CRA Just Released New 2026 Tax Brackets

Paying attention to the CRA’s new tax brackets matters for every Canadian. These directly affect how much of your income you actually get to keep after all, and even small changes can impact your budget, savings goals, and investment strategy for the entire year. When brackets shift with inflation, you might move into a lower tax burden without realizing it, or you might be missing out on deductions and credits. Both could suddenly make more sense for your situation.

Knowing the updated numbers helps you avoid surprise tax bills, plan investment contributions more strategically, and make smarter decisions about things like bonuses, freelance income, or retirement withdrawals. In short, staying on top of new tax brackets isn’t about loving tax season. It’s about making sure your money works for you, not the other way around.

The new brackets

For 2026, the federal government was expected to index tax brackets upward again to reflect inflation, just as it has in recent years. This means each bracket threshold shifts higher, allowing Canadians to earn more income before moving into a higher tax rate. Even small upward adjustments help prevent “bracket creep,” where inflation pushes people into paying more tax even though their real purchasing power hasn’t improved. Here is what the CRA recently announced.

TAX BRACKET LEVEL2025 INCOME RANGE2026 INCOME RANGETAX RATE 2025TAX RATE 20261st (Lowest)Up to $57,375Up to $58,52314.5%14%2nd$57,375 – $114,750$58,523 – $117,04520.5%20.5%3rd$114,750 – $177,882$117,045 – $181,44026%26%4th$177,882 – $253,414$181,440 – $258,48229%29%5th (Highest)Over $253,414Over $258,48233%33%

Most importantly, new brackets set the tone for how Canadians should structure their investment income. Knowing whether you sit in a higher or lower bracket influences decisions about dividend income, taxable investments, timing capital gains, and maximizing tax-free accounts.

The difference between getting taxed at 20% versus 26% on investment income over decades can shape someone’s retirement outcome. By understanding the CRA’s 2026 thresholds early, investors can map out a smarter strategy to keep more of their money compounding instead of watching it get eaten away by taxes. And if you’re looking to close some income gaps, there’s one solid stock to consider.

MFC

Manulife Financial (TSX:MFC) is one of Canada’s largest insurance and wealth-management companies. It offers life insurance, group benefits, asset management, and retirement products. The dividend stock operates across Canada, the United States, and Asia, giving it a globally diversified earnings base that isn’t tied to one market.

Manulife is known for generating steady cash flow, maintaining a strong balance sheet, and paying a dependable dividend. This makes it a go-to name for defensive, long-term investors. Its scale in insurance and wealth products also gives it recurring revenue, which supports stability during economic uncertainty.

Recent earnings showed solid underlying momentum, with core earnings rising thanks to strength in Asian insurance sales, improved investment income, and ongoing progress in expense management. Manulife also continued returning capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividends while maintaining a healthy capital position. The dividend stock benefited from higher interest rates, which improve returns on the long-duration assets that support its insurance liabilities. Overall, the results reinforced Manulife’s reputation for reliability and disciplined growth.

Foolish takeaway

MFC is a strong Canadian stock to help navigate new CRA tax brackets. It delivers dependable dividend income and long-term stability while giving investors exposure to financial services that naturally align with tax planning. Many Canadians rely on insurers and wealth managers to structure portfolios and retirement strategies. These are areas where tax-bracket awareness is crucial. Holding Manulife allows investors to capture its dividend income without tax drag, while the company’s steady growth and resilient business model help preserve wealth in higher-tax environments. Even now, here’s what just $7,000 could bring in.

COMPANYRECENT PRICENUMBER OF SHARESDIVIDENDTOTAL ANNUAl PAYOUTFREQUENCYTOTAL INVESTMENTMFC$49.03142$1.76$249.92Quarterly$6,962.26

As brackets shift, a stock like MFC offers both predictability and tax-efficient income. This makes it a practical anchor for Canadians adapting to new tax realities.

The post CRA Just Released New 2026 Tax Brackets appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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More reading

• The 3 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks to Buy in December
• Got $1,000? 5 Top Canadian Stocks to Buy and Hold
• 2 No-Brainer Stocks to Buy With Less Than $1,000
• 3 Under-the-Radar Dividend Stocks With Remarkably Reliable Payouts
• Canadian Blue-Chip Superstars to Keep on Chugging in 2026

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.