Canada Pro is a deposit made to qualified Ontario and Alberta residents. Depending on where you reside, receiving such a deposit means that you’re qualified for OTB or ACFB.
In this Canada Pro Deposit comprehensive Guide, I provide information on all you need to know about the Canada Pro including deposit, eligibility, and more.
What is Canada Pro Deposit?
Canada Pro deposit is a Child and Family Benefit Payment made by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to eligible Ontario residents. It consists of Ontario Trillium Benefits (OTB) for Ontario residents.
Who is Eligible for the Canada Pro Payment in 2021?
To be eligible for a Canada Pro deposit, you must be a resident of Ontario and qualify for at least one of the following tax credits:
- Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)
- Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)
- Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)
On the other hand, if you’re an Alberta resident, all you need is to apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
What is the Ontario Trillium Benefit?
The OTB is a three-in-one payment to low-medium-income Ontarian taxpayers that is non-taxable.
This benefit aims to cover Ontarians’ cost of energy, property and sales tax.
Here are the three credit components of the OTB:
- Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)
- Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)
- Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)
To learn more about the Ontario Trillium Benefit, click here.
What is the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC)?
The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) is a relief benefit for energy and property sales taxes paid to low-medium-income Ontarians.
Because the OEPCT consists of two components (energy and property), you need to qualify for one component to get paid.
To qualify for the OEPTC, you must be an Ontario resident. Also, you must have:
- Rent or property tax
- Long-term care cost
- Home energy costs
- A residence in a designated private school, university or college in Ontario.
What is the Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC)?
This refers to a benefit that serves as a relief for the cost of energy in North Ontario.
To qualify for the NOEC, you must be a Northern Ontario resident. You must also have:
- Rent or property tax in Northern Ontario
- Long-term care cost in Northern Ontario
- Home energy costs in Northern Ontario
What is the Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC)?
This refers to a benefit that covers the sales tax cost of low-medium-income Ontarians.
However, among all the components of OTB, the OSTC is the only component that requires no application.
So to qualify for the OSTC, all you need is to file your income tax and benefit return.
Once you meet the qualifications, you will be notified.
What is the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)?
As mentioned earlier, Alberta residents who applied for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) can receive the Canada Pro deposit.
So what is CCB? This refers to a non-taxable payment to qualified Canadian families.
Ultimately, the CCB aims to help Canadian families cover the cost of raising their children under the age of 18.
According to the CRA, this benefit may include the Child Disability Benefit and other provincial and territorial programs.
Thus, to qualify for the CCB, you must:
- Be a Canadian resident
- Live with a child that’s under the age of 18.
- Be the primary person responsible for the upbringing and care of the child.
Here are the 2021 payment dates for Canada Child Benefit:
- January 20, 2021
- February 19, 2021
- March 19, 2021
- April 20, 2021
- May 20, 2021
- June 18, 2021
- July 20, 2021
- August 20, 2021
- September 20, 2021
- October 20, 2021
- November 19, 2021
- December 13, 2021
What is the Alberta Child and Family Benefit?
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is a credit funded by the Alberta provincial government to low-medium-income Alberta families.
Thus, this program aims to reduce poverty among poor Alberta families with children under the age of 18.
Furthermore, with this benefit, poor Alberta families can supplement the cost of raising their children with a quality life.
Therefore, based on the number of children you have, you may receive the following amount for July 2021 to June 2022 payment:
| Number of children | Amount |
| First child
| $1,330 ($110.83 per month) |
| Second child
| $665 ($55.41 per month) |
| Third child
| $665 ($55.41 per month) |
| Fourth child | $665 ($55.41 per month) |
Thus, the amount you get will reduce as your family income exceeds $24,467.
However, you may get a partial payment when your family adjusted net income is around $24,467 to $41,000,
Furthermore, if you’re under a family with a working income that exceeds $2,760, you may receive the following working income component:
| Number of children | Amount |
| First child | $681 ($56.75 per month) |
| Second child | $620 ($51.66 per month) |
| Third child | $371 ($30.91 per month) |
| Fourth child | $123 ($10.25 per month) |
Thus, the amount you get will reduce when your family adjusted net income exceeds $41,000.
So to qualify for the ACFB, you must:
- Be a resident of Alberta.
- Have one child or more under the age of 18.
- Meet the income criteria.
- File a tax return.
How is the Ontario Trillium Benefit Calculated?
Several factors are used to calculate your OTB amount. These refer to your:
- Income
- Age
- Family size
- Property tax or cost of rent
- Residence
Thus, the above factors will determine whether you get a low or high OTB payment.
How Much Alberta Child and Family Benefit You Will Get?
How much Alberta Child and Family Benefit you get depends on two significant factors.
That’s the income level of your family and the number of children you have under the age of 18.
Furthermore, the ACFB has two components to accommodate families of different income levels.
- Base component: This component refers to low-income families, including those without employment income.
- Working component: The ACFB working component refers to families with more than $2,760 employment income.
Thus, the more your family works, the more benefit you get.
Here are the maximum benefit for families under the base and working components.
| Number of children
| Base Component (Annual Max.) | Working component (Annual Max.) |
| One child | $1,330 | $681 |
| Two children | $1,995 | $1,301 |
| Three children | $2,660 | $1,672 |
| Four children or more | $3,325 | $1,795 |
Note: The amount of benefits for the above component reduces as the net income of a family exceeds $24,467 or $41,000.
How is the Alberta Child and Family Benefit Calculated?
As I mentioned earlier, the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is calculated using the:
- Adjusted net income of your family.
- Number of children you have under the age of 18.
So based on the above factors, you may receive a low or high ACFB amount.
How to Apply for OTB?
You’re expected to apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit yearly to get paid.
As mentioned previously, you can only receive the OTB payment once you applied for any of the three credit components of the OTB. That’s OEPTC, NOEC or OSTC.
Furthermore, you can only apply for the OEPTC or NOEC payment. OSTC doesn’t require an application.
Thus, CRA automatically handles that based on your previous tax return.
How to Apply for Alberta Child and Family Benefit?
As I mentioned earlier, you don’t need to apply for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) payment.
Thus, all you need to receive the ACFB payment is to apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
Subsequently, you will be automatically considered eligible for the ACFB payment.
What to Do if You Receive the Canada Pro Deposit?
The first thing to do when you receive the Canada Pro deposit is to confirm the reason behind it.
Else, you may land yourself into big trouble that may cost you more than the few hundreds or thousands of dollars you received.
But how do you confirm the Canada Pro deposit?
All you need is to log in to your CRA My Account to view all your entitled benefits.
Subsequently, confirm the payment dates and ensure you didn’t receive your entitled payment on the wrong date. This error, which you didn’t commit, may land you into trouble.
Moreover, If you’re unsure of anything or need help, don’t hesitate to call the CRA on 1-800-959-8281.
2021 Payment Dates for Ontario Trillium Benefit
Below are the payment dates for Ontario Trillium Benefit for 2021:
- January 8, 2021
- February 10, 2021
- March 10, 2021
- April 9, 2021
- May 10, 2021
- June 10, 2021
- July 9, 2021
- August 10, 2021
- September 10, 2021
- October 8, 2021
- November 10, 2021
- December 10, 2021
Note: Because July 10, 2021, falls on Saturday, you will receive your OTB July payment on July 9, 2021.
Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) Payment Dates 2021
Unlike Ontario Trillium Benefit, the ACFB payment dates are scheduled quarterly. Here are the ACFB 2021 payment dates:
- February 26, 2021
- May 27, 2021
- August 27, 2021
- November 26, 2021
Note: If you haven’t received your ACFB payment after five working days from the payment date, contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on 1-800-959-8281.
What Should I Do With the Canada Pro Deposit Payment?
After confirming that you’re entitled to the Canada Pro deposit, you are free to use it the way you like.
However, you can be smart about spending your Canada Pro Deposit. How? By spending it on things that matter.
So what are the things that matter?
However, depending on your situation and financial goals, consider the following options when spending the Canada deposit:
- Emergency fund.
- Retirement account.
- Debt repayment
- Down payment
- Life insurance.
So by investing your money in the above options, you will make the most of your Canada Pro deposit.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the Canada Pro deposit is an excellent supplement to your income that can boost your investment and savings.
But are you qualified for the 2021 Canada Pro payments?
If not, you are now informed on what it takes to start receiving this benefit.
However, if you need more clarification on the Canada Pro deposit, do let me know in the comment section.
FAQs
What is Canada Pro Payment?
Canada Pro payment is a monthly/annual benefit given to eligible Ontario and Alberta residents with low-medium-income levels.
Who is Eligible for Canada Pro?
Ontario residents who applied for one of the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) components are eligible for the Canada Pro deposit.
Also, Alberta residents who applied for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) are eligible for the Canada Pro deposit.
Is Canada Pro Taxable?
No. Canada Pro is not taxable. Therefore, you shouldn’t include the payment in your income tax return.
How often is Canada Pro Paid?
Canada Pro is paid monthly, quarterly or annually. Ontario Trillium Benefit beneficiaries can receive monthly or one lump-sum annual payment.
On the other hand, Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) beneficiaries receive quarterly payments.
How Much Ontario Trillium Benefit You Will Get?
Since OTB is a three-in-one benefit, how much you receive depends on the total amount you qualify for under OSTC, OEPTC and NOEC.
However, you can get a low or high OTB payment.
Where Can I Get More Details on the Canada Pro Payment?
To get more details on the Canada Pro payment, log in to your CRA My Account or call the CRA at 1-800-959-8281.
