CRA Has Over $1.8 Billion In Unclaimed Money Waiting For Canadians

More than $1.8 billion in government cheques are sitting uncashed across Canada right now, and some of that money could have your name on it.

The Canada Revenue Agency has confirmed that as of July 2026, there are 10,833,150 uncashed cheques on file with a combined value of $1,878,270,000.

These are not imaginary funds or theoretical estimates. They are real payments that the CRA issued to real people for tax refunds, benefit credits, and provincial program payments that were never deposited.

Some of these cheques date back to 1998, and the average value works out to roughly $173 per cheque.

The CRA has been actively trying to reunite Canadians with this money since February 2020, when it launched an online lookup tool in CRA My Account.

Since then, Canadians have cashed 5,613,430 cheques with a combined value of $2,080,970,000.

Why $1.8 Billion in Government Cheques Remain Uncashed

The reasons these cheques go uncashed are surprisingly ordinary.

A person moves and forgets to update their address with the CRA, so the cheque arrives at an old home. A refund cheque gets mixed in with junk mail and ends up in the recycling bin.

A benefit payment for a few dollars lands in a drawer and never makes it to the bank. A tax refund is issued while someone is travelling or dealing with a life event, and it simply falls through the cracks.

Some cheques belong to people who have passed away, and the estate was never notified that a payment existed.

Others were issued to individuals who moved provinces and lost track of their CRA benefit payments in the process.

The CRA issues millions of payments every year for tax refunds, GST/HST credits, Canada Child Benefit deposits, provincial benefit programs, and other credit payments. When those payments are sent by cheque rather than direct deposit, there is always a risk that the cheque will go uncashed.

The problem has grown steadily over the years. In August 2022, the CRA reported that as of May 2022, approximately 8.9 million uncashed cheques worth about $1.4 billion were sitting in its records.

As of July 2026, the total stands at $1,878,270,000 across more than 10.8 million uncashed cheques.

How the Uncashed Cheque Total Has Grown

The following table shows how the CRA’s outstanding uncashed cheque balance has expanded over the past four years, even as millions of cheques have been successfully claimed through the CRA’s online tools.

Date	Uncashed Cheques	Total Value
May 2022	~8.9 million	~$1.4 billion
July 2026	10,833,150	$1,878,270,000

Despite nearly $2 billion in cheques being claimed since the tool launched in February 2020, the total outstanding balance has continued to climb because the CRA adds thousands of new uncashed cheques to its records each week as new payments are issued and go undeposited.

This is one reason the CRA continues to encourage Canadians to switch to direct deposit for all government payments.

What Types of Payments Are Sitting Uncashed

The $1.8 billion includes cheques from a wide range of CRA programs. These are not limited to income tax refunds.

The CRA’s official uncashed cheques page lists more than 40 different payment types that can appear as uncashed items in a taxpayer’s account.

Among the most common are T1 income tax refunds, T1 reassessment refunds, GST/HST credit payments, Canada Child Benefit deposits, Ontario Trillium Benefit payments, Universal Child Care Benefit cheques from prior years, Canada Workers Benefit payments, and various provincial child benefit and climate action credit payments.

Provincial payments administered by the CRA are also included. These range from the Alberta Child Benefit and Saskatchewan Low Income Tax Credit to the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, Nova Scotia Affordable Living Tax Credit, and multiple territorial child benefit programs.

Business cheques, including corporate tax refunds, GST/HST remittance credits, and payroll overpayment refunds, are also part of the total but cannot be looked up through the online portal and require a phone call to the CRA business enquiries line.

Common Uncashed Payment Types and Their CRA Codes

The CRA uses specific abbreviation codes on cheques and statements to identify the type of payment issued. Knowing these codes can help you identify an old cheque or verify what a payment was for when checking your account.

Payment Type	Abbreviation Code
T1 Income Tax Refund	T1
T1 Reassessment Refund	T1 RAP-Remboursement
GST/HST Credit	GST/HSTC-CTPS/TVH
Canada Child Benefit	CCB-ACE
Canada Workers Benefit	CWB-ACT
Ontario Trillium Benefit	OTB-PTO
Ontario Child Benefit	OCB-POE
Alberta Child Benefit	ACB-PEA
Saskatchewan Low Income Tax Credit	SLITC-CTFRS
Nova Scotia Affordable Living Tax Credit	NSALTC-CTNEVA
BC Low Income Climate Action Tax Credit	BCLICATC-CTMCRFFRCB

A full list of more than 40 payment types and their abbreviations is available on the official CRA uncashed cheques page.

If you find an old government cheque in a drawer and the payment type is unclear, these codes can help you determine what it was for before requesting a replacement.

How to Check If You Have Uncashed Cheques

The fastest way to check is through CRA My Account, the CRA’s secure online portal for individuals. Once you sign in, look for the “Uncashed cheques” link on the Overview page or under the Accounts and Payments section.

The online tool shows personal cheques that are at least six months old, including tax refunds, benefit payments, and credit deposits. It does not show business cheques, trust cheques, or cheques less than six months old.

You can sign in to CRA My Account using your CRA user ID, a Sign-In Partner through your bank’s online banking credentials, or a provincial digital ID such as Alberta.ca Account or the BC Services Card.

Starting in February 2026, CRA account users without a backup multi-factor authentication option are prompted to add one, although they can choose to set it up later, as announced alongside the 2026 tax season opening.

If you do not have a My Account, you can register online using your Social Insurance Number, date of birth, and information from a recent tax return.

Given that the CRA has updated its processing systems for 2026, creating an account now also gives you faster access to tax return status tracking and benefit payment details.

For cheques that are not visible online, including business tax refunds, GST/HST remittances, payroll overpayments, or trust cheques, you must call the CRA directly.

The number for personal income tax refunds and trust cheques is 1-800-959-8281.

For credit and benefit payments, including GST/HST credit and CCB payments, call 1-800-387-1193. For business-related cheques, call 1-800-959-5525.

How to Claim Your Uncashed Cheque

Once you confirm that you have an uncashed cheque, the process to claim it involves downloading a personalized form, completing it, and sending it back to the CRA.

The form you need is called Form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity. This is not a generic form you can download from the CRA website.

It is a personalized document that contains payment-specific details, which is why you must access it through My Account or request it by phone.

After downloading the pre-filled form from your CRA My Account, print it, fill in the remaining fields, and sign it by hand. The CRA does not accept electronic, digital, or stamped signatures on this form.

Then submit the completed form online through the “Submit documents” feature in My Account or Represent a Client, or mail it to the Sudbury Tax Centre at Post Office Box 20000, Station A, Sudbury, ON P3A 5C2.

If you are registered for direct deposit, the replacement payment will go directly into your bank account, which is the fastest option.

If you are not registered, a new cheque will be mailed to your address on file. The CRA strongly recommends setting up direct deposit before submitting the form to avoid delays.

Be aware that if you owe money to the CRA, part or all of the replacement payment may be applied to your outstanding balance before any remaining amount is issued to you.

The CRA’s debt offset rules apply automatically to replacement cheque requests just as they do to regular refunds.

Special Situations: Deceased Persons, Closed Businesses, and Damaged Cheques

If the uncashed cheque belongs to someone who has passed away, the person managing the deceased’s tax affairs can look up the cheque through Represent a Client or by calling the Revenue Agency.

The replacement payment is deposited into the estate account.

If an uncashed cheque was issued to a business or estate that has since been closed, you need to call the CRA to request reissuance to a new recipient. The online tool does not handle these situations.

If you physically have an old or damaged government cheque that a bank will not accept, you can mail it directly to the Imaging and Receiver General Operations Directorate at PO Box 2000, Matane, QC G4W 4N5 and request a reissue with a current date.

Government of Canada cheques never expire. There is no deadline to cash them, regardless of how old they are.

However, the Revenue Agency cannot void and reissue an uncashed cheque unless you specifically request it through the Form PWGSC 535 process.

Unlike private-sector cheques that typically become stale-dated after six months, a government cheque issued in 1998 is still valid today.

You can bring it to any financial institution in Canada and cash it at no charge, as confirmed on the CRA’s official uncashed cheques page.

However, if the cheque has been lost, damaged, or stolen, you cannot simply request a new one over the phone.

The formal PWGSC 535 process exists because the Agency needs your signed authorization before it can void the original payment and issue a replacement.

This protects both you and the federal treasury from fraud. The review process for replacement cheques follows a structured verification timeline.

If you have a stolen cheque, you should call the CRA immediately. If the stolen cheque was already cashed by someone else, the Agency will send you a form to begin a formal investigation.

For recurring benefit payments like the Canada Child Benefit or GST/HST credit, wait at least 10 business days after the cheque was issued before reporting it stolen, or 5 business days for CCB cheques.

July 2026 Context: Why Checking Now Is Especially Important

July 2026 is a uniquely important month for CRA-administered payments. Multiple benefit programs are resetting to higher indexed amounts, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit is launching with payments 25% higher than the old GST/HST credit, and the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit is opening a new payment cycle.

If you have uncashed cheques from prior years sitting in the Agency’s system, submitting a replacement request now allows the CRA to begin processing the payment.

Processing times for uncashed cheque requests can be lengthy, so the sooner you submit Form PWGSC 535, the sooner the CRA can work on getting that money back to you alongside your regular benefit payments.

Additionally, the CRA now uses your most recently filed tax return to calculate benefit payments for the upcoming year.

Filing your 2025 tax return on time and verifying your My Account ensures that both your ongoing benefit payments and any uncashed cheques from previous years are processed correctly. T

The CRA benefit payment schedule for Ontario residents and other provinces depends entirely on having current and accurate account information on file.

The $1.8 billion sitting in the CRA’s uncashed cheque records is not a government program, a bonus, or a promotional offer.

It is money that was already calculated, approved, and issued to individual Canadians and businesses that simply never deposited the payments.

Checking whether you have an uncashed cheque takes less than two minutes through My Account and costs nothing.

For Canadians already navigating rising housing costs, grocery bills, and benefit payment schedules, an unexpected $173 deposit from a forgotten tax refund or GST credit cheque can make a real difference.

The process is straightforward. Sign in to “My Account,” check for uncashed cheques, download the personalized form if one exists, sign and submit it, and wait for the Agency to reissue the payment by direct deposit or mail.

If you have not checked your account recently, now is the time. The money is yours, the cheque never expires, and the CRA is waiting for you to claim it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do government cheques from the CRA expire?

No, Government of Canada cheques never expire and can be cashed at any Canadian financial institution at no charge, regardless of when they were issued. Some uncashed cheques in the CRA’s records date back to 1998, and they remain fully valid.

How much is the average uncashed CRA cheque worth?

The average value is approximately $173 per cheque based on the July 2026 total of $1,878,270,000 across 10,833,150 uncashed cheques. Even small amounts add up, especially for families already receiving CRA benefit payments throughout the year.

Can I check for uncashed cheques on behalf of someone else?

Yes, if you are an authorized representative, you can check for uncashed cheques through the CRA’s Represent a Client portal. This includes managing the account of a deceased person if you have been granted access as a legal representative.

What happens if the CRA owes me money but I also owe the CRA?

If you request a replacement cheque and you have an outstanding balance with the CRA, the agency will apply part or all of the payment to your debt first. Any remaining amount will be issued to you. This offset applies automatically and is the same process used for regular tax refunds and benefit overpayment recovery.

Is the CRA’s uncashed cheque lookup tool a scam?

No, the uncashed cheques tool is a legitimate feature within My Account, the same secure portal used for tax filing, benefit tracking, and direct deposit management. The Revenue Agency will never ask you to pay a fee to claim your own money. If you receive an unsolicited email, text, or phone call asking for payment to release an uncashed cheque, it is a scam and should be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Fact-Check: The uncashed-cheque figures in this article are sourced from the official Canada Revenue Agency uncashed cheques page, last updated July 9, 2026, and the CRA’s August 2022 public statement on uncashed cheques. The $1.8 billion figure represents the value as of July 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Contact the CRA or consult a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Gagandeep Kaur Sekhon

Gagandeep Kaur Sekhon moved to Canada in 2010 on a study visa. She navigated through the ups and downs of her student life and gained her permanent residency in 2015. Today, she is a proud Canadian citizen residing in Calgary, Alberta. She is mother of 2 beautiful daughters and making her difference through writing and guidance at INC – Immigration News Canada.