Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The CRA website is part of canada.ca, and most of what you need lives in three places: the Taxes menu, the Benefits menu and your CRA account. If you only remember one thing, remember this: sign in to My Account first. It shows your refund status, your notices of assessment and your payment options, and it saves a lot of searching.
How is the CRA website laid out?
The CRA landing page sits inside the main canada.ca menu, which has 13 broad topics, including Taxes, Benefits, Jobs and the workplace, and Business and industry. On the CRA page itself, individuals will find income tax, tax credits and benefits, and savings and pension plans. Businesses get GST/HST, payroll and business registration. Charities have their own section.
There’s also a “Most requested” box. When we checked, it listed the payroll deductions calculator, benefits payment dates, and forms and publications. That list changes, so don’t rely on it staying put.
| You want to | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Check a refund or a notice of assessment | My Account |
| Find a form or guide | Forms and publications |
| See when a benefit is paid | Benefits payment dates |
| Work out payroll deductions | Payroll deductions calculator |
| Register a business or find GST/HST rules | Businesses section |
| Get help without waiting on the phone | Skip the line, chat or chatbot |
How do you sign in to your CRA account?
There are three ways. You can use online banking from a sign-in partner, a CRA user ID and password, or, in British Columbia and Alberta, a provincial sign-in. Multi-factor authentication is required, and the CRA asks you to set up a backup method too. If you lose access, the sign-in page has a way to register for a new credential.
Once you’re in, you can see refunds, make payments, update your address and get NETFILE access codes. For 2026, notices of assessment are available digitally only. Tax slips can’t be requested by phone, so download them from your account or ask the issuer.
Which searches actually work?
Use the form or line number, not a sentence. A form name such as “T1 General” gets you further than “how do I claim work costs”. If a search returns a dozen pages with similar titles, pick the one on canada.ca with the year you need in the title, since guides are issued by tax year. And check the date on any page about rates. A 2024 figure on a 2026 return is a classic error.
The CRA runs a chatbot that’s available 24/7, and phone lines usually run Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm ET. Many tasks, it says, can be done without speaking to a representative.
What can you check on the CRA site against our numbers?
Pull your notice of assessment and compare it with an estimate. On $60,000 of taxable income in Ontario with only the basic personal amounts, the income tax calculator gives $9,417.25: $6,192.73 federal and $3,224.52 Ontario. Your real assessment will be lower if you claimed credits.
The same applies to benefits. The Canada Child Benefit calculator and the GST/HST credit calculator give estimates, and the CRA’s own payment date and amount are the ones that count. For paycheque questions, try the take-home pay calculator.
What goes wrong on the website?
Look-alike sites are the biggest risk. Check the address ends in canada.ca before you type a password or a social insurance number. The CRA doesn’t offer a “tax centre” storefront for regular filers, as far as its contact page shows, so a paid site that claims to be the CRA deserves suspicion.
Shared computers are another.
The CRA warns not to use autofill for your online banking details on a shared device, and it means it.
Deadlines are worth a second look too. For the 2025 return the dates were April 30, 2026 for most people and June 15, 2026 for the self-employed, with payment still due April 30. The 2026 dates aren’t published yet.
Where the numbers come from
Website details come from the Canada Revenue Agency’s landing, contact and My Account pages and its 2026 filing-season notice. Tax figures use 2026 federal and Ontario rates. This site isn’t linked to the CRA or any government body.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sign in to my CRA account?
Use online banking from a sign-in partner or a CRA user ID and password. British Columbia and Alberta residents also have provincial sign-in options.
Where do I find my notice of assessment?
In My Account. The CRA says notices of assessment are available digitally only from February 2026.
Can I get a paper copy of a tax slip by phone?
The CRA says no. Download slips from My Account or contact the issuer.
When can I call the CRA?
Many lines run Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET, and the chatbot is available 24/7. Hours vary by line.
How do I know a tax site is the real CRA?
Check that the address ends in canada.ca. Never enter your sign-in details on a site that doesn't.
- Dealing with the CRA: letters, audits and payments
Dealing with the CRA: what to do when a letter arrives, how a review differs from an audit, how My Account helps, and what to do if you can't pay
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.