💸 Uncashed Cheques from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issues millions of payments every year — tax refunds, credits and benefit payments — by cheque or direct deposit. If you never cashed a cheque issued to you, you can still claim the funds: government‑issued cheques never expire and can be replaced upon request.
🔍 Find Out if You Have an Uncashed Cheque
The fastest way to check if you have an uncashed CRA cheque is to sign into your online account:
- 📱 CRA My Account — under “Uncashed cheques” in the Overview or Accounts & Payments section you can see old unpaid cheques (usually 6 months or older).
- 👤 Represent a Client — if you are authorized to act on someone else’s behalf, you can also check their uncashed cheques.
If a cheque is not shown or is less than 6 months old, contact the CRA by phone to determine its status.
📄 How to Request a Replacement
Once you identify an uncashed cheque in your account, you can download a pre‑filled form — Form PWGSC 535 (Undertaking and Indemnity) — from the portal. Fill it out, sign by hand, and return it to the CRA.
✔ Online: Submit a scanned copy of the completed form through the “Submit documents” feature in My Account or Represent a Client. ✔ By mail: Mail the signed form to the CRA’s Sudbury Tax Centre address listed on the CRA page.
Keep your address and contact information up to date in CRA records to avoid mailing issues and delays.
📬 Receiving Your Payment
🚀 Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive your funds once the form has been processed. If you’re not enrolled, a new cheque will be mailed to the address the CRA has on file (expect around 10 business days).
If you owe debts to the CRA, any replacement payment may be used to offset those amounts before the remainder is released to you.
🧠 Important Notes
- 📜 Government‑issued cheques never expire — you can claim them even if they are many years old.
- 📊 As of October 2025, there were over 10 million *uncashed CRA cheques* worth more than **$1.7 billion** waiting to be claimed by recipients.
- 📫 Cheques that were issued to someone who has since died should be deposited into the deceased person’s estate account.
- 🏢 Cheques sent to closed businesses or estates may require a CRA call to reissue the payment to the correct recipient.
☎️ Contact the CRA
If you cannot find your uncashed cheque online, or need support with replacement, call CRA by phone:
- 📞 **Individuals (personal refunds & credits):** 1‑800‑959‑8281
- 📞 **Benefits & credits (including COVID‑19):** 1‑800‑387‑1193
- 📞 **Business payments & credits:** 1‑800‑959‑5525
If the cheque was lost, stolen or damaged, a CRA representative can help arrange a replacement.
