How Long Does a Tax Refund Take?
How long a CRA refund takes, how to check it, why it gets delayed or reduced, and the interest CRA pays when it's late.
The short version
- CRA's 2026-27 goal: a notice of assessment within 2 weeks for returns filed online, and within 12 weeks for paper.
- Non-resident returns: about 16 weeks. Online change requests: about 2 weeks; by mail, about 8.
- Direct deposit is the fastest way to get paid. A cheque adds mail time.
- Filing online with direct deposit, after your slips are in, is the fastest combination there is.
- A late refund earns compound daily interest, starting 30 days after the later of April 30 and the day you filed.
How Long Does a Tax Refund Take in Canada?
A tax refund is the only government cheque people check for daily, like a kid waiting for a mail-order toy. Here's how long it actually takes, and what makes it faster or slower.
One thing first: a refund isn't a bonus. It's your own money, lent to the government interest-free since last January. Nice to get back, but a big refund every year usually means too much tax is coming off your pay.
How Long a Refund Takes
| How you filed | CRA's goal for the notice of assessment |
|---|---|
| Online (NETFILE or EFILE) | 2 weeks |
| Paper | 12 weeks (some older CRA pages still say 8) |
| Non-resident return | 16 weeks |
| Change to a return, online | 2 weeks for routine changes |
| Change to a return, by mail | 8 weeks for routine changes |
The refund usually lands a few days after the notice of assessment is issued if you have direct deposit. Filing online in late February or early March, once slips are in, is generally the fastest route. If you haven't filed yet, read how to file taxes in Canada.
Wait, check something, or call CRA?
Answer three quick questions: when you filed, how you filed, and whether your notice of assessment has come. The tool compares your wait to CRA's own service standards and tells you the next step.
What Slows a Refund Down
- Paper. Up to 12 weeks instead of 2, plus mail time if you get a cheque.
- A pre-assessment review. CRA asks for receipts before it assesses. The clock stops until you answer.
- Missing returns for other years, including GST/HST returns if you're self-employed.
- Old banking or address details, or an identity check.
- Filing in the April rush with a complicated return. Simple online returns still go fast; anything that needs a human waits in line.
Past the expected date and nothing yet? Where is my CRA tax refund walks through checking the status and fixing each of these. Refund arrived but smaller than your software said? That's a different question: why your tax refund was reduced.
Got a letter instead of a refund?
Upload it. The Tax Document Analyzer tells you whether it's a review, a request for documents or a reassessment, what CRA wants, and the deadline.
Interest on a Late Refund
If CRA takes a while, it pays compound daily interest on your refund, starting from the latest of: 30 days after the April 30 balance-due date, 30 days after you filed, or the day you overpaid. The rate is set quarterly and is lower than what CRA charges you on a balance owing; it's also taxable income next year. Filing late in the hope of collecting interest doesn't work, since the clock starts from your filing date.
Old Refunds You Never Claimed
CRA generally only issues refunds for the last ten calendar years. If you have unfiled years with tax withheld, the oldest ones are expiring one by one. File them, oldest first; see how far back you can file taxes. Found a deduction you missed on a return you already filed? That's a change, not a new return: how to change your tax return.
Getting a Smaller Refund on Purpose
If you always get a large refund because of RRSP contributions, child care costs, support payments or rental losses, you can ask CRA to let your employer take less tax off each pay with form T1213. Same money, just in your pocket during the year instead of in April. The income tax calculator shows what your tax should be, and the RRSP tax savings calculator shows what a contribution is worth.
And if you want the biggest refund the rules allow, the trick is the boring one: claim everything you're entitled to. Our guides to Canadian tax credits and deductions list them, and Return Check flags missed claims before you file.
Tax Refund Questions
How long does a tax refund take in Canada?
CRA's goal for 2026-27 is to issue a notice of assessment within 2 weeks for returns filed online and within 12 weeks for paper returns. Non-resident returns take about 16 weeks. With direct deposit, the money usually arrives shortly after the notice.
Is a paper return slower than filing online?
Yes. CRA's 2026-27 service standard is 2 weeks for online returns and 12 weeks for paper returns, and a cheque adds mail time on top.
What delays a tax refund?
Paper filing, a review where CRA asks for receipts before assessing, unfiled returns for other years, outdated banking or address details, and identity checks are the most common causes.
Does CRA pay interest on late refunds?
Yes, compound daily interest, starting on the latest of 30 days after the balance-due date, 30 days after you filed, or the day you overpaid. The interest is taxable.
How far back can I claim a tax refund?
Generally ten calendar years. Refunds for older years are not issued.
Sources: CRA, Tax refunds; Service Standards 2026-27; After sending us your tax return; Making changes to your tax return (2026). Checked October 2026. CRA's own pages disagree on paper processing (8 vs 12 weeks); we use the newer 2026-27 service standard.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.