Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The Canada Revenue Agency reported about 10.8 million uncashed cheques worth $1.88 billion in July 2026. Filed a return and never saw a refund or benefit payment? One of those CRA uncashed cheques may carry your name, and My Account is the first place to look.
How do you find CRA uncashed cheques?
The CRA gives two ways to find out. Personal cheques more than 6 months old, such as tax refunds and benefit payments, show up in My Account with a short code for the type of payment. Everything else takes a phone call, and the CRA lists these lines.
| What you are missing | Where to ask |
|---|---|
| Personal cheque older than 6 months | My Account, online |
| Personal tax refund, under 6 months | 1-800-959-8281 |
| Credit or benefit payment, under 6 months | 1-800-387-1193 |
| Business or trust cheque | 1-800-959-5525 |
Check the numbers on canada.ca before you dial. And if someone offers to find your cheque for a fee, or texts or emails a link asking for banking details, that’s not the CRA.
Picture Jordan in Regina, who moved twice in three years and never updated the address with the CRA. A refund cheque could easily have gone to the old place. Logging in to My Account takes five minutes and settles the question.
How do you get a cheque replaced?
Once an agent confirms the cheque is uncashed, the CRA sends a pre filled form, PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity. You complete the remaining fields, then sign and date it by hand. Electronic, digital and stamped signatures aren’t accepted, and you need one form for each cheque. Print your name and address under the signature too, because a form with gaps is likely to come back to you.
Send it through Submit documents in My Account, or mail it to the Sudbury tax centre, Post Office Box 20000, Station A, Sudbury ON P3A 5C2. Direct deposit is the fastest way to get the replacement. A mailed cheque can take up to 10 more business days.
Holding an old or damaged cheque your bank won’t take? You may not need a replacement at all, because the CRA’s uncashed cheque page states it plainly.
Government of Canada cheques never expire.
Uncashed cheques from the Canada Revenue Agency, canada.ca
What might a missing payment look like?
Say your employment income was $75,000 in Ontario and your employer withheld $16,000. The tax refund calculator puts tax for the year at $12,704.65, so the refund is $3,295.35. If that money never reached you, the cheque may have gone to an old address.
Benefits go missing too. A parent with one child under 6 and $60,000 of family income would expect $6,634 a year from the Canada Child Benefit for July 2026 to June 2027, about $552.80 a month. Put your own figures into the Canada Child Benefit calculator and compare the answer with what you actually got. The GST/HST credit calculator does the same job for that payment.
How do you stop it happening again?
- Set up direct deposit in My Account so no cheque is mailed.
- Update your address the moment you move.
- Compare the refund on your notice of assessment with what lands in your account.
- Look at the payment history in My Account once a year.
Direct deposit matters for another reason. Any government debt you owe may be taken out of a replacement payment first, so the amount can come in smaller than you expected. Your notice of assessment explains what was applied, and the income tax calculator lets you check the tax side.
What if you think a message about a cheque is a scam?
Trust your gut, then check. The CRA doesn’t text or email you a link and a deadline to claim money. If a message says you have a cheque waiting, close it, sign in to My Account the usual way and look there. The CRA’s scams and fraud page points to guidance on spotting fakes and verifying a call.
What this page can’t tell you
We can’t say whether a cheque exists in your name. Only the CRA can confirm that. The amounts in the examples are estimates from 2026 rates, and a real assessment can differ because of credits and deductions you didn’t enter. Cheques for other programs, such as provincial payments, aren’t held by the CRA.
The sources behind this page
The search steps, phone lines, form, mailing address and the July 2026 totals come from the Canada Revenue Agency page on uncashed cheques, read in September 2026. Calculator figures use the site’s 2026 tax data. No government body has reviewed or endorsed what you read here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check for an uncashed CRA cheque?
Use My Account for personal cheques over 6 months old. For business cheques or newer payments, call the CRA.
Do CRA cheques expire?
No. CRA cheques don't go stale, and an old one can be reissued with a current date if your bank refuses it.
What form replaces an uncashed cheque?
Form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity, sent pre filled by the CRA. You sign it by hand, one form per cheque.
How long does a replacement take?
Direct deposit is fastest. A mailed cheque can take up to 10 more business days.
Can a replacement be smaller than expected?
Yes. Any government debt you owe may be deducted before the payment is issued.
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