The “cash is king” era is ending. With the Bank of Canada cutting policy rates to 2.25% in October, returns on Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) and high-interest savings accounts are losing their lustre going into 2026. Rotating into bond proxies like real estate investment trusts (REITs) and income funds is a smart idea for passive-income-oriented investors. These two asset classes, once hammered by high borrowing costs, are coiled for a recovery. If you have $7,000 in contribution room for 2025, Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (TSX:AD.UN) and Granite REIT (TSX:GRT.UN) are two top Canadian dividend stocks to buy in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) right now.
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Why the TFSA is essential for income funds
The TFSA is a perfect home for Canadian REITs and income trusts. Unlike standard Canadian stocks that pay “eligible dividends,” which receive a tax credit in non-registered accounts, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) often taxes REITs and income fund distributions as ordinary income at your marginal rate.
This tax drag can significantly reduce the compound growth of your portfolio over time. By locating these assets in your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), you shield that income completely from the CRA. With the 2025 contribution limit set at $7,000, you have a fresh opportunity to lock in high yields before the year ends, and prices rise.
Let’s take a closer look at the two TFSA stocks to buy now.
Alaris Equity Partners: A 7.1% yield your TFSA loves
Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust recently announced a massive 9% distribution increase and a record net book value in its third-quarter 2025 results. The trust is essentially a private equity player providing capital to family-owned businesses that are already cash-flowing and profitable. These partners usually seek capital for growth or generational transfers without wanting to give up control of their companies.
In exchange for this capital, Alaris usually receives preferred equity that pays monthly distributions. These payouts are set a year in advance and adjust annually based on the partner’s top-line performance metrics, such as revenue or same-store sales. This structure creates a predictable stream of cash flow to fund regular dividends.
The income fund’s dividend is well covered by distributable cash flow. With a low payout ratio of just 54.4% for the first nine months of 2025, the payout was well below management’s target range of 65% to 70%, prompting a 9% dividend raise for 2026 to $0.37 per unit every quarter.
Currently yielding 7.1%, Alaris Equity Partners is a compelling candidate for Canadian dividend stocks to buy in a TFSA. Units currently trade at a 23.6% discount to their most recent net book value of $20.10.
Holding Alaris Equity Partners stock in a taxable account can be a nightmare during the tax season. The high-yield distributions are complex, often splitting into return of capital, eligible dividends, trust income, and capital gains each year. Inside a TFSA, you avoid these calculations entirely and simply enjoy the juicy quarterly income.
Granite REIT: Safe monthly income distributions from real estate
Granite REIT offers industrial real estate portfolio strength and long-term distribution reliability to investors seeking “sleep-well-at-night” passive-income options. The industrial REIT owns and manages a massive portfolio of over 60 million square feet of logistics, warehouse, and industrial properties across Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Granite stands out due to its rock-solid balance sheet and operational performance. The trust recently reported a 100-basis-point sequential growth in occupancy rates to 96.8%, with an average lease term of 5.5 years. It’s reporting double-digit rent growth on re-leasing space, and it maintains a low debt ratio of 35%, providing wide room to grow its portfolio in a low-interest-rate environment without damaging its balance sheet.
The trust announced a 4.4% distribution hike in November, which implies a forward yield of roughly 4.6% for 2026 at current prices. The trust paid out only 65% of its adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) during the first nine months of 2025. The distribution looks well covered by distributable cash flow. With management forecasting an AFFO per unit growth of 4% to 5% in 2025, investors may expect another distribution hike in 2026.
Granite REIT has raised its monthly distributions every year for 15 consecutive years now. It’s growing its investors’ TFSA income every year.
