Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
If you’ve lost financial records, start with the ones somebody else also holds: bank statements, your tax slips and your past returns. The CRA and your bank keep copies, so most of what you lost can be rebuilt, and the sooner you ask, the easier it is.
Which lost financial records can you get back?
More than you’d think. Here’s where each kind lives.
| What’s lost | Where to ask |
|---|---|
| T4, T4A and other slips | The issuer, or My Account online |
| Notice of assessment | My Account |
| Bank and card statements | Your bank or card company |
| Pay stubs | Your employer’s payroll office |
| Receipts for claims | The seller, or the card statement as proof of payment |
What should you do in the first hour?
Don’t start guessing at numbers, and don’t redo old returns from memory. Write down what’s missing, which tax years it touches and who else would hold a copy. That short list tells you whom to call first. If the loss was a theft or a break-in, your bank is the first call, since your statements and cards are the urgent part.
How do you get tax slips and past assessments?
Through your CRA My Account, and if you don’t have one, that’s the first job. The CRA has stopped giving out paper copies of T4, T4A and T5 slips by phone. Your options are the issuer or the slips in My Account. Digital notices of assessment are read in My Account too.
What if a slip just hasn’t shown up? The CRA doesn’t issue slips. It only gets copies from employers and banks, so it can’t post one until the issuer sends it. Ask the issuer. If the filing deadline is close and the slip still hasn’t turned up, the CRA’s advice is to attach a copy of your final pay stub or statement, plus a note giving the payer’s name and address, the type of income and what you’re doing to get the slip. Keep the originals.
Filed already and found a gap? Once you have your notice of assessment, you can ask for a change online, in My Account or through certified tax software.
Can a pay stub stand in for the missing figures?
Often. Your last stub of the year shows year-to-date income, CPP, EI and tax. Compare it with what you’d expect. On $60,000 in Ontario, the payroll deductions calculator puts CPP at $3,361.75, EI at $978.00 and income tax at $8,320.50, leaving $47,339.75. If your stub is close, you can trust it. If it’s far off, ask payroll before you file.
The tax refund calculator then shows whether the refund you’re expecting makes sense, and the income tax calculator gives you the full picture for the year.
Say Marcus in Halifax lost a folder of work papers in a move. His employer’s payroll office sent a year-end summary, his bank sent twelve statements, and My Account had his slips. Two phone calls and one afternoon later, well before tax time, he had every figure he needed. Nothing was truly gone. It was just sitting in other people’s systems, waiting for a request.
What if it’s business records you’ve lost?
That’s more serious, because the law says books, records and source documents must be kept for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. If electronic records are lost, destroyed or damaged, the CRA’s circular says the person must report it to the director of the local tax services office and recreate the files within a reasonable time. The circular is from 2020, so ask the CRA how it works today.
Rebuild from the outside in. Get bank and card statements first, since they show every dollar that moved. Then ask customers and suppliers for copies of invoices. For sales tax, the reverse HST calculator lets you split a total into price and tax once you have the amounts. If a disaster like a fire or flood destroyed the books, the CRA says to call it: 1-800-959-8281 for individuals and 1-800-959-5525 for businesses.
We couldn’t confirm how far back a bank will supply statements, or what it charges. Ask yours.
Can you file on time if the records aren’t back yet?
That’s a question for the CRA, not for us. The slip guidance above covers the common case, where you attach a pay stub or statement and a short note. If your records are still missing close to the deadline, keep a written note of what you did and why, keep the originals once they turn up, and check the CRA’s pages on late filing. We couldn’t confirm the penalty or interest rules, so we won’t guess at them.
How do you stop it happening again?
Scan every receipt the day you get it, and back up to a second place you control. Download your slips and assessments from My Account each spring, and save a copy of your return. For individuals, the CRA suggests keeping receipts and supporting documents for six years after you file, along with bank statements and any cancelled cheques.
It’s dull work. But one afternoon of scanning beats a summer of writing to banks. The CRA’s guide to keeping records is a good checklist for a business to follow.
Sources, and how we checked them
The record rules, phone numbers and slip guidance come from Canada Revenue Agency pages on keeping records, destroyed books and records, tax slips and notices of assessment. The pay example uses our 2026 data, which we rechecked on 29 September 2026. No level of government runs or endorses this site.
Frequently asked questions
Can the CRA mail me a copy of a lost T4 by phone request?
No. The CRA says paper copies of T4, T4A and T5 slips can no longer be requested by phone. Ask the issuer or look in My Account.
Where can I see my notice of assessment?
In your CRA My Account, after the CRA has processed your return.
How long do I keep records?
Businesses must keep books and records six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. The CRA suggests individuals keep supporting documents for six years after filing.
What if a fire or flood destroyed my records?
Call the CRA: 1-800-959-8281 for individuals or 1-800-959-5525 for businesses.
I filed and later found a missing slip. What now?
Request a change online in My Account or through certified tax software once you have your notice of assessment. Don't file a second return.
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