Canada FED is the CRA's federal payments label, and it's the least predictable of the four codes: the same deposit one bank calls FPT, another calls FED. Here's what sits behind it and how to confirm yours.
Canada FED is the bank label for federal payments issued by the CRA. It most often means the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit, and at certain banks it covers the Canada Child Benefit or the Groceries and Essentials Benefit instead of the usual FPT label.
Timing narrows it fast, and the amount settles what's left.
| When it arrived | Typical amount | The program | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, Jul 10 or Oct 9, 2026 | Up to about $272 single or $468 family per advance | Advanced Canada Workers Benefit 3 advances covering up to 50% of the year's CWB | All codes |
| Around the 20th, monthly | Matches your CCB amount | Canada Child Benefit FED at certain banks, FPT at most | CCB dates |
| Near the 5th of Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct | Matches your quarterly credit | Groceries and Essentials Benefit The renamed GST/HST credit | GST/CGEB dates |
The Canada Workers Benefit is a refundable credit for lower-income workers, worth up to $1,633 for singles and $2,813 for families in the 2025 tax year, plus a disability supplement. Claim it once on your return and you're enrolled: the CRA automatically pays up to 50% of next year's estimate in advance, split across January 12, July 10 and October 9 in 2026.
That's why FED deposits arrive without warning: nobody applies for the advances, so the January payment surprises people who claimed the CWB months earlier and forgot they'd done it. The reconciliation happens at tax time, where the advances you've received reduce the CWB portion of your refund.
The advances are income-tested per household, so they're rarely at the maximum; a deposit of roughly $272 or less for a single worker, landing on one of the three dates above, is almost always the ACWB. Anything monthly around the 20th is the CCB wearing the wrong label, and quarterly deposits near the 5th belong to the Groceries and Essentials Benefit.
FED completes the set of four. FPT carries the family credits at most banks, PRO carries provincial programs like the Trillium Benefit, RIT returns your tax refund, and FED covers the federal remainder. When two labels disagree between banks, the program schedules don't.
See all four deposit codesProgram facts come from the CRA's Canada Workers Benefit pages and the benefits payment calendar on canada.ca. Last verified July 8, 2026; it's re-checked quarterly and corrected within 24 hours when anything changes.