CRA Help: Sign In, Phone Numbers and Your Account

CRA Phone Number and Contact Numbers (2026): Every Line and Hours The main CRA phone number is 1-800-959-8281 for personal tax and CRA account questions. For benefits like the Canada child benefit call 1-800-387-1193, and for businesses 1-800-959-5525. All three are open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time, and closed on weekends and public holidays. How to Sign In to Your CRA Account (My Account): Steps and Fixes Go to the official "Sign in to your CRA account" page on canada.ca, choose the same sign-in option you registered with (your bank, a CRA user ID and password, or a B.C./Alberta provincial partner), then enter your one-time passcode. Stuck? The troubleshooter below gives the CRA's fix for your exact problem. Free tool CRA Sign-In Troubleshooter: Fix Your CRA Account Problem Pick what is going wrong when you sign in to your CRA account and get the CRA's official fix: forgotten user ID or password, locked account, missing passcode or security code, or a revoked user ID. How to Register for a CRA Account (My Account) Go to the official CRA sign-in page, choose "Register", pick how you will sign in (your bank, a CRA user ID, or a B.C./Alberta provincial partner), set up two passcode methods, then confirm your identity: instantly with photo ID, or with a security code mailed within 10 business days. Forgot Your CRA User ID? How to Recover It On the official CRA sign-in page, choose "CRA user ID and password", then "Forgot your user ID?". Enter your SIN, date of birth and the line 15000 amount from one of your last two tax returns, then answer your security questions. Forgot Your CRA Password? How to Reset It On the official CRA sign-in page, choose "CRA user ID and password", then "Forgot your password?". Enter your CRA user ID, answer your security questions, and create a new password of 8 to 64 characters with upper- and lower-case letters and a number. CRA Security Code Not Received or Expired: What to Do The CRA mails security codes within 10 business days to the address on file. If yours hasn't arrived after 10 business days, or it expired, skip the wait by verifying your identity online with the document verification service, or contact the CRA for a new code. CRA Account Locked or Revoked: How to Get Back In Too many wrong passcodes lock you out for 30 minutes; three lockouts make it permanent and you must call the CRA. For forgotten credentials or a revoked user ID, register again for a new credential using your existing passcode method. If the CRA locked your account, call 1-800-959-8281. CRA Multi-Factor Authentication: Passcodes, Backup Methods and a Lost Phone The CRA sends a one-time passcode each time you sign in, using a phone, a passcode grid or an authenticator app. Add a backup method under Security settings so a lost phone doesn't lock you out. Too many wrong passcodes lock you out for 30 minutes. CRA Document Verification Service: Get Instant Access With Photo ID Instead of waiting for a mailed security code, you can confirm your identity instantly by taking a live photo of yourself and an accepted government photo ID with your phone's camera. You must be 16 or older and use an original, valid ID. Sign In to the CRA With Your Bank (Sign-In Partner): Participating Banks A Sign-In Partner lets you sign in to your CRA account with your online banking details, through Interac. Participating banks include BMO, CIBC, Desjardins, National Bank, RBC, Scotiabank, TD, Tangerine, Simplii, Wealthsimple and several credit unions. Your bank doesn't see your tax information. CRA My Account: Limited Access vs Full Access Until your identity is verified, CRA My Account gives limited access: tax return status, RRSP and TFSA room, notices of assessment and notification preferences. Full access, needed to apply for benefits or change personal information, comes after the document verification service or your mailed security code. How to Contact the CRA: Phone, Online Chat, Your Account and Mail You can contact the CRA by phone (1-800-959-8281 for individuals), by live online chat inside My Account, through your CRA account, or by mail to a tax centre. Phone and chat agents are available Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time. The CRA has no walk-in offices. CRA Mailing Addresses: Where to Mail Your Tax Return and Letters Paper tax returns go to the Winnipeg, Sudbury or Jonquière tax centre depending on where you live. Western Canada mails to Winnipeg (PO Box 14001, Station Main, Winnipeg MB R3C 3M3); Atlantic Canada, Nunavut, Toronto and Ottawa to Sudbury (1050 Notre Dame Avenue, Sudbury ON P3A 5C2). Filing online is faster. Free tool Which CRA Number Do I Call? Find the Right Line and Hours Most people need 1-800-959-8281 (individual tax and account questions) or 1-800-387-1193 (benefits). Both are open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time. Pick your issue below to get the exact line, its hours and whether it is open now. CRA Hours: When Are CRA Phone Lines Open? The main CRA lines for individuals, benefits and businesses are open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time, and closed on weekends and public holidays. Automated services run 7 days a week from 6 am to 3 am Eastern time. 1-800-959-8281: CRA Individual Enquiries Line Explained 1-800-959-8281 is the CRA's main line for individuals: personal taxes, your CRA account, security codes, address and personal information changes, payments, and Disability Tax Credit questions. Agents answer Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time. 1-800-387-1193: CRA Benefits Phone Line (CCB, GST/HST Credit) Call 1-800-387-1193 for the Canada child benefit, the GST/HST credit or Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, the child disability benefit, and marital status or death notifications for benefits. Agents answer Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time; automated payment info runs every day from 6 am to 3 am ET. 1-800-959-5525: CRA Business Enquiries Line Businesses call 1-800-959-5525 for payroll, GST/HST, corporate tax, My Business Account and Represent a Client, payments and locked business accounts. Open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time. From outside Canada and the U.S., call 1-613-940-8497. Calling the CRA From Outside Canada, by TTY or Video Relay From outside Canada and the U.S., individuals call 1-613-940-8495 and businesses 1-613-940-8497, as collect calls through an operator. TTY and Canada Video Relay Service users call 1-800-665-0354, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time. How to Set Up or Change CRA Direct Deposit Sign in to your CRA account, open Profile and edit Direct deposit, or sign up through your Canadian bank or credit union. Online changes take effect the next business day. Direct deposit can no longer be set up by phone, and a mailed form can take 3 months or longer. How to Change Your Address With the CRA The fastest way is online: sign in to your CRA account, go to Profile, Contact information, Edit, and the change is immediate. You can also call 1-800-959-8281 (same day) or mail Form RC325 (4 to 6 weeks). The CRA does not pass your new address to other departments. CRA Notice of Assessment: Where to Find It and When It Arrives Your notice of assessment is available in CRA My Account once your return is processed. The CRA aims to process 95% of returns filed online within 4 weeks and paper returns within 8 weeks, when filed by the due date. You can view it even with limited access. How to Check Your CRA Tax Refund Status Check your return status in CRA My Account (available even with limited access), or call the automated line at 1-800-959-8281, option 4, any day from 6 am to 3 am Eastern time. Refunds are issued after your return is processed: usually within 4 weeks if you filed online. CRA Processing Times: Tax Returns, Adjustments and Benefits The CRA aims to process 95% of online tax returns within 4 weeks and paper returns within 8 weeks. Complex adjustment requests can take up to 35 weeks, and taxpayer relief requests average about 16 months. Check the official page for live times. CRA Online Mail: How to View Your CRA Letters in My Account With electronic mail turned on, most CRA notices and letters go to your CRA account instead of Canada Post, and you get an email when something new arrives. Change the setting under Profile, then Notification Preferences. How to Register for CRA Represent a Client (Help a Family Member or Client) Represent a Client is the part of your own CRA account used to manage someone else's tax information, such as a parent, friend or client. Sign in, select Add account, choose Representative account, register yourself or your business, then get the person's authorization. How to Register for CRA My Business Account Business owners sign in to their CRA account and select Business account from the Welcome page. You need your 9-digit business number and your SIN linked to it. Accountants and employees use Represent a Client instead. Is It Really the CRA? How to Spot a CRA Scam Call, Email or Text The CRA never demands payment by e-transfer, gift cards, prepaid cards or cryptocurrency, never threatens arrest or deportation, and never sends refunds by e-transfer or text. It only texts for sign-in passcodes. If in doubt, hang up and call the CRA on an official number. How to Check if a Call From the CRA Is Real Get the caller's name, office and callback number, then hang up. Don't trust caller ID. Check the number with the CRA's official verification tool or call 1-800-959-8281 yourself. Never give personal information on a call you didn't expect.