OAS GIS Calculator Canada 2026

How Canada's OAS and GIS Work in 2026

Old Age Security (OAS) is a monthly, taxable benefit from the Government of Canada available to most people aged 65 or older who meet residency rules. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a non-taxable, income-tested top-up paid on top of OAS for low-income seniors. Together, OAS and GIS form the federal "pillar 1" of Canada's retirement income system, separate from CPP (which is contribution-based) and personal savings like RRSP or TFSA. For the second quarter of 2026, the maximum monthly OAS is approximately $727.67 for ages 65-74 and $800.44 for ages 75 and over, reflecting the permanent 10% boost introduced in July 2022.

OAS is funded from general federal tax revenue, not from payroll contributions. Eligibility depends on legal residency in Canada after age 18. Forty years of residency qualifies you for the full OAS pension; fewer years produce a partial pension calculated as years/40 of the maximum. You must have at least 10 years of residency after 18 to collect OAS inside Canada, and 20 years to collect it abroad. GIS, by contrast, is only paid to OAS recipients whose income falls below specific thresholds that vary by marital status.

OAS Clawback (Recovery Tax) — When the Government Takes OAS Back

The OAS recovery tax, commonly called the "clawback," reduces or eliminates your OAS pension when your net world income exceeds the minimum income threshold. For the 2026 tax year, clawback begins at $93,454 of net income and completes (full claw of regular OAS) at approximately $151,668 for those aged 65-74. The recovery rate is 15% of every dollar of income above the threshold. If your net income is $110,000, for example, the clawback is 15% × ($110,000 − $93,454) = $2,482 per year, or about $207/month deducted from your OAS.

Strategies to reduce or avoid the clawback include income splitting with a spouse, drawing from a TFSA (which does not count toward net income), timing RRSP-to-RRIF conversions carefully, and deferring OAS to age 70 so the clawback starts later and the higher base pension absorbs more income before being fully clawed. The clawback thresholds are indexed to inflation and updated each year. For age 75+ recipients, the full clawback threshold is slightly higher because their base OAS is 10% larger.

Should You Take OAS at 65 or Defer to 70?

You can start OAS as early as age 65 or defer up to age 70 for a permanent increase of 0.6% per month — a total bonus of 36% at exactly age 70. A standard $727.67/month pension at 65 becomes $989.63/month at 70, for life, indexed to inflation every quarter. Unlike CPP, you cannot start OAS before 65. The break-even age for OAS deferral is approximately 83-84: if you live past that age, you collect more total OAS by waiting until 70. Deferral often makes sense for healthy retirees with other income sources who would otherwise see their OAS partially clawed back in the 65-69 period.

Deferral does not, however, work well if you qualify for GIS. GIS is only paid while you receive OAS, so deferring OAS also defers GIS — and GIS does not accumulate any bonus for waiting. Low-income seniors should almost always take OAS and GIS at 65. Higher-income retirees close to or above the clawback threshold benefit most from delaying to 70. The interaction with CPP, workplace pensions, and RRIF minimum withdrawals (which start the year you turn 72) should also shape your decision.

Last updated: April 2026 — uses Q2 2026 OAS/GIS rates published by Service Canada.