Government deposits on your bank statement: what they are and how to check
A deposit labelled “Canada FPT”, “Canada FED”, “Canada PRO” or something similar is often a benefit or a tax refund paid by the Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary (Canada Revenue Agency — the tax authority). The catch: your bank decides how a government deposit is shown on the statement, and no official source lists what each code means. So the label is a hint. The reliable answer is the amount and the date in CRA My Account.
This article covers the labels people most often ask about, the payments that usually sit behind them, and a check that works for any label — including the ones nobody can decode.
What the common labels usually mean
The Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary doesn’t publish statement wording, and we found no bank that does. What follows is the pattern people report seeing, not an official list:
| Label | What it usually turns out to be |
|---|---|
| Canada FPT | A CRA payment that combines federal and provincial or territorial money (“federal-provincial-territorial”), most often the Canada Child Benefit or the quarterly Groceries and Essentials Benefit |
| Canada FED | A federal benefit, such as the Canada Child Benefit or the Groceries and Essentials Benefit, at some banks |
| Canada PRO | A provincial benefit that the CRA pays on a province’s behalf, such as the Alberta Child and Family Benefit or the Ontario Trillium Benefit |
| Canada RIT | An income tax refund |
Two cautions. The same payment reportedly carries different labels at different banks. And codes like GC, GSCI or FHB/ALF also turn up in searches — we couldn’t confirm what they stand for from any official source, so we don’t guess. For those, the check further down is the answer.
The payments behind the labels
These are the government deposits a newcomer family is most likely to see. Every one of them is paid by the Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary, even when a province funds it.
| Payment | Who funds it | When it arrives (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Child Benefit (CCB) | Federal; some provincial amounts are added to the same deposit (for example, the BC Family Benefit) | Monthly, usually around the 20th (Dec 11 in December) |
| Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) | Federal; most provincial credits are combined into the same deposit | Quarterly: Jan 5, Apr 2, Jul 3, Oct 5. In 2027: Jan 5, Apr 5 |
| Alberta Child and Family Benefit | Alberta; paid separately from the CCB | Quarterly: Feb 27, May 27, Aug 27, Nov 27 |
| Ontario Trillium Benefit | Ontario; paid separately from the Groceries and Essentials Benefit | Monthly around the 10th if the yearly amount is over $500 (or, if you choose, one payment the following June); one payment in July if it’s $500 or less |
| Income tax refund | Federal | The CRA’s goal, for returns filed on time: the notice of assessment and any refund within about 2 weeks of receiving an online return, about 12 weeks for paper |
One thing all of these share: the amounts are calculated from your tax return. The CRA works out who qualifies, and for how much, from the return you file each spring — which is why filing even with little or no income matters (see First steps for newcomers).
Two payments also need an application, once:
- The Canada Child Benefit — through CRA My Account, at a newborn’s birth registration, or by mail with Form RC66 (newcomers add Schedule RC66SCH). Provincial child benefits that the CRA pays come with it; they need no separate application.
- The Groceries and Essentials Benefit, for newcomers — Form RC151 applies for it for the year you became a resident of Canada.
The fine print worth knowing
- The GST/HST credit changed its name in July 2026. It is now the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, with the same rules on who qualifies and a 25% higher amount for 2026–2031. Older bank statements, older articles and some screens in My Account may still say “GST/HST credit” — it is the same payment.
- The Canada Carbon Rebate has ended. The last regular payment was in April 2025. Some older web pages still list it as a current deposit; they are out of date. A “carbon rebate” deposit today would be unusual enough to check in My Account.
- A payment is late? Wait before calling. The Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary asks people to wait 5 working days after the payment date for the CCB and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, and 10 working days for other benefits.
- Not everything comes from the CRA. Employment Insurance (every two weeks, once your reports are processed), the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security are paid by Service Canada. You check those in My Service Canada Account, not CRA My Account.
How to check that a deposit is real
The check is the same whatever the label says:
- Sign in to Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary My Account — through canada.ca, typed into the browser yourself, never through a link in a message. Under benefits and credits it shows your payment history, the next payment date and amount; under your tax return it shows the refund status and the notice of assessment.
- Match the amount and the date. If the deposit on your statement matches a payment in My Account, it’s that payment — whatever your bank decided to call it.
- No match? Contact the CRA using the phone number listed on canada.ca — not one from an email, a text, or the caller themselves. Not sure which department sent it? The Receiver General for Canada, which issues federal payments, can identify a Government of Canada direct deposit for you at 1-800-593-1666.
- Optional: the CRA lets you sign up for a reminder about a week before each payment, so a deposit never arrives unannounced.
Direct deposit can be set up in My Account too. The CRA calls it the fastest and most secure way to receive benefits.
When a deposit comes with a message, slow down
The deposit itself is rarely the problem. The message that follows it can be. The Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary’s own scam guidance says plainly that it:
- will not send refunds or payments by e-transfer or text message;
- will never email or text you a link to your refund;
- will never demand immediate payment by e-transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid credit cards or gift cards.
And when the CRA has paid someone too much, it describes recovering the money by keeping part of future benefit payments or holding back a refund, or through a payment arrangement you set up with the CRA directly. So a call or text that says “we deposited too much — send the difference back by e-transfer” doesn’t match how the CRA says it works. “Send back the overpayment” is a classic script in overpayment scams: check My Account first, and reply to no one. More scripts, and what to do if you’ve already paid, are in How to spot financial scams.
FAQ
What does “Canada FPT” mean on my bank statement?
Most likely a Canada's tax authority — collects taxes, pays benefits, tracks account contribution room. → Glossary payment that combines federal and provincial or territorial money (“federal-provincial-territorial”) — typically the Canada Child Benefit or the Groceries and Essentials Benefit. The government doesn’t publish the label itself, so the way to be sure is to match the amount and date in CRA My Account.
What are “GC”, “GSCI” or “Canada FHB/ALF” deposits?
We couldn’t confirm what these codes stand for from any official source, and the explanations circulating online contradict each other. Whatever the code, the check is the same: find a payment with the same amount and date in CRA My Account (or My Service Canada Account for EI and pensions). If there isn’t one, call the CRA using the number on canada.ca.
Is the GST/HST credit gone?
No — it was renamed. Since July 2026 it is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, paid on the same quarterly schedule, with a higher amount for 2026–2031.
I received money I don’t recognize. Do I send it back?
Not on anyone’s instructions by phone, text or email. Check My Account first. If the CRA overpaid you, it says it recovers the money from future payments or refunds, or through an arrangement you make with the CRA directly. That is not an e-transfer to someone who contacted you.
Why didn’t I get anything?
Usually because a return hasn’t been filed or assessed yet — benefits are calculated from it — or because the Canada Child Benefit was never applied for. Newcomers often need to file for their first partial year in Canada, even with little income, and send the newcomer forms (RC66 with RC66SCH for the CCB, RC151 for the Groceries and Essentials Benefit) before the payments start.
You’ve completed the full journey — browse all articles or revisit the beginner’s path any time. The next chapter of this site: tools and calculators.