Forgotten Money at the CRA: Millions of Uncashed Cheques Waiting for Canadians
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Many Canadians may have money waiting for them at the Canada Revenue Agency, not because of a new benefit or tax change, but because old government cheques were never cashed. CRA data shows that, as of April 2026, the agency held more than 10.7 million uncashed cheques worth about $1.88 billion.
For households under pressure from high living costs, the issue is more than administrative. Some people may have moved, misplaced a cheque, missed a letter, or never realized a payment had been mailed. The key point is that Government of Canada cheques do not expire, and an old CRA cheque can still be cashed at a Canadian financial institution at no charge.
Since February 2020, Canadians have cashed more than 5.38 million previously uncashed cheques, worth just over $2 billion, according to the CRA. That makes checking an online tax account a practical step, not just a routine government task.
Canadians can check through CRA My Account by selecting “Uncashed cheques” on the Overview page or under Accounts and payments. The online tool shows personal cheques that are more than six months old, including tax refunds and most credit and benefit payments. If a cheque appears, the taxpayer can download a pre-filled form, sign it by hand and submit it to request a replacement payment.
Some payments will not appear online, including cheques less than six months old, business cheques, trust cheques and some other categories. In those cases, or when a person cannot access My Account, the CRA says taxpayers should call the agency. For individuals, the CRA lists 1-800-959-8281 for personal tax refunds and 1-800-387-1193 for credit and benefit payments.
Updating a mailing address and direct deposit information is also important. The CRA says direct deposit is the fastest way to receive the replacement payment; otherwise, a new cheque is mailed to the address on file.
The issue goes beyond the CRA. A Canadian Press report in February, citing documents tabled in Parliament, said Canadians had left more than $2 billion in federal paper cheques uncashed over four fiscal years, including tax refunds, pensions and benefits issued by the CRA and other departments.
For readers, the takeaway is simple: checking a CRA account may take only a few minutes, but it could reveal money that has been waiting for years.
