1,525 per year and each additional child receives $762.50. At $34,000 or above, the NSCB generally does not apply.2Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. Nova Scotia Child Benefit
There is no separate application. When you apply for the federal CCB or file your annual return, the CRA checks your eligibility for the NSCB and folds it into your monthly deposit.3Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit – How to Apply
Nova Scotia also pays a separate quarterly Affordable Living Tax Credit alongside the federal GST/HST credit. It is not part of the child benefit and is not tied to whether you have children.
Who Qualifies
To receive the CCB you must live with a child under 18 and be primarily responsible for that child’s care and upbringing. You or your spouse or common-law partner must also be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person with a positive decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board.4Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit – Who Can Apply
Temporary residents can qualify only after living in Canada for the previous 18 consecutive months and holding a valid permit in the 19th month that does not carry a “does not confer status” restriction.4Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit – Who Can Apply
For the provincial NSCB, you must be a resident of Nova Scotia for tax purposes. Move out of the province and the provincial portion stops; the federal CCB continues as long as you remain eligible and live somewhere in Canada.
File Both Tax Returns Every Year
This is where families most often lose their payments without warning. You and your spouse or common-law partner must each file an income tax return every year, even if one of you had no income. The CRA needs both returns to calculate combined family net income, and if either is missing, payments stop.5Canada Revenue Agency. Keep Getting Your Payments – Canada Child Benefit A nil return takes minutes.
Shared Custody
When a child lives with each parent at least 40% of the time (roughly three days a week or an alternating-week schedule), the CRA treats it as shared custody. Both parents should apply, and each receives 50% of the amount calculated on their own household income. A parent who has the child less than 40% of the time is generally not entitled to any share of the CCB for that child; the other parent receives the full amount.4Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit – Who Can Apply Report custody changes promptly so the CRA can adjust.
How to Apply
For a newborn, the fastest route is the Automated Benefits Application at birth registration. Nova Scotia parents can consent to share the birth registration details directly with the CRA, which removes the need to file a separate application or send proof of birth.6Canada Revenue Agency. How to Apply for Child and Family Benefits When Registering the Birth of Your Newborn With the Automated Benefits Application
For older children, families new to Canada, or households that recently moved into Nova Scotia, apply online through CRA My Account or mail Form RC66, the Canada Child Benefits Application. The form covers the federal and provincial programs in one submission.7Canada Revenue Agency. RC66 Canada Child Benefit Application Includes Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Programs You will need Social Insurance Numbers for both spouses or partners and proof of birth for any child the CRA has not previously paid benefits for. Non-citizens should include documentation of legal status, such as a permanent resident card or protected person papers.
Online submissions through My Account are processed faster than paper. The CRA does not publish a guaranteed turnaround for either. Once your file is assessed, a notice of determination sets out your approved amount or asks for more documents.
When Payments Arrive
Payments are monthly and the federal CCB and NSCB land as a single deposit. Direct deposit makes funds available on the payment date; mailed cheques take longer. Most months the payment falls on the 20th. A few 2026 dates shift earlier:8Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit Payment Dates
- January through May: the 20th
- June: June 19
- July and August: the 20th
- September: September 18
- October and November: the 20th
- December: December 11
Amounts are recalculated every July using the prior year’s tax return. A raise, a job loss, or a family change in 2025 will show up in your payments starting July 2026.5Canada Revenue Agency. Keep Getting Your Payments – Canada Child Benefit The July recalculation also moves any child who has just turned six from the under-6 maximum to the lower 6-through-17 rate.
Extra Support for a Child With a Disability
If your child under 18 qualifies for the disability tax credit, you may receive the Child Disability Benefit on top of the CCB. For July 2025 to June 2026, the maximum CDB is $3,411 per year, or $284.25 per month, per eligible child.9Canada Revenue Agency. Child Disability Benefit It is income-tested and begins reducing once adjusted family net income passes $81,222. The child must first be approved for the disability tax credit through a separate application that includes a medical practitioner’s certification. Once the DTC is in place, the CDB is added to your monthly CCB automatically.
Changes You Must Report
The CRA expects you to report life changes as they happen, not at tax time. Waiting is how overpayments build up, and the CRA will recover every dollar.
- Marital status: report a separation, divorce, marriage, or start of a common-law relationship by the end of the month following the change. A separation in March must be reported by the end of April.10Canada Revenue Agency. Update Your Personal Information With the CRA
- A child leaves your care: if a child moves out or begins living with the other parent, tell the CRA right away.11Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit
- Death of a child or a recipient: call the benefits enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193 as soon as possible, and do not cash any payments issued after the date of death.12Canada Revenue Agency. Notify the CRA of a Date of Death
- Address or province: moving out of Nova Scotia ends the provincial NSCB. Your new province may run its own supplement.
If the CRA determines you were overpaid, you receive a notice with a remittance voucher for the balance. The agency recovers what is owed by withholding future CCB payments, tax refunds, or GST/HST credits until the debt is cleared. CCB withholdings can only be used to recover CCB overpayments, not other tax debts.13Canada Revenue Agency. Balance Owing – Benefits Overpayment If repayment would cause serious hardship, call 1-888-863-8662 to set up a payment arrangement.
If You Disagree With a Decision
If your notice of determination is wrong, or your application was denied, you have 90 days from the date on the notice to file a formal notice of objection.14Canada Revenue Agency. Resolving Your Dispute – Objection Rights Under the Income Tax Act Call the benefits enquiries line first; many problems trace back to a missing tax return or mismatched personal information, and a phone call resolves them faster than a formal dispute. The 90-day deadline is strict, so if it is approaching, file the objection to protect the deadline and continue working with the CRA in parallel.