Collections or legal warning
An unpaid balance may have reached collections. A legal warning can be written or verbal.
What this usually means
An unpaid balance may have reached collections. A legal warning can be written or verbal.
What to do next
Verify the debt through official channels and contact CRA promptly about payment or an arrangement. Do not assume a dispute automatically suspends every kind of collection action.
Check the actual letter
Confirm the tax year or reporting period, account type, reference number, requested records and exact response/payment date. There is no single deadline that applies to all CRA letters.
Keep a response trail
Save the notice, relevant return or statement, supporting invoices/receipts and a copy or confirmation of anything submitted. Avoid sending more sensitive information than requested.
Verify who contacted you
Open Canada.ca yourself and sign in through the official CRA page to check secure correspondence. For a call or unexpected request, use an independently found official contact route; matching a logo or phone number is not proof.
CRA scams: check before replying