Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
There is no agency called the Canada Revenue Service. The body you’re after is the Canada Revenue Agency, the CRA. It administers tax laws for the federal government and for most provinces and territories, and it runs benefit and incentive programs through the tax system.
What does the Canada Revenue Agency actually do?
Two jobs. It collects income tax, GST/HST and payroll deductions, and it pays out credits and benefits that are tied to your return. So the same office that sends you a balance owing also sends your GST/HST credit.
The “most provinces” part matters. Quebec runs its own provincial tax, so a Quebec employee deals with Revenu Québec for provincial forms. The TD1 is one example: Quebec residents fill in a federal one and a provincial one from Revenu Québec.
We’ve assumed in this page that “Canada revenue service” means the CRA. If you meant a provincial body, start from your province’s own tax site.
What are the dates to know for your return?
The CRA has published dates for the 2025 tax year. We couldn’t find a published calendar for the 2026 tax year yet, so use these as a pattern and check the CRA page in the new year.
| Date | What it is for (2025 return) |
|---|---|
| 2 March 2026 | Last day to contribute to an RRSP for the 2025 tax year |
| 30 April 2026 | Filing for most people, and payment of any balance owing |
| 15 June 2026 | Filing if you or your spouse or partner is self-employed |
Read the June line twice. Self-employed people get six more weeks to file. Payment, though, isn’t extended. A balance owing is still due on 30 April, so file late and pay on time.
How do you see your own tax account?
Through My Account, the CRA’s online portal. You can view and manage your personal income tax and benefit information there. To register you need a social insurance number and a return that has been filed and assessed for the current or previous year.
There are three ways in. You can make a CRA user ID and password, use a sign-in partner, which means your online banking, or use a provincial partner, such as the BC Services Card or an Alberta.ca Account. Full access can be immediate if you verify documents. Ask for a security code by mail and you get limited access at first.
Look there before you call. Your own figures are often the answer, and they’re quicker to open than a phone queue is to wait out.
How do you tell a real CRA message from a scam?
Start from what the government says. The CRA doesn’t contact people by unsolicited text or email to demand immediate payment, or to ask for personal information through a link. Threats, urgent payment demands, links and requests for gift cards or cryptocurrency are all red flags.
If you’re unsure, don’t reply. Go to the CRA website yourself, or call a number you found there. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
What can you work out before you deal with the CRA?
A lot of the stress comes from not knowing the number, and a rough figure that you work out yourself, before any letter arrives, takes most of it away. On $75,000 of employment income in Ontario, the tax refund calculator shows income tax for the year of $12,704.65. If $14,000 was withheld, the estimated refund is $1,295.35. It counts the basic personal amount and the CPP and EI credits, so other credits can raise it.
Self-employed? The tax installments calculator is for planning payments through the year, and the self-employed tax calculator gives a first estimate. That tool lowers income tax with your deductions but not CPP, and it leaves out EI, so treat the result as rough. To see what sits behind your pay, open the payroll deductions calculator.
Where the numbers and rules come from
The description of the agency comes from the CRA’s own “about” page on Canada.ca. The dates come from its important dates page for the 2025 tax year. My Account details come from the CRA’s My Account page, and the scam advice from the Government of Canada fraud page. Our calculators use the 2026 tax data. This website has no connection with the CRA or any other government body.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Canada Revenue Service?
Not under that name. The agency is the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, and we assumed that is what you meant.
When was the filing deadline for the 2025 tax year?
30 April 2026 for most people, and 15 June 2026 if you or your spouse or partner is self-employed. Any balance owing was still due on 30 April.
What do I need to register for My Account?
A social insurance number and a filed and assessed return from the current or previous year.
Will the CRA ask for payment by text or email?
The CRA says it does not contact people by unsolicited text or email to demand immediate payment or to ask for personal information through a link.
Does the CRA handle tax in Quebec?
Not for provincial tax. Quebec residents deal with Revenu Québec for provincial forms, and with the CRA for federal tax.
- 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.