Today in Thunder Bay the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, the Honourable Patty Hajdu highlighted the government’s plan to put more money in Canadians’ pockets.

“The holiday season often comes with additional expenses for families. This year, even as inflation has eased to 2 per cent and interest rates have been reduced four times, we know the need for support remains. We’re providing targeted tax relief on groceries and holiday essentials, along with a $250 rebate for working Canadians. These measures are about easing the burden, so you can focus on celebrating with loved ones and begin the new year with a little more financial peace of mind.”

- The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

• 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 details on the qualifying goods are available here.

  • A family spending $2,000 on qualifying goods, such as children’s clothing, shoes and toys, diapers, books, snacks for the house, or restaurant meals would pay $100 less GST over the two-month period.
  • In provinces where the HST will also be removed from qualifying goods (Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island), Canadians will save even more on tax. In Ontario, a family spending $2,000 on the same qualifying purchases would pay $260 less HST over the two-month period.

• 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 early spring 2025.

• 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 $14,3000 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

• News Release: More money in your pocket—A tax break for all Canadians and the Working Canadians Rebate
• Backgrounder: A Tax Break on Groceries and Holiday Essentials

Jennifer Kozelj
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor
jennifer.kozelj@sac-isc.gc.ca