How do I check if CRA owes me money?

Log in to CRA My Account and look for an "Uncashed Cheques" section under the "Tax Returns" tab, or search canada.ca for "uncashed cheques CRA." You can also call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 and ask an agent to check for uncashed cheques or outstanding refunds on your account. CRA holds cheques indefinitely — there is no expiry for claiming a CRA refund cheque.

Why does CRA have uncashed cheques?

CRA issues refund cheques by default if your direct deposit information is not on file or is outdated. Common reasons cheques go uncashed: the cheque was sent to an old address, it got lost in the mail, it was misplaced or forgotten, a recipient moved internationally, or a deceased person's estate was not aware of an outstanding refund. New batches of unclaimed amounts include GST/HST credits, Canada Child Benefit payments, CAIP rebates, and other program payments.

Is there a deadline to claim CRA unclaimed money?

CRA does not publish a specific deadline for claiming an uncashed refund cheque — you are entitled to the money and can request a replacement cheque at any time. However, there is a 10-year limitation for refund requests: you can only request a refund for tax years within the last 10 calendar years. After 10 years have passed since the end of a tax year, you may lose the right to amend that return and claim a refund for that specific year, though you can still claim the cheque if it was already issued.

What is the Bank of Canada unclaimed balances program?

Banks and federally regulated financial institutions are required to transfer dormant account balances (accounts inactive for 10 years) to the Bank of Canada. The Bank of Canada then holds these funds indefinitely. You can search for unclaimed balances at unclaimed.bankofcanada.ca. These are separate from CRA unclaimed cheques — Bank of Canada holds bank accounts, GICs, bearer bonds, and similar instruments, not tax refunds.

How long does it take to receive a replacement cheque from CRA?

CRA typically processes requests for replacement cheques within 4 to 8 weeks of verifying your identity and confirming the uncashed cheque. Setting up direct deposit before making your claim can speed up future payments. Once direct deposit is on file, future CRA payments will be deposited automatically rather than mailed as cheques — reducing the chance of missed payments going forward.

Unclaimed CRA Money in Canada: How to Find and Claim What You Are Owed

CRA is sitting on more than $1.7 billion in unclaimed refunds and uncashed cheques — money that belongs to Canadians who never received or deposited their payments. If you have ever moved, had mail issues, or simply lost track of a government cheque, there is a real chance some of it is yours.

Why CRA has unclaimed money

CRA issues billions of dollars in refunds, benefit payments, and credits each year. When a payment is not deposited, it becomes an “uncashed cheque” in CRA’s records. This happens for many reasons:

The cheque was mailed to an old address after a move
The envelope was lost in the mail or discarded accidentally
A benefit or credit cheque arrived unexpectedly and was set aside
A person passed away and the estate was not aware of outstanding payments
An account holder moved abroad and did not think to follow up

Common types of unclaimed CRA money:

Income tax refunds
GST/HST credit payments
Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments
Canada Carbon Rebate / CAIP (previously Climate Action Incentive)
Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) payments
Disability Tax Credit refunds
RRSP contribution room-related adjustments

How to search for CRA unclaimed cheques

Through CRA My Account

Log in to CRA My Account (canada.ca/my-account)
Go to the “Tax Returns” tab
Look for “Uncashed Cheques” in the left menu

If CRA is holding any uncashed amounts, you will see them listed with the date and amount of each cheque.

By phone

Call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 (individuals). Ask the agent to check whether there are any uncashed cheques on your account. You will need to pass identity verification.

How to claim your uncashed cheques

If you find uncashed cheques, here is how to get the money:

Step 1: Set up direct deposit (recommended)

Before requesting a replacement, set up direct deposit through My Account. This way CRA will direct-deposit the replacement payment directly to your bank account — no cheque, no risk of it getting lost again.

See: How to Set Up CRA Direct Deposit

Step 2: Request a replacement payment

In My Account under “Uncashed Cheques,” there is a button to request a replacement. Alternatively, call 1-800-959-8281 and ask a CRA agent to reissue the payment.

Step 3: Identity verification

If the amount is large or your information has changed, CRA may ask you to confirm your identity. Be ready to provide your SIN, date of birth, current address, and recent tax return information.

Processing time

Replacement cheques (or direct deposits) typically arrive within 4 to 8 weeks of the request being processed.

$1.7 billion in unclaimed amounts — who has the most?

According to CRA data, uncashed cheques are disproportionately from:

Recent immigrants and people who moved internationally — cheques mailed to Canadian addresses while the recipient was abroad
Seniors — who may not have updated banking information or were unaware of benefit entitlements
Young adults — who may have moved frequently and missed forwarded mail
Estates — refunds and credits issued after a person’s death where the estate is unaware

Bank of Canada: unclaimed balances (separate from CRA)

In addition to CRA’s unclaimed cheques, the Bank of Canada holds billions in dormant financial institution balances. These are separate programs but worth checking at the same time.

What the Bank of Canada holds

Under the Bank Act, banks and trust companies must transfer balances that have been inactive for 10 years to the Bank of Canada:

Chequing and savings account balances
GIC and term deposit proceeds (matured, unclaimed)
Uncashed bank drafts
Bearer bonds and coupons

How to search

Go to: unclaimed.bankofcanada.ca

You can search by:

Last name
Business name
Province of last known address

How to claim

If you find a balance, submit a claim form through the Bank of Canada’s website. You will need to provide identity documents (government ID, proof of last address, documentation linking you to the original account). Claims are reviewed by the Bank of Canada’s Unclaimed Balances team.

There is no deadline to claim from the Bank of Canada — these amounts are held indefinitely.

Provincial unclaimed property programs

Several provinces also run their own unclaimed property programs (separate from both CRA and Bank of Canada):

Province	Program	Website
BC	Unclaimed Property Society	unclaimedpropertybc.ca
Alberta	Unclaimed Personal Property Registry	alberta.ca → search “unclaimed property”
Manitoba	Property Registry unclaimed property	gov.mb.ca
Ontario	Currently no standalone program (Bank of Canada covers federal institutions)	—
Quebec	Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) unclaimed property	lautorite.qc.ca

Avoid scams

CRA will never:

Call or email you claiming to have unclaimed money you must act on immediately
Ask you to verify your banking details by phone to receive a refund
Demand gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency to release money owed to you

If you receive a call or email claiming CRA is holding money for you and requires personal information, hang up or ignore it. Look up your own information directly through CRA My Account or by calling CRA at the official number above.

How to Set Up CRA Direct Deposit — Prevent future uncashed cheques by getting paid directly
How to Use CRA My Account — Access your account and check payment history
How to Change Your Address With CRA — Ensure future payments reach you