Could the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) be holding your money without you knowing it? As of March 2025, the CRA has revealed that it’s holding a staggering $1.7 billion in uncashed cheques, and millions of Canadians could be entitled to a portion of it.
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If you’ve ever moved, misplaced a cheque, or simply didn’t realize a refund was coming your way, you could be one of the 10 million Canadians who haven’t cashed their CRA payments.
Why So Much Unclaimed Money?
According to CRA officials, millions of payments are issued each year, from tax refunds to child and senior benefits, GST/HST credits, and other financial support programs.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets their money. Common reasons include:
- Lost or misplaced paper cheques
- Change of address not updated with CRA
- Mail delivery errors
- Cheques forgotten or overlooked
CRA cheques do not expire, and funds remain available indefinitely until claimed. Some date back as far as 1998.
Breakdown of Uncashed CRA Cheques (As of March 2025)
- 10,036,240 cheques under $1,000
- 189,840 cheques between $1,000 and $100,000
- 160 cheques over $100,000
That’s more than 10 million individual payments still waiting to be deposited by their rightful owners.
How to Check If You’re Owed Money by the CRA
The CRA made it easy to check if you have any uncashed payments by launching a feature in My Account, their secure online portal, in 2020.
Steps to Check:
- Log in to your CRA My Account: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/account-individuals.html
- Navigate to the “Uncashed Cheques” section.
- View any outstanding payments listed under your name.
- If you see an uncashed cheque, you can request a replacement.
How to Request a Replacement Cheque
To reclaim your money, you’ll need to fill out the CRA’s PWGSC 535 – Undertaking and Indemnity form for each uncashed payment.
Form Requirements:
- Must be signed and dated by you
- Include your full name and mailing address
- Must be witnessed by a non-family member, who also signs and provides their details
- Submit the completed form online through My Account or by mail
Important: If the form is not filled out correctly, CRA will return it with instructions to redo and resubmit. Accuracy matters.
Processing Time:
Expect your request to take 8 to 10 weeks, especially due to high demand in 2025.
Already Recovered: $1.6 Billion Since 2020
Since launching the online “Uncashed Cheques” tool in 2020, the CRA reports that Canadians have already reclaimed:
- 4.5 million cheques
- $1.6 billion in payments
That leaves $1.7 billion still waiting to be claimed.
Tip: Sign Up for Direct Deposit to Avoid Missed Payments
To prevent missed or lost payments in the future, the CRA strongly encourages Canadians to sign up for direct deposit. This ensures all refunds and credits go straight into your bank account.
You can enroll through:
- CRA My Account
- Your online banking app (look for “CRA direct deposit” under bill payments or government services)
Why You Should Check Today
Even if you don’t remember missing a cheque, checking only takes a few minutes—and you could discover hundreds or even thousands of dollars waiting to be claimed.
Whether it’s a tax refund, benefit payment, or GST credit from years ago, that money is still yours.
Quick Checklist: Claiming Your CRA Uncashed Cheque
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Log into CRA My Account |
| 2 | Check the “Uncashed Cheques” section |
| 3 | Download and fill out the PWGSC 535 form |
| 4 | Get a non-family witness to sign the form |
| 5 | Submit the form online or by mail |
| 6 | Wait 8–10 weeks for processing |
| 7 | Sign up for direct deposit to avoid missing future payments |
Final Thoughts
With over $1.7 billion in unclaimed cheques, there’s a real chance that the CRA owes you money—and you may not even know it. Don’t leave free money sitting unclaimed. Take 5 minutes to check your CRA account. You might be surprised by what you find.