A balance owing on your tax return, an instalment or another CRA tax account can be paid several ways, from online banking to a credit card through a third-party processor. This page gives the steps for each; it is part of the Dealing with the CRA directory. If the bill was unexpected, how to know if you owe the CRA shows where the balance came from.
Payment methods overview
| Method | Processing time | Cost | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online banking bill payment | 1–3 business days | Free | Most individuals |
| CRA My Payment (Interac) | Same day | Free | Fast debit payments |
| PaySimply / Plastiq | 1–3 business days | ~2.49% fee | Credit card payers |
| Pre-authorized debit via My Account | Scheduled | Free | Recurring/planned payments |
| In-person at your bank | 1–3 business days | Free | Those without online banking |
| Wire / large payment | Same day | Bank wire fee | Large business payments |
Method 1: Online banking bill payment (most common)
Steps:
- Log in to your bank’s online banking or mobile app
- Go to “Bill Payments” or “Pay Bills”
- Search for “CRA” or “Canada Revenue Agency” as the payee
- You will see options like “CRA (Revenue Agency) Tax”; the right one is the one for your payment type (personal income tax, HST, etc.)
- The account number is your 9-digit SIN (for personal income tax payments)
- Enter the amount and submit
Which payee to choose, common options:
| Payment type | Payee name (varies by bank) |
|---|---|
| Personal income tax | CRA (Revenue Agency) – Tax Owing, or CRA Personal Income Tax |
| Instalments | CRA (Revenue Agency) – Instalment |
| GST/HST (personal) | CRA (Revenue Agency) – GST/HST |
| Payroll remittances | CRA (Revenue Agency) – Payroll |
Your bank can confirm which payee to use. The payee name differs slightly between TD, RBC, BMO, CIBC, and Scotiabank, but they all resolve to the CRA.
Processing time: 1–3 business days. A payment made on April 30 or on an instalment due date risks arriving late, so many people pay 2–3 days early to avoid late interest.
Method 2: CRA My Payment (Interac Online)
CRA’s own payment portal accepts Interac Online from participating Canadian financial institutions.
Steps:
- Go to canada.ca/cra-my-payment
- Select your payment type (personal income tax, instalment, etc.)
- Enter the payment amount and your SIN
- Select your bank from the list
- You are redirected to your bank’s secure portal to authorize the payment
- Payment confirms immediately and is processed same day
Participating banks: Most major Canadian banks support Interac Online, including TD, RBC, BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank, National Bank, and others.
This method suits a payment close to a deadline that needs same-day confirmation.
Method 3: PaySimply (credit card or PayPal)
PaySimply (paysimply.ca) and Plastiq are the two payment processors CRA officially lists as authorized third parties for paying by credit card. Both accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Steps:
- Go to paysimply.ca (or plastiq.com)
- Select “Federal taxes” / CRA as the payee
- Choose your payment type
- Enter your SIN, amount, and select your payment method
- A convenience fee of approximately 2.49% is charged by the processor (not by CRA)
When this makes sense:
- You need to pay but do not have immediate bank funds (using a credit card gives you float time)
- You can earn enough credit card rewards to offset the processing fee: given the ~2.49% fee, this only pencils out with a card earning close to 2.5%+ back on the payment, which is unusual for standard rewards cards
- Example: $2,000 payment × 2.49% = $49.80 fee . The card would need to earn roughly $50+ in rewards on that $2,000 spend just to break even.
Method 4: Pre-authorized debit (PAD)
Set up a scheduled payment directly from your bank account through CRA My Account:
- Log in to CRA My Account
- Under “Payments to CRA”, select “Pre-authorized debit”
- Enter your bank account details, payment amount, and payment date
- CRA will debit your account on the specified date
This suits instalment payments (March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15 deadlines): set up once, the payments happen automatically. Who has to pay instalments, and how much, is covered in tax instalments in Canada. Spreading a balance you can’t pay at once over pre-authorized debits is part of a payment arrangement.
Method 5: In-person at your financial institution
Bring a remittance stub (from your tax software, or printed from the “Payments” section of CRA My Account) to any major bank teller. Pay by cash or debit. The teller will process the payment on CRA’s behalf.
Processing takes 1–3 days, as with online banking. This option is useful for people who do not have online banking set up.
What reference information CRA needs
For all personal income tax payments, your reference number is your 9-digit SIN. It is entered without spaces or dashes.
For other account types:
- GST/HST: Your business number (BN) followed by “RT0001”
- Payroll: Your BN followed by “RP0001”
- Corporate tax: Your BN followed by “RC0001”
Confirming payment was received
CRA payments take 1–5 business days to appear in your account. To verify:
- Log in to CRA My Account
- Go to “Account balance and activities”
- Look for the payment under recent transactions
If a payment does not appear after 5 business days, your bank can confirm the payment was sent, and the CRA’s individual line is 1-800-959-8281 (hours on the CRA contact information page).
If you cannot pay the full amount
Any amount paid reduces the balance interest is charged on, and CRA Collections (1-888-863-8657) can set up a payment arrangement for the rest; ignoring a balance can lead to collection action including wage garnishment. How an arrangement works is covered in CRA payment arrangements when you can’t pay, and the collection steps in what happens if you don’t pay the CRA.
Related CRA guides
- CRA My Account: the balance and payment history before and after paying
- CRA direct deposit: for refunds coming the other way