Canada PRO Deposit

What is Canada PRO Deposit?

Noticed a payment hit your account that you don’t recognize? If it’s a payment labeled “Canada PRO Deposit”, you’ve received an assistance benefit payment from the government. When you receive a Canada PRO Deposit payment it’s because you’ve qualified for assistance based on your tax return.

Canada PRO are provincial benefits (the “pro” is short for “provincial”) that provide assistance to eligible low- and moderate-income earners. Available in Ontario through the Ontario Trillium Benefit and in Alberta through the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, the payments are delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to qualifying residents in these provinces. These benefits are to help with the cost of living and to provide some financial assistance.

When you filed your taxes, you may have registered for the assistance benefit or you may have been auto-enrolled based on your income or social situation. But whether you were expecting it or not, the good news is that it’s yours to keep, spend, save, or invest however you want. There’s nothing else you need to do or report. It’s yours.

Canada PRO eligibility for the 2023 benefit year (July 2023 – June 2024)

Canada PRO deposits are associated with assistance programs in Ontario and Alberta. Eligibility depends on meeting certain requirements. To see if you qualify, you can review the eligibility criteria for each benefit.

Canada PRO in Ontario

In Ontario, Canada PRO deposits are linked to the Ontario Trillium Benefit. The Ontario Trillium Benefit is broken into three credits, and you must qualify for one or more of the credits to receive the Trillium benefit. Each credit has different maximum amounts you can receive.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit

The Northern Ontario Energy Tax exists to help northern Ontarians, who pay more for energy because energy bills cost more in the north. This tax credit is only for Ontario residents living in these areas: Algoma, Rainy River, Timiskaming, Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Sudbury, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Kenora, Parry Sound.

In addition, to be eligible for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, you must meet at least one of these requirements at some point before June 1, 2024:

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Be currently or recently married or in a common-law relationship

• Be a parent who lives with or recently lived with your child

Also, in 2022, you:

• Lived in a public long-term care home in Northern Ontario where you paid some of your accommodation costs

• Rented or paid property tax on your main residence

• Lived on a reserve in Northern Ontario and paid energy bills

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) has two parts – an energy part and a property tax part – and you can apply if you are eligible for either part. To be eligible for the OEPTC, you must meet at least one of these requirements at some point before June 1, 2024:

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Be currently or recently married or in a common-law relationship

• Be a parent who lives with or recently lived with your child

Also, in 2022, you:

• Lived in a public long-term care home where paid some of your accommodation costs

• Paid property tax for your main residence

• Rented and your landlord paid property tax for your main residence

• Lived on a reserve and paid energy bills

Ontario Sales Tax Credit

To be eligible for the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, you must be an Ontario resident. You must also meet at least one of these requirements at some point before June 1, 2024:

• Be 19 years of age or older

• Be currently or recently married or in a common-law relationship

• Be a parent who lives with or recently lived with your child

Canada PRO in Alberta

To be eligible for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, you need to meet these requirements:

• Live in Alberta

• Have at least one child under the age of 18

• Have filed a tax return

• Meet the income criteria

How to apply for Canada PRO payments?

You register and qualify for Canada PRO payments (these provincial assistance benefits) when you file your taxes. This is the crucial thing – even if you don’t earn any money in a tax year, you still need to file your taxes in order to be eligible.

The ACFB and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit are automatically worked out in your tax return and automatically applied if you qualify for them. For the Northern Ontario Energy Credit and the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, you need to fill out an extra application (form ON-BEN) and submit it alongside your tax filing.

How much is paid? And when do I get it?

Ontario Trillium Benefit

If eligible for more than one of the Northern Ontario Tax Credit, the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, your benefits will be combined into one payment under the Ontario Trillium Benefit.

For the Ontario Trillium Benefit in the 2023 tax year (which is based on your 2022 tax return), Canada PRO Deposits will usually be divided into 12 installments and paid out on the 10th of each month, starting July 2023.

(You are also able to choose your benefit payment in one installment. If you request this method and your entitlement is over $360, you’ll receive your payment at the end of the benefit year on June 10, 2024. If you request this method and your entitlement is less than $360, you’ll receive it at the start of the benefit year in July 2023).

If you’re eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit and your entitlement is over $2 but less than $10, you will receive $10. If your entitlement is less than $2, you will not receive a payment.

Northern Ontario Energy Credit

If you're single, you’re eligible to receive a maximum of $172. Families can receive a maximum of $265.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit

If you’re eligible, you could receive up to:

• $1,194 if you’re 18-64 years old

• $1,360 if you’re 65 or older

• $265 if you live on a reserve or in a public long-term care home

• $25 if you lived in a designated college, university, or private school in 2022

Ontario Sales Tax Credit

If eligible, you’ll receive up to $345 as an individual. You can also receive additional $345 credits for your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children aged 18 or younger.

Alberta Child and Family Benefit

The amount you receive is based on your family’s income level and how many children you have aged under 18. The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is calculated on two scales, depending on household income. Lower income families with children can receive the base component, even if they earn no employment income. Families with employment income exceeding $2,760 can receive the working component.

ACFB payments are received from the CRA as Canada PRO Deposits in quarterly installments in August, November, February, and May. (If you’re eligible for ACFB but your quarterly payments are less than $10, your payments might be consolidated).

The maximum amounts are as follows:

Is Canada PRO Deposit taxable?

Nope! A benefit to this benefit is that they’re provided as tax-free payments. Canada PRO money in your accounts do not count as income so don’t impact your taxes. In addition, they don’t impact your eligibility for other benefits or social assistance programs.

Conclusion

A “Canada PRO Deposit” payment showing up in your account is certainly nothing to worry about. It simply means you’ve applied for or been automatically enrolled in an assistance program to help with the cost of living. Enjoy it. Use your payments in whatever way will help you and your family the most.