That includes tax refunds and most government credit and benefit payments.
But there's a way to check if you have uncashed cheques and get that money.
As of 2026, the CRA has 10,541,810 uncashed cheques valued at $1,879,622,000.
You can find out if you received a cheque from the CRA that you never cashed and notify the CRA about a cheque you can't cash because it was damaged, lost or stolen.
Then, you can request that the money be sent to you as a direct deposit or a cheque in the mail.
Since cheques from the government of Canada never expire, you can still get money you missed out on from government payments even if the uncashed cheques were issued years ago.
There are two ways to find out if you have uncashed cheques with the CRA and get a pre-filled form to request a new payment.
You can look online to find uncashed personal cheques (including tax refunds and most credits and benefit payments) and cheques that are more than six months old.
You have to call the CRA for business cheques (including corporate tax, business GST/HST and payroll), trust cheques, cheques less than six months old, and cheques that are unavailable online through My Account or Represent a Client.
Finding uncashed cheques online
To find uncashed cheques online, you have to log in to your CRA account and select "Uncashed cheques" on the My Account "Overview" page or the "Accounts and payments" page.
Then, in the "Uncashed cheques" section of My Account or Represent a Client, download and print the pre-filled form (form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity) for each uncashed cheque.
The CRA said to review and update your direct deposit information and mailing address while in My Account or Represent a Client before you send your request.
After you print 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.
If the form is filled out incorrectly, the CRA will send you a new form and explain the errors you made. Then, you'll need to fill it out and send it again.
You can submit the completed forms online or through the mail.
To submit it online, you have to upload a scan of the completed forms through "Submit documents" in My Account or Represent a Client.
To send it through the mail, you have to put the completed forms in an envelope addressed to "Sudbury tax centre" at Post Office Box 20000, Station A, Sudbury, ON, P3A 5C2.
Finding uncashed cheques over the phone
You might need to call more than one phone number to find uncashed cheques, depending on your situation.
Individuals looking for credit and benefit payment cheques have to call 1-800-387-1193.
Individuals looking for personal income tax refunds or payments made to a trust must call 1-800-959-8281. But if you're calling from the territories, the number is 1-866-426-1527, and if you're calling from outside Canada and the U.S., the number is 613-940-8495.
Businesses looking for business tax and credits, GST/HST, and payroll cheques have to call 1-800-959-5525. But if you're calling from the territories, the number is 1-866-841-1876, and if you're calling from outside Canada and the U.S., the number is 1-613-940-8497.
Once the agent on the phone has confirmed you have uncashed cheques, the CRA will send you a pre-filled form (Form PWGSC 535, Undertaking and Indemnity) for each uncashed cheque.
When you receive 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.
If the form isn't filled out correctly, the CRA will send you a new form and explain the errors you made. Then, you'll need to fill it out and send it again.
To submit the request online, you have to upload a scan of the completed forms through "Submit documents" in My Account or Represent a Client.
But uncashed cheques for corporate refunds or tax credits and COVID-19 subsidy payments for businesses can't be submitted online.
To send it through the mail, you have to put the completed forms in an envelope addressed to "Sudbury tax centre" at Post Office Box 20000, Station A, Sudbury, ON, P3A 5C2.
Getting your uncashed cheques
There is an "increase in volume" of requests for uncashed cheques, so it could take eight to 10 weeks for your request to be processed.
The CRA said the fastest way to receive money from any uncashed cheques you have is through direct deposit. You can set up direct deposit with the CRA, and reissued payments will go directly to your bank account.
If you're not registered for direct deposit, a new cheque will be mailed to the address the CRA has on file for you. It could take up to 10 additional business days to receive a cheque by mail.
Also, the CRA noted that if you have a government debt and request an uncashed cheque, part or all of your payment may be applied to your debt.
Once that debt has been collected, any remaining amount will be sent to you as a new payment either through direct deposit or as a cheque.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
