When you arrive in Quebec, you mostly think about the taxes you'll pay — but the government also pays money out to people with modest incomes. Two credits are especially worth knowing: the solidarity tax credit (provincial) and the GST/HST credit (federal). These are payments, not theoretical deductions.
The solidarity credit. Paid by Revenu Québec, it has three components: one tied to the QST, one tied to housing, and one for residents of northern villages. To qualify you must live in Quebec and be 18 or over on December 31 of the year before the payment period — but there is a third condition many newcomers miss: you (or your spouse) must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person, or hold temporary resident status and have lived in Canada for the past 18 months, per Revenu Québec. In other words, a student or temporary worker who has just arrived is not eligible yet. The amount depends on your income and family situation, and the credit decreases above a certain income threshold.
How to claim it. The solidarity credit is claimed on your provincial income tax return (TP-1), through Schedule D. In other words, you have to file a Quebec return every year to keep receiving it — even if you have little or no income. Signing up for direct deposit is required, not merely advisable: without it, Revenu Québec does not consider your claim complete.
The GST/HST credit — now the CGEB. Paid quarterly by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), it helps low- and modest-income individuals and families offset part of the sales tax they pay. Generally, you must be a resident of Canada and 19 or older (or have a spouse, or be the parent of a child you live with). Update: as of July 2026, this credit is replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), boosted by 25% — an increase that holds from 2026 to 2031, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. Eligibility rules and the calculation stay the same — see our article on the CGEB.
Newcomers: don't wait. Normally, the CRA determines your eligibility from your income tax return. But a newcomer may not have filed a return yet. That's why the CRA provides Form RC151, to fill out as soon as you become a resident of Canada, so you can receive the CGEB without waiting for your first return, per the CRA. If you have children under 19, you must send RC151 and Form RC66, on paper, with proof of birth — the online form is for households with no children.
Good to know for newcomers. The winning habit: file your returns (federal and provincial) every year, even on a low income, and sign up for direct deposit. That's what triggers and maintains these payments. For your very first federal credit, Form RC151 saves you from waiting more than a year. Always check the up-to-date amounts and thresholds on the official Revenu Québec and CRA websites.
