Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
If you typed canada gc cra into a search box, you want the Government of Canada’s own pages for the Canada Revenue Agency. The safe rule is short: a real CRA web address either starts with canada.ca or ends in cra-arc.gc.ca. Anything else, whatever it looks like, isn’t the agency.
How do you tell a real CRA page from a copy?
Look at the address bar before you read a single word on the page. The CRA says its official site uses addresses that start in canada.ca or end in cra-arc.gc.ca. Fake pages tend to use other endings (.info, .su, .com) or pad the address with extra words and odd characters.
A polished layout proves nothing. Copying a logo takes a minute, and scammers do it all the time.
| What you see | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Address starts with canada.ca | Government of Canada page, including CRA pages |
| Address ends in cra-arc.gc.ca | CRA address |
| Ends in .info, .su, .com or similar | Not the CRA |
| Extra words or characters in the address | Treat as fake |
| Text or email promising a refund by e-transfer | The CRA says it doesn’t do this |
What will the CRA never do?
The CRA may contact you by phone, automated message, letter or email, so a contact alone doesn’t settle anything. What settles it is the request. The agency says it will not send refunds or payments by e-transfer or text message, accept payment in cryptocurrency, threaten to arrest or deport you, use aggressive language, or ask for personal or financial details in a voicemail or an email.
If a message does any of that, stop. Don’t click, don’t call the number in the message and don’t reply.
What do you do when a message looks real?
The CRA’s own advice is “when in doubt, don’t click”. Type an official address into your browser yourself, or search for the agency and check the address before you sign in. Then look for the same notice in your account, and call a phone number you found on canada.ca, never the one in the message.
Say you get a text at 9 pm telling you a refund is waiting and to click a link within the hour. Three flags at once: a text, a refund by link, and a deadline. Delete it. If you really are owed money, your account will show it the next morning.
Signing in to your CRA account
The account lets you check things like refund status, notices of assessment, tax slips and your RRSP deduction limit. You can sign in with a Sign-In Partner (a participating bank or credit union login), with a CRA user ID and password, or, for British Columbia and Alberta residents, with a provincial partner login.
One warning from the CRA is worth repeating. If you register with someone else’s banking credentials by mistake, your SIN ends up linked to that person and they can see your tax information. Don’t let a shared computer autofill the form.
Which dates does the CRA publish for individuals?
For the 2025 tax year, the CRA lists these dates on its important dates page. We couldn’t find filing or payment dates for the 2026 tax year there yet, so check that page in the new year before you plan around them.
| 2025 return | Date |
|---|---|
| File, most people | April 30, 2026 |
| File, self-employed | June 15, 2026 |
| Pay any balance owing | April 30, 2026 |
| RRSP contributions counted for 2025 | March 2, 2026 |
Self-employed people get a later filing date, but the payment date is the same as for everyone else. Waiting until June to pay is a common and costly assumption.
Estimate before you file
You can get a rough figure without logging in anywhere. The income tax calculator shows federal and provincial tax on your income. The tax refund calculator compares that with what was withheld from your pay. And if you’re wondering what tax you’ll keep paying on the next raise, try the marginal tax rate calculator.
These are estimates from published rates, not your assessment. Your notice of assessment from the agency is what counts.
Where the information comes from
The address rules and the list of things the CRA says it won’t do come from the CRA’s scams and fraud pages on canada.ca. The account sign-in options come from the CRA’s My Account page, and the dates from its important dates page for individuals, all read on 30 September 2026. This site has no link with the CRA or any government body, and it can’t see or change anything in your account.
Frequently asked questions
What web address does the CRA use?
Addresses that start in canada.ca or end in cra-arc.gc.ca. Other endings such as .info, .su or .com are not the agency.
Will the CRA send my refund by e-transfer or text?
No. The CRA says it doesn't send refunds or payments by e-transfer or text message.
Can the CRA email or call me?
It may contact you by phone, automated message, letter or email. It won't ask for personal or financial information in a voicemail or an email.
How can I sign in to my CRA account?
With a Sign-In Partner login from a participating bank, a CRA user ID and password, or a provincial partner login if you live in British Columbia or Alberta.
When is the tax filing deadline for 2025?
April 30, 2026 for most people and June 15, 2026 for the self-employed. Any balance owing was due April 30, 2026.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.