FEDERATED TOTAL RETURN GOVERNMENT BOND FUND

                            Federated Investors Funds
                              5800 Corporate Drive
                       Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237-7000

                                 April 30, 2003


EDGAR Operations Branch
Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Investment Management
450 Fifth Street, Northwest
Washington, DC  20549

     RE: FEDERATED TOTAL RETURN GOVERNMENT BOND FUND (the "Trust")
            1933 Act File No. 33-60411
           1940 Act File No. 811-07309

Dear Sir or Madam:

     Pursuant to Rule 497(j) of the Securities Act of 1933, the above-referenced
Trust hereby  certifies that the definitive forms of Prospectus and Statement of
Additional  Information  dated April 30, 2003,  that would have been filed under
Rule 497(c),  does not differ from the forms of  Prospectus  and  Statements  of
Additional  Information contained in the most recent Registration  Statement for
the Trust.  This  Registration  Statement  was  electronically  filed under Rule
485(b) as Post-Effective amendment No. 11 on April 29, 2003.

     If you have any questions regarding this  certification,  please contact me
at (412) 288-2614.

                                             Very truly yours,



                                             /s/ Andrew P. Cross
                                             Andrew P. Cross
                                             Assistant Secretary