Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
The Canada Revenue Agency runs your income tax, benefits and payroll accounts for the Government of Canada, and its real website lives at canada.ca (or an address ending in cra-arc.gc.ca). If a page or message claims to be the CRA and uses a different address, treat it as fake. We’re an independent site with no link to the CRA, so use us for estimates and the CRA for anything official.
This page is about the account side and the scams around it. For the website address and the phone lines by type of call, see our guide to dealing with the CRA.
What does the Canada Revenue Agency do?
It collects federal income tax, pays out benefits and takes in payroll deductions from employers. Quebec residents also file a separate return with Revenu Québec, which is why the CRA’s Quebec abatement (line 44000 of the federal return) exists.
Most of what you need from it you can do without picking up the phone. That’s the good news. The bad news is that scammers know how much you dread the phone call, and they lean on it.
How do you sign in to your CRA account?
You can register two ways: through a sign-in partner (a participating bank or credit union, or a BC or Alberta provincial account), or by creating a CRA user ID and password. Inside, you can view your notice of assessment and T slips, change your address, and set up direct deposit.
One warning from the CRA’s own page is worth repeating. On a shared computer, turn off autofill before you register with online banking details. Otherwise someone else could end up with a route into your tax file.
If you’re locked out, the CRA says you can register again to get back in, without calling anyone. Try that first.
Can you tell a real CRA call from a scam?
Mostly, yes, because the CRA has published a clear list on its page on how to recognize a scam. It says it will never demand immediate payment by Interac e-transfer, crypto, prepaid cards or gift cards. It won’t threaten arrest or deportation, send refunds by text or e-transfer, or ask for personal details in a voicemail or email. It doesn’t put links in emails that ask you to enter information.
What it will do is call, write or email, ask you to confirm who you are, ask for tax documents and talk through ways to pay a debt. It may send a text, but only for multi-factor sign-in.
If a caller pushes you, hang up. Then phone the CRA yourself. The individual line is 1-800-959-8281, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern. Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut use 1-866-426-1527. Have your SIN, full name, date of birth and address ready.
| Task | Where |
|---|---|
| Check refund status | Automated line, option 4 |
| Find RRSP or TFSA room | Automated line, option 3 |
| Order forms | 1-855-330-3305 |
| Talk to an agent | 1-800-959-8281 |
What if you already paid or clicked?
Don’t beat yourself up, because these scripts work on smart people. Stop contact right away, and don’t send more money to “fix” it. Then report it to your local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which takes reports online and by a toll-free line. If you gave out banking details, call your bank or credit union before you do anything else, and if you gave out your SIN, watch your accounts closely for odd activity. We haven’t checked the CRA’s steps for a compromised account, so look at its scam pages for the latest.
What were the dates for the 2025 return?
Most people had until 30 April 2026 to file and pay. If you or your spouse or partner was self-employed, the filing date was 15 June 2026, but any tax owing was still due on 30 April, and interest starts on 1 May. We haven’t found the dates for the 2026 return, so we won’t guess. Check the CRA’s page in the new year.
What can you work out before you log in?
A few numbers help before the CRA weighs in. Say you earn $60,000 in Ontario and your employer withheld $9,000 during the year. Our tax refund calculator puts your income tax for the year at $8,320.50, so the estimate is a refund of $679.50. Your real assessment can differ, because credits and benefits not listed there change it.
The income tax calculator gives the same kind of estimate for any province. If you’re working for yourself and pay tax during the year, the tax installments calculator is the one to try. And you can look at claimable amounts with the tax credits calculator, which is federal only.
Mistakes to avoid
Don’t search for “CRA login” and click the first ad. Type canada.ca yourself. Don’t pay a stranger who says you owe money, and don’t assume that a scary letter or call is real because it knows your name. Names leak.
Also, don’t treat any estimate, ours included, as your assessment. Your notice of assessment from the CRA is the figure that counts.
Last, if a message from “the CRA” shows up out of the blue at tax time with a link, skip the link. Log in the usual way and look for the message inside your account. If it’s real, it will be there.
Sources, and how we checked them
The scam list, account features, phone numbers and 2025 return dates come from CRA pages on canada.ca, read in September 2026. Refund figures come from this site’s calculator using 2026 tax data. We aren’t part of the CRA or any government.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CRA's official website?
Official addresses start with canada.ca or end in cra-arc.gc.ca. Anything else claiming to be the CRA could be a fake site.
What number do I call for personal tax questions?
The CRA lists 1-800-959-8281 for most of Canada, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm Eastern. Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut use 1-866-426-1527.
Will the CRA text me?
The CRA says it uses text messages only for multi-factor authentication. It doesn't send refunds or payment demands by text.
When was the 2025 tax return due?
30 April 2026 for most people. Self-employed filers had until 15 June 2026, but any tax owing was still due on 30 April.
Is this site part of the CRA?
No. We're independent and publish estimates. Your notice of assessment from the CRA is the official figure.
- 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