More money in your pocket: A tax break for all Canadians and the Working Canadians Rebate
November 21, 2024
Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
The past few years have been challenging. It feels like the price of everything has gone up. And while inflation is cooling and interest rates are dropping, we know that Canadians aren’t feeling that in their household budgets yet.
Our government can’t set prices at the checkout, but we can give Canadians more money in their pocket – to help them afford the things they need and save for the things they want.
Starting December 14, 2024, we’re giving a tax break to all Canadians. With a GST/HST exemption across the country, Canadians will be able to buy essentials like groceries, snacks, and kids clothing – all tax-free.
This new tax break will apply to:
- Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, pre-made meals and salads, and sandwiches.
- Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
- Snacks, including chips, candy, and granola bars.
- Beer, wine, cider, and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages below 7 per cent ABV.
- Children’s clothing and footwear, car seats, and diapers.
- Children’s toys, such as board games, dolls, and video game consoles.
- Books, print newspapers, and puzzles for all ages.
- Christmas trees.
This tax break is projected to last until February 15, 2025. By making essentially all food GST/HST free, this will deliver meaningful savings for Canadians, with real relief at the cash register.
Working Canadians will also get some cash back, with a new Working Canadians Rebate. That means Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 will see a $250 cheque in their bank account or mailbox, starting early spring 2025. With the Working Canadians Rebate, we are putting money directly into the pockets of the middle-class – those who have worked hard to beat inflation. This will give 18.7 million Canadians that extra help to buy what they need.
We encourage Parliament and all parties to get this legislation passed quickly and unanimously so workers and working families get more money in their pocket.
Families will be spending quality time together over the coming weeks. Some will light Christmas trees and buy gifts. Some will share a meal with family and friends. Some might just make hot chocolate, order some takeout, and stay in for a movie night. With today’s announcement, we’re making life a bit easier, so Canadians have more money in their pocket for the things they want.
Quotes
“Our government can’t set prices, but we can give Canadians, and especially working Canadians, more money back in their pocket. With a tax break for all Canadians and the Working Canadians Rebate, we’re making sure you can buy the things you need and save for the things you want.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“The holiday season is when expenses are highest for many Canadians and their families – even with inflation back down to 2 per cent and interest rates being cut four times this year. With new tax relief on groceries and seasonal expenses and a rebate for working Canadians, we are reducing costs when they are highest for Canadians. This is about helping you celebrate with family and friends and start 2025 with a little extra money in your bank account.”
— The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Quick Facts
- The GST/HST would be fully relieved on the supply or importation of qualifying goods for a period beginning on December 14, 2024, and ending on February 15, 2025. Further implementation details, including all qualifying goods, are available here.
- Canadians who have claimed tax credits for Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan contributions or for Employment Insurance (EI) or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) premiums, and those who reported income from EI or QPIP benefits, with individual net income below $150,000 in 2023, would be eligible for the Working Canadians Rebate. Eligible Canadians would begin receiving the payments starting in spring 2025. More information on the rebate is available here.
- The government is focused on making life more affordable for Canadians, with actions that are already saving families and individuals thousands of dollars a year, including:
- A new National School Food Program, with $1 billion over five years to provide meals for up to 400,000 more kids each year, ensuring all children have the food they need to have the best start in life, regardless of their family circumstances. The Program is expected to save the average participating family with two children $800 per year in grocery costs, with lower-income families benefitting the most.
- More money through the Canada Child Benefit, to help with the costs of raising children and make a real difference in the lives of children in Canada. The Canada Child Benefit, which is providing up to nearly $8,000 per child in 2024-25, is indexed annually to keep up with the cost of living and has helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty since its launch in 2016.
- Saving families up to $14,300 per child, per year, with the Canada-wide $10-a-day child care system, which has already cut fees for regulated child care to an average of $10-a-day or less in over half of all provinces and territories and by 50 per cent or more in all others.
- Saving families about $730 per year with the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which is already available for children under 18, with family incomes under $90,000, because no one should have to choose between taking care of their kids’ teeth and putting food on the table.
Related Products
- More money in your pocket: A tax break for all Canadians
- More money in your pocket: The Working Canadians Rebate
November 21, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
Prime Minister Trudeau congratulated Prime Minister Suminwa on her appointment last April, making her the first woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo to hold this position. He underscored Canada’s commitment to reinforcing its partnership with the Democratic Republic of Congo by building on our close people-to-people ties and to continue strengthening bilateral relations, including the importance of promoting education in French in both countries.
Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed that Canada will increase its activities in Africa, with a focus on economic co-operation. The leaders also discussed investment opportunities in the mining, energy, infrastructure, information technology, and agriculture sectors.
The two leaders shared their concern for the steadily deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in its eastern region. The Prime Minister expressed his support for continuing the ongoing negotiations within the framework of the Luanda Process in order to find a lasting solution to the conflict in the eastern region of the country.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Suminwa agreed to remain in close and regular contact.
Associated Link
November 19, 2024
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Threats and challenges cross borders, oceans, and continents – leaving long-term impacts on economies, the environment, choices at the grocery shelves, and prices at the checkout counter. Shared challenges require shared solutions.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today concluded his participation at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he worked with other leaders to solve pressing global challenges while securing security and stability for Canada. The G20 Summit tackled key priorities this year, including alleviating global hunger and poverty, investing in clean energy, and ensuring greater economic participation for at-risk communities.
To advance action on these priorities, the Prime Minister secured Canada’s participation in two key global partnerships. Canada will be a part of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a key initiative under Brazil’s G20 Presidency. The initiative, which will bring industry, government, and development banks together, will result in countries working closer together to tackle malnutrition, including against the rapidly increasing threat of climate change on food insecurity. Canada will also play a key role in the Global Clean Power Alliance, a United Kingdom-led initiative aiming to boost global investment in clean energy and help countries move away from fossil fuels.
Throughout the Summit, the Prime Minister participated in various G20 working sessions where he advanced progress on global peace and security, with a focus on Ukraine and the Middle East. He condemned Russia’s unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which marked 1,000 days on November 19, 2024, and reiterated Canada’s steadfast support for the Ukrainian government and people. He also reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to working with G20 host country Brazil and other allies and international partners, including within the G7 and G20, to promote security and stability for people around the world.
At the Summit, the Prime Minister announced over $68 million in new investments to crack down on organized crime and drug smuggling, support climate action and conservation, and protect more women and girls – while increasing their participation in the economy.
This includes:
- Close to $24 million to stop drug and human trafficking into Canada, strengthen multinational law enforcement capacity to prevent money laundering, bolster resources to respond to threats from organized crime and terrorists, increase collaboration with international security organizations, and enhance the capacities of international airports in Latin America and the Caribbean to deter and detect the shipment of illicit drugs.
- Over $25 million to help restore global biodiversity, support measures to alleviate malnutrition, work with farmers in climate-stressed regions to support conservation efforts, and enhance food security in regions most affected.
- Over $19 million to support women and girls in Latin America by preventing discrimination and violence, helping more women participate in conservation efforts and land and water resource management, and improving health services for at-risk women, including Indigenous women.
Sustainable development was a driving force at the G20 Summit. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through his role as Co-Chair of the UN SDGs Advocates group. He participated in Global Citizen NOW, where he joined other leaders in government and industry to spur global action to achieve the SDGs. Finally, the Prime Minister endorsed a Leaders’ Declaration reaffirming Canada’s commitment to work with its G20 partners to make life better for people around the world.
The Prime Minister stressed that our shared challenges will have a direct impact on people worldwide, especially on workers, working families, and young people. To deter these challenges and find meaning solutions, we must work together and invest in progress. He highlighted Canada’s ongoing work to bring down inflation, create more jobs, build more homes, and ensure that economic growth is felt by the middle class.
Quote
“Shared challenges require shared solutions. At the G20 Summit in Brazil, I announced new action to crack down on drug trafficking, fight climate change, create well-paying jobs, and ensure stability and security for Canadians. Our government is focused on making life better, fairer, and safer for you.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts
- While in Rio de Janeiro, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer.
- This was the 10th G20 Leaders’ Summit attended by Prime Minister Trudeau. It followed his participation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru.
- The G20 is an important platform to discuss global economic, financial, and trade policy issues. G20 members are the world’s major economies and represent all inhabited continents, with 80 per cent of the world GDP, 75 per cent of global trade, and 60 per cent of the world’s population.
- The G20 includes the African Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Spain, Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates were invited by Brazil to participate in the G20 as guests this year.
- South Africa will assume the Presidency of the G20 in 2025, under the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainable Development”.
- Officially launched during the Summit, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty will bring together governments, international organizations, research institutes, and other partners to support ambitious global action to eradicate hunger and poverty. Canada issued a Statement of Commitment underlining its contributions to the Alliance, particularly in the areas of financing support and knowledge sharing.
- Canada and Brazil enjoy a multifaceted relationship grounded in shared democratic values, a commitment to human rights, and co-operation in global and regional security, environmental protection, and sustainable growth. Our countries work together in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the G20, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations.
- Brazil is the second-largest economy in the Americas (after the U.S.) and the ninth-largest economy in the world. It is Canada’s third-largest trading partner in the Americas after the U.S. and Mexico. Bilateral merchandise trade totalled $13.3 billion in 2023.
- Brazil continues to grow in global significance, with a population of over 210 million people, rich natural resources including oil, critical minerals, and agriculture, as well as industrial strengths such as aerospace, chemicals, and food products. Brazil is the main custodian of the Amazon rainforest and is home to the most biodiversity in the world.
- In 2015, Canada joined all United Nations (UN) member states in adopting ambitious goals for sustainable development, as outlined in Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda centres on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encompassing the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Taken together, the SDGs aim to improve the lives of all people, while protecting the planet.
- In 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau was named Co-Chair of the UN SDG Advocates group by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. SDG Advocates work to raise global awareness of the SDGs and of the need for accelerated action by using their respective platforms. Prime Minister Trudeau is also Co-Chair of the SDG Stimulus Leaders group.
Related Products
- Backgrounder: Prime Minister announces key investments to strengthen G20 partnerships and support shared priorities
- Statement of Commitment to the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of the United States of America Joe Biden
Associated Links
- Prime Minister to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Leaders’ Summit
- Canada and the G20
- G20 Brasil 2024
- Canada-Brazil relations
- Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
November 19, 2024
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer, on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The leaders discussed issues of shared interest. Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to working with the United States of America and other allies and international partners to promote security and stability for people around the world.
The prime ministers underscored their unwavering support for Ukraine as it resists Russia’s unjustifiable war of aggression. The two leaders also expressed their concern about the conflict in the Middle East, stressed the need for de-escalation in the region, and emphasized the importance of promoting peace and security.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Starmer agreed to stay in close contact as they continue to advance shared priorities. They looked forward to future opportunities to connect.
Associated Links
- Canada-United Kingdom relations
- Canada and the G20
- Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Canada’s response to the crisis in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
- Prime Minister to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Leaders’ Summit
November 22, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on National Housing Day:
“Canada’s housing market just hasn’t been working. Ask anyone you know, and they’ll say it hasn’t worked for decades. Put simply, the cost to build homes is too high, and the time it takes to finish projects is too long.
“So, the federal government is fixing it, starting by making it easier to build homes faster. The Housing Accelerator Fund is a transformative program that partners with communities across the country to speed-up housing construction. It does this by incentivizing municipalities to speed up approvals, remove red tape, and unlock faster development. This helps build more homes near transit and schools and allows greater density. We’ve already signed 178 agreements across the country to fast-track more than 750,000 homes, and earlier this year, we topped up the Fund to build over 12,000 new homes.
“We’re not stopping there. The Affordable Housing Fund is helping build new affordable homes while renovating and repairing existing ones. Through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, we’re helping builders create the housing supply Canadians need. By enhancing the Home Buyers’ Plan, first-time home buyers are able to save up more money for their down payment, faster. To protect renters’ rights, we introduced a Blueprint for a Renters’ Bill of Rights, to protect tenants from unfair rent hikes, renovictions, and bad landlords. And to reduce chronic homelessness in Canada, we’re creating supportive environments and delivering essential services to those in need, including through the Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. These are only some of the actions we’re taking to solve the housing crisis.
“All of this is part of Canada’s Housing Plan, our ambitious blueprint to build millions more homes. On National Housing Day, we keep this work going. There’s more to do.”
