Canada Revenue Agency has almost $1.9B in uncashed cheques and you could be owed money

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has almost $1.9 billion of uncashed cheques that Canadians haven't deposited yet.

You might have missed payments without even knowing it, and be owed money from the federal government.

If you don't have direct deposit set up with the CRA or have only recently switched from cheques to direct deposits as your payment method, some of the money could be yours.

As of July 2026, the CRA has 10,833,150 uncashed cheques that are valued at $1,878,270,000.

There are ways to figure out if you were issued a cheque by the CRA that you never cashed. Also, you can get a cheque replaced if it was damaged, lost or stolen.

If you learn that you have an uncashed cheque from the CRA and then find it somewhere in your house, you can still cash it or deposit it into your bank account at any financial institution in Canada.

Even if the cheque was issued years ago, you can cash it because government of Canada cheques never expire.

So, let's get into how to figure out if you have an uncashed cheque and how to request a replacement if it was lost, damaged or stolen.

Look up an uncashed cheque

You can find out if you have uncashed cheques online and by phone.

Through your online CRA My Account or Represent a Client, you can find uncashed cheques that are:

• personal cheques (tax refunds, most credits and benefit payments), including cheques issued to a deceased person
• more than six months old

To find uncashed cheques online, you have to select "Uncashed cheques" on the "Overview" page or the "Accounts and payments" page in your CRA My Account.

If you were issued cheques that you didn't cash, the details will be in the "Uncashed cheques" section of your online account.

You must call the CRA for any of the following:

• business cheques (corporate tax, business GST/HST or payroll)
• trust cheques
• cheques less than six months old
• cheques unavailable in My Account or Represent a Client

For individuals inquiring about personal income tax refunds or payments made to a trust, the phone number you need to call is 1-800-959-8281.

The phone number is 1-866-426-1527 in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and 613-940-8495 outside Canada and the U.S.

For individuals inquiring about credit and benefit payments, the phone number is 1-800-387-1193.

For businesses inquiring about business tax and credits, GST/HST, and payroll, the phone number is 1-800-959-5525. The number to call is 1-866-841-1876 in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and 1-613-940-8497 outside Canada and the U.S.

Replace an uncashed cheque

You can request a replacement for an uncashed cheque online and by phone.

CRA said to review and update your direct deposit information and mailing address in your online CRA My Account or Represent a Client before you start the replacement process.

When online, go to the "Uncashed cheques" section of My Account or Represent a Client, then download and print the pre-filled form (form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity) for each uncashed cheque.

Once you have printed the form, you have to fill out the remaining fields, sign and date the form by hand, and enter your name and address under the signature.

Then, you can submit a scan of the completed form through the "Submit documents" page in My Account or Represent a Client, or mail the completed form to the Sudbury tax centre at Post Office Box 20000 Station A in Sudbury, ON with postal code P3A 5C2.

When on the phone, the CRA agent will confirm if you have uncashed cheques and then send you a pre-filled form (Form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity) for each cheque.

Once you have received the pre-filled form from the CRA, you have to fill out the remaining fields, sign and date the form by hand, and enter your name and address under the signature.

You can't submit forms for corporate refunds or tax credits, or COVID-19 subsidy payments for businesses online, but you can submit a scan of the completed form through "Submit documents" in My Account or Represent a Client for other cheques.

For cheque replacements that can't be submitted online, you have to mail the completed form to the Sudbury tax centre at Post Office Box 20000 Station A in Sudbury, ON with postal code P3A 5C2.

To avoid processing delays, the CRA said to submit one form for each uncashed cheque, regardless of whether you're doing it online or by mail.

You can receive the replacement payment as a direct deposit into your bank account, even though the original payment was a cheque.

If you don't have direct deposit set up with the CRA, a new cheque will be mailed to the address that is on file for you. It could take up to 10 business days to get a cheque by mail.

Replace a damaged cheque you still have

If you still have a cheque from the CRA but can't cash it because it's damaged, you can mail it to the Imaging and Receiver General Operations Directorate and request that the payment be reissued with a current date.

The envelope must be addressed to the Imaging and Receiver General Operations Directorate, Returned Cheques at PO Box 2000 in Matane, QC, with postal code G4W 4N5.

Stolen cheques

If you have an uncashed cheque that was stolen, you must call the CRA.

You should wait 10 business days from the date the cheque was issued to contact the CRA for most recurring payments. But for a Canada Child Benefit cheque, you only need to wait five business days.

If the stolen cheque remains uncashed, you can get a replacement for it. If a stolen cheque was cashed, you'll receive a form to begin an investigation.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.