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When the CRA writes to you, read the letter before you panic. Most ask for a document or explain a change to your return, and there's usually a deadline to reply. My Account shows what the CRA has on file for you.
When a letter arrives from the CRA, read all of it, find the deadline and reply on time. Most letters ask for a document, correct a figure or confirm something on your return, and a late reply is what turns a small question into a bigger one. If you owe more than you can pay, contact the CRA early and ask about a payment arrangement. If you think it got your assessment wrong, you can dispute it.
What should you do when a CRA letter arrives?
Read the whole thing before you react. Note what the CRA wants, and by when. Gather the documents it names, make copies, and reply by the method the letter gives. If you don’t understand the letter, ask the CRA or a preparer before the deadline, not after. We are an information site and can’t act for you or speak to the CRA on your behalf.
What is the difference between a CRA review and an audit?
A review is usually a request for proof of one claim, like a receipt for a donation or child care. An audit looks at your records more broadly and can reach back several years. Keep your receipts and slips together, and you’ll find both easier. The documents checklist shows what to keep.
What if you owe the CRA more than you can pay?
Contact the CRA before the due date. Interest builds on a balance, so ask about a payment arrangement early. You can schedule a series of payments through your CRA account. Our article on what to do when you can’t pay a CRA balance owing goes through the options, and the one on how to pay income tax you owe to the CRA lists the ways to pay. If you’re self-employed, the instalments calculator shows how to spread next year’s payments, and the tax calendar lists the due dates.
What if you think the CRA got it wrong?
You can dispute an assessment. For a personal return, the CRA’s income tax objections page gives the deadline as the later of one year after the filing deadline for the return, or 90 days after the date on your notice of assessment or reassessment. Check the date on the notice itself and gather your supporting papers first. The article on the notice of reassessment explains what that notice changes.
How do you spot a CRA scam?
Treat any call, text or email that demands money immediately as suspect. The CRA says it doesn’t threaten arrest or deportation and doesn’t pressure you to pay on the spot with gift cards, cryptocurrency or prepaid cards, and its page on how to recognize a scam lists the rest. Don’t click a link in the message. Log in to your CRA My Account the usual way and see if the same notice is there. If it isn’t, treat the message as a scam. Our article on what you can do in your CRA account shows what to look for.
When is professional help worth it?
If a review is complicated or the amounts are large, a preparer or accountant can answer for you. Our guide on how to choose a tax preparer explains what to ask, and the filing guide covers the basics. If the letter is about returns you never filed, read about what to do when you haven’t filed in years.
More about the CRA
- Tax Instalments for Individuals in Canada: Who Pays and When
Who has to pay income tax instalments in Canada, the four due dates, the three ways to work out the amount, and what late payment costs.
- Notice of Objection to the CRA: Deadline and How to File
How to file a notice of objection with the CRA: the deadline for individuals, My Account or the form, what to include, interest and Tax Court.
- CRA Taxpayer Relief: How to Cancel Penalties and Interest
When the CRA can cancel or waive penalties and interest, the 10 calendar year limit, how to apply in My Account or on RC4288, and what if refused.
- Dealing with the CRA if you live in Mississauga
Near Mississauga and need the CRA? Here is what we could confirm about the local office, phone lines, My Account, mail and free tax help
- Canada Revenue Agency Edmonton: Office and Phone Help
Need the Canada Revenue Agency in Edmonton? The office at 9700 Jasper Avenue has no walk-in counter, so see the phone lines and hours
- How Corporate Tax Works for a Canadian Company
A corporate tax bill of $35,088 on $300,000 of profit in Ontario, with 2026 federal and provincial rates, T2 filing dates and payment rules
- CRA in Vancouver: Where to Go and What Works
The CRA has no walk-in counter in Vancouver. See how to reach the agency by phone, mail or online, and what a BC return costs you at $75,000
- Canada Revenue Agency in Winnipeg: Where to Go
Need the Canada Revenue Agency in Winnipeg? Get the phone lines, the mail rule and Manitoba's 10.8% starting rate, plus what we could not confirm
More on spotting a fake CRA message: how to spot a CRA scam.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when I get a CRA letter?
Read it fully, note the deadline, and see what it asks for. Many letters want a document, not a payment. Reply before the date on the letter.
What is the difference between a review and an audit?
A review usually asks you to send proof for a claim, such as receipts. An audit is a closer look at your records and can cover more years and more items.
What if I can't pay what I owe?
Contact the CRA before the due date. Interest keeps building on a balance, so paying what you can as soon as you can lowers the cost.
How long do I have to dispute a CRA assessment?
For a personal return, the CRA gives the deadline as the later of one year after the filing deadline for the return, or 90 days after the date on your notice of assessment or reassessment.
How do I know a message is really from the CRA?
Don't trust a call, text or email that demands money right away. Log in to My Account yourself, without clicking a link in the message, and see if the same notice is there.
Does the CRA ask for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency?
No. The CRA says it doesn't threaten arrest or deportation and doesn't pressure you to pay on the spot with gift cards, cryptocurrency or prepaid cards. Treat a message that does as a scam.