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Quebec Maternity Leave Calculator 2026 (QPIP)

Estimate your Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits: maternity, paternity and shared parental weeks, under the basic or special plan.

2026 rates · verified Oct 21–23, 2026

Your details

Of 32

Your family’s QPIP benefits

Before tax · about $30,961 after tax

Birth parent: 42 weeks$26,850
Other parent: 17 weeks$11,660
Estimated income tax−$7,549
After tax$30,961
  • Birth parent, maternity at 70%: 18 × $700
  • Birth parent, shareable at 70%: 7 × $700
  • Birth parent, shareable at 55%: 17 × $550
  • Other parent, paternity at 70%: 5 × $808
  • Other parent, shareable at 55%: 8 × $635
  • Other parent, additional at 55%: 4 × $635

Bonus: 4 more weeks at 55% when each parent takes at least 8 shareable weeks. This split qualifies.

Your inputs

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How this is calculated

  1. Weekly income: salary ÷ 52, counting no more than the 2026 maximum insurable earnings of $103,000. QPIP uses the average of the last 26 weeks of your qualifying period; with steady pay the result is the same.
  2. Weekly benefit: a percentage of that income, depending on the plan and the type of week (table below), rounded to the dollar. We found no published rounding rule for individual amounts, so treat these as estimates.
  3. Weeks: the birth parent gets the maternity weeks, the other parent the paternity weeks. Shareable weeks are paid in order: in the basic plan the first 7 at 70%, then 25 at 55%. We give the birth parent their shareable weeks first, right after maternity.
  4. Additional weeks are added when each parent takes at least 8 (basic) or 6 (special) shareable weeks.
  5. Tax: QPIP benefits are taxable. For each parent we add the benefits to their usual pay for the rest of the year (salary × the weeks not on leave ÷ 52) and work out the extra 2026 federal and Quebec tax.
QPIP benefits for a birth, 2026
BenefitBasic planSpecial plan
Maternity (birth parent)18 weeks at 70%15 weeks at 75%
Paternity (other parent)5 weeks at 70%3 weeks at 75%
Shareable7 at 70%, then 25 at 55%25 weeks at 75%
Additional shareable4 at 55% (each parent ≥ 8 shareable weeks)3 at 75% (each parent ≥ 6)
Most a weekabout $1,387 at 70%, $1,089 at 55%about $1,486

Worked example: sharing the basic plan

The birth parent earns $52,000 ($1,000 a week) and the other parent $60,000 (1,153.85 a week). They choose the basic plan, and the birth parent takes 24 of the 32 shareable weeks.

QPIP compared with EI

Outside Quebec, the same birth parent on $52,000 would get EI maternity and standard parental benefits of $27,500 over 50 weeks, at 55% up to $729 a week. Taking the whole basic plan alone, QPIP pays $31,250 over 50 weeks. The gap grows with income: EI counts pay up to $68,900, QPIP up to $103,000. See theEI maternity leave calculator for the rest of Canada.

What this calculator assumes

Frequently asked questions

How much is QPIP maternity pay in 2026?

Under the basic plan, maternity benefits are 70% of your average weekly income for 18 weeks; under the special plan, 75% for 15 weeks. QPIP counts income up to $103,000 a year, so the most you can get is about $1,387 a week (basic) or $1,486 (special). On $52,000, that’s $700 or $750 a week.

Should we choose the basic or the special plan?

The basic plan is longer with lower pay; the special plan is shorter with higher pay. For one parent on $52,000, basic pays $31,250 over 50 weeks and special pays $30,000 over 40 weeks. Both parents must use the same plan, and the first parent to apply chooses it.

How do the additional shareable weeks work?

If both parents take enough shareable weeks, you get more: 4 extra weeks at 55% under the basic plan once each parent has had at least 8 shareable weeks, or 3 extra weeks at 75% under the special plan once each has had at least 6. This calculator gives them to the other parent; you can split them either way.

How is my average weekly income calculated?

For employees, Québec.ca says the benefit is based on the average of your insurable earnings from the last 26 weeks of your qualifying period, unless an exception applies. With steady pay, that’s your yearly salary ÷ 52. Income above $103,000 a year ($1,981 a week) isn’t counted.

Who qualifies for QPIP?

As an employee, you need at least $2,000 of insurable earnings in your qualifying period, however many hours you worked. You must have stopped working, or your usual weekly pay must have dropped by at least 40%, and you must live in Quebec when your benefit period starts.

Is QPIP taxable?

Yes. QPIP benefits are taxable income, and tax is taken off each payment using the Quebec and federal basic personal amounts. You get an RL-6 slip for your Quebec return. If you also worked part of the year, the tax taken off may not be enough, so check at filing time.

How does QPIP compare with EI maternity leave?

QPIP pays a higher share of a higher maximum income. Outside Quebec, EI pays 55% up to $729 a week; QPIP’s basic plan pays 70% up to about $1,387. For a birth parent on $52,000 taking the full leave alone, EI (standard) pays $27,500 over 50 weeks; QPIP’s basic plan pays $31,250 over 50 weeks.

Rates for tax year 2026, verified to · Page updated

Sources