5 Key Checks for Your CRA My Account

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is shifting much of its correspondence to an online format for businesses and, increasingly, for individual taxpayers. As more Canadians register for the My Account service, the portal becomes an essential place to check for refunds, notices and important tax information. Below are the most useful features you’ll find when you log in and how to use them to make sure you don’t miss money or deadlines.

1. Uncashed cheques

The CRA has reportedly issued roughly $1.4 billion in refunds and benefits that have not been cashed. If you haven’t received or cashed a payment, My Account can help you find out why. On the home page, look for the Uncashed Cheques tile on the right-hand side. That section lists cheques at least six months old that are still outstanding.

These uncashed cheques often include income tax refunds, GST/HST credits, and benefit payments such as the Universal Child Care Benefit. If you discover an uncashed cheque in your account, the CRA will generally reissue it — but you must complete a short, one-page declaration, have it witnessed, and submit it back to the CRA to receive a replacement cheque.

2. Accounts and payments

Use the Accounts and Payments link in the left-hand navigation to review your tax balances and transactions. If you have no outstanding taxes, your income tax balance should show $0.00. It’s common, however, to see Available Payments listed as a credit that can be applied against future tax owing or refunded to you.

These credits may result from misapplied payments, prior unissued refunds, or overpayments. The account view also displays installment amounts and due dates, which is useful if you pay quarterly tax instalments. Confirming what the CRA has recorded can prevent missed payments, late penalties, or unexpected balances.

3. Carryover amounts

Under the Tax Returns section (accessible from the home page or the left-hand menu), you’ll find a section titled Carryover Amounts. Click View Carryover Amounts to see tax attributes that can carry forward from year to year, such as capital losses, tuition and education credits, and unused amounts for the Canada Training Credit.

These carryover entries can affect future tax filings and potential refunds. If you prepare your own return, checking this list helps ensure you’re claiming all available offsets and credits. An overlooked carryover amount could reduce your tax owing or increase your refund.

4. Profile

Your Profile page — also in the left-hand navigation — contains personal and account settings that should be reviewed periodically. Confirm that your contact information is current and update direct deposit details so refunds are deposited electronically and faster.

From Profile you can also manage authorized representatives (for example, your accountant), notification preferences, and account security settings. Keeping authorization lists current protects your privacy and ensures the right people can act on your behalf if needed.

Security settings let you manage your CRA user ID, password, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and personal identification number. Enabling two-factor or multi-factor authentication significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your tax records and personal information.

5. Mail

If you’ve opted to receive CRA communications electronically, your official mail will be available only within My Account. Even if you have not opted in, you can still view correspondence under the Mail section in the left-hand Correspondence menu.

Don’t ignore CRA mail: some messages are informational, such as a Canada Carbon Rebate notice or a Statement of Account showing a zero balance, but others may request supporting documentation for claims on your tax return or contain details on assessments that affect future filings. Regularly checking your CRA mail helps prevent missed requests and unexpected reassessments.

Summary

The CRA’s online portal consolidates a lot of useful tax information, from uncashed cheques and account balances to carryover amounts and official correspondence. As the agency reduces paper mail and expands e-delivery, getting comfortable with CRA My Account is increasingly important. Regularly reviewing the portal can uncover missed payments, unused credits or carryovers that save tax, and notices that require timely action.

Read more about taxes:

• Tax refunds 2026: How to make every dollar count
• Smart strategies to maximize your tax return
• What’s new (and gone) for your 2025 tax return
• Why tax season is turning into a debt trap for Canadians