Where Is My CRA Tax Refund?
How to check your CRA refund status and what to do when a refund is late.
The short version
- Check your refund in CRA My Account (how to set it up) or the CRA app. The progress tracker shows where your return is and the expected completion date.
- CRA's goal: about 2 weeks for online returns, 12 weeks for paper. CRA asks you not to call before 12 weeks (16 if you live outside Canada).
- No refund and no notice? Look in My Account mail for a letter asking for documents. That's the most common hold-up.
- Direct deposit details out of date? Fix them in My Account; a refund sent to a closed account comes back to CRA and gets reissued slowly.
- CRA can hold a refund until you file other outstanding returns.
Where Is My CRA Tax Refund?
Two weeks after filing, your neighbour has his refund and you don't. He'll tell you about it, too. Before you call CRA and spend your lunch hour on hold, work through the checklist below. Nine times out of ten the answer is already in your account.
For how long a refund normally takes, see how long a CRA tax refund takes. This page is for when it's late.
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.
Step 1: Check the Progress Tracker
Sign in to CRA My Account (or the CRA app) and open your return for the year. The progress tracker shows whether CRA has received the return, whether it's being processed or reviewed, and the expected completion date. If the return shows as received and the expected date hasn't passed, there's nothing to do but wait.
Not registered for My Account? Registering takes a few minutes online, but CRA may mail a security code to your address, which adds days. Do it before tax season, not during.
Step 2: Check Your Mail, Both Kinds
If CRA needs something, it writes. With online mail turned on, the letter lands in My Account and you get an email saying “you have mail.” People miss these all the time, because the email looks like every other notification. A request for receipts stops the clock until you answer. Send exactly what's asked through Submit documents.
Not sure what a letter is asking for? The tax document analyzer reads it and gives you the deadline.
Step 3: Check the Usual Reasons for a Hold
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Return “received,” past expected date | Selected for review, or a backlog | Check mail; wait for the tracker date; call after 12 weeks |
| Letter asking for receipts | Pre-assessment review | Send documents through Submit documents, by the date given |
| Notice says refund applied to a debt | Refund offset | See why a refund gets reduced |
| Assessed, but no money arrived | Old bank details, or a cheque in the mail | Update direct deposit; ask CRA to trace the payment |
| Message about other years | Outstanding returns, including GST/HST | File them; CRA can hold the refund until you do |
| Identity verification letter | CRA wants to confirm you filed it | Follow the letter; call the number on it, not one from an email |
CRA sent a letter instead of a refund?
Upload it. The Tax Document Analyzer explains whether it's a review, a request for documents or a reassessment, what CRA wants, and the deadline.
Step 4: When to Call
Call the individual tax enquiries line only once you're past CRA's timeline: 12 weeks in Canada, 16 weeks outside Canada, or after the expected date in the tracker. Have your SIN, your last notice of assessment and the return in front of you. The agent sees the same screen you do, so if the tracker says “in progress,” that's usually what the phone says too.
Watch for Refund Scams
CRA doesn't send refunds by text message or e-transfer link, and doesn't ask for your banking details by email. If a message says “click here to claim your refund,” it's a scam. Check in My Account instead. More in our CRA guide.
Refund Arrived, But It's Wrong
If the refund is smaller than your software promised, read the “explanation of changes” on your notice of assessment. If CRA changed your return and you disagree, you can object; see notice of reassessment: what to do. If you missed a claim yourself, change your return. And next year, Return Check reviews the return before you send it, which is the best way to avoid the review that delayed this one.
Refund Status Questions
How do I check the status of my CRA tax refund?
Sign in to CRA My Account or the CRA app and open the progress tracker for your return. It shows whether the return was received, whether it is being processed or reviewed, and the expected completion date.
When should I call CRA about my refund?
CRA asks people to wait 12 weeks after filing (16 weeks if you live outside Canada), or until the expected date in the progress tracker has passed.
Why is my tax refund taking so long?
The most common reasons are a review where CRA has asked for receipts, paper filing, unfiled returns for other years, outdated direct deposit details, and identity verification.
Can CRA hold my refund?
Yes. CRA can hold a refund until you file outstanding returns, and can apply it to a balance owing or certain other government debts.
Does CRA send refunds by text or e-transfer link?
No. Messages offering a refund by text or e-transfer link are scams. Check your refund in My Account.
Sources: CRA, Tax refunds; Service Standards 2026-27; Check CRA processing times. Checked October 2026. My Account screen names change from time to time; the steps stay the same.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.