CRA: RESP contribution room history
Available via CRA MyAccount for the subscriber. Useful for confirming unused CESG room before a catch-up contribution.
CRA: MyAccount →Stage · Saving for post-secondary education in Canada
Contribute: maximize CESG and provincial matches
CESG matches 20% of the first $2,500 contributed per beneficiary per year. Missing a year means losing $500 of match that you can only partially recover. The mechanical default is $2,500 every year from birth to age 17. Households below income thresholds get additional federal and provincial layers on top.
What to do this week
- Automate $208/month ($2,500/year) to the RESP. Match the CESG's $500/year annual cap without overshooting.
- If catching up missed years, contribute up to $5,000 in a single year to claim up to $1,000 of CESG match (current year plus one prior year).
- For Quebec residents, confirm QESI is flowing automatically (10% on first $2,500, up to $250/year).
- For BC-born children after 2006, apply for the one-time $1,200 BCTESG between ages 6 and 9. Missing the window means losing the grant.
- Check family net income against the Additional CESG threshold. Lower-income households receive 10 or 20 percentage points of additional match on the first $500 of annual contributions.
What to avoid
- Contributing more than $2,500 per year unless catching up. Extra contributions earn no additional CESG match that year and reduce flexibility.
- Skipping the catch-up rule. Unused CESG room carries forward; a $5,000 contribution in a catch-up year claims two years of $500 match.
- Naming a child over age 17 as beneficiary expecting CESG. Match stops at age 17 for most cases. Age 16 and 17 have special conditions; consult ESDC guidance before making large deposits in those years.
- Contributing past the $50,000 lifetime limit. Triggers 1% per month penalty on the excess until withdrawn.
Calculators for this stage
Forms to file at this stage
Frequently asked
How does CESG catch-up work?
Unused CESG room carries forward. In a single year you can contribute up to $5,000 and claim up to $1,000 of CESG match (the current year's $500 plus one prior year's unused $500). You cannot claim more than two years of catch-up in a single year.
What is Additional CESG?
A second layer of CESG match for lower-income families. 2026 thresholds: families with net income below roughly $56,000 get an extra 20% on the first $500 of contributions; families between $56,000 and $111,000 get an extra 10% on the first $500. Applied automatically if the RESP provider submits the correct forms.
Can I redirect CESG between siblings?
Yes, in a family RESP. CESG can be used by any beneficiary in the plan within the match per-beneficiary cap. Individual plans do not permit sibling redirection of grants.
What happens if I over-contribute?
Over-contribution above $50,000 lifetime per beneficiary triggers a 1% per month tax on the excess until it is withdrawn. Simple to fix via a contribution withdrawal (which reduces subscriber contribution room but is otherwise tax-free).
Next stage
Withdraw: Educational Assistance Payments and contributions →