If a deposit from the Canada Revenue Agency shows up in your bank account on Friday, October 9, do not panic — and do not spend it wondering whether it was a mistake. It is most likely the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit, the second of three advance payments for 2026, and it is real money you do not have to pay back (as long as your tax return was filed correctly).

What this payment actually is

The Canada Workers Benefit is a refundable tax credit for people who earn working income but do not earn very much. Rather than making everyone wait until they file their annual return, the CRA pays up to half of the benefit in advance, in three installments: July, October, and January. The October 9 payment is the second one, and it is the last advance payment of this calendar year.

How much? Based on your 2025 return, a single worker can receive about $272 per payment (up to $1,633 a year); a family can receive about $469 per payment (up to $2,813 a year). There is an extra disability supplement of about $140 per payment if you hold a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate. The exact amounts depend on your income — the benefit starts phasing out once your adjusted net income passes $26,855 (single) or $30,639 (family).

Who qualifies — and the catch nobody mentions

You qualify if you earned at least $3,000 in working income in 2025 — from a job or from self-employment (freelancers, gig workers, and part-timers count too). Full-time students enrolled for more than 13 weeks generally do not qualify unless they have an eligible dependant.

There is no application. The CRA decides automatically when your return is assessed. That is the catch: if you never filed your 2025 return, you are not getting these advance payments. Every year, low-income workers who skip filing — often because they assume they owe nothing — quietly leave this money on the table.

What if you did not get a payment?

Do not assume the CRA forgot about you. The most common reasons: you did not file a 2025 return, your income was above the phase-out range, you were a full-time student, or your address and direct-deposit details were out of date. If your situation changed — income dropped, a child was born — filing your return is what triggers the benefit. The remaining half of the benefit is reconciled when you file your annual return, so late filers can still claim what they missed.

Practical tips

1. File every year, even if you earned little. Your return is the application for this benefit and several others — there is no separate form.
2. Keep your direct deposit and address current in CRA My Account so payments reach you.
3. Report self-employment income properly. Gig and freelance earnings count toward the $3,000 working-income requirement — but only if they are on your return.
4. Check your CRA My Account to see the benefit amounts the CRA calculated for you.
5. Did not file 2025? You can still file late. Your benefit will be reconciled when you do.

At TFB Tax & Bookkeeping, we file T1 personal returns from $89 and make sure workers and the self-employed claim everything they are entitled to — including benefits like this one. Contact FEIFEI at 437-879-6899 or visit taxfinbiz.com.