If you've ever filed taxes in Canada, there's a chance the government owes you money you don't even know about.
The Canada Revenue Agency currently has more than 10.5 million uncashed cheques sitting across the country, adding up to over $1.8 billion in unclaimed money. That works out to an average of about $178 per cheque.
Before you assume this doesn't apply to you, consider how easy it is for a cheque to go missing. Maybe it was sent to an address where you no longer live. Maybe it got mixed in with junk mail and accidentally tossed. Maybe it's sitting in a drawer somewhere, forgotten.
Why so many cheques go unclaimed
The CRA sends out millions of payments every year for things like tax refunds, GST/HST credits, Canada Child Benefit payments and various provincial benefits. Most people who use direct deposit will receive these payments automatically, but not everyone has it set up.
And here's something important to know: even if you're currently enrolled in direct deposit, the CRA might still be holding cheques that were issued before you signed up. Those old payments don't automatically get converted to direct deposits.
The silver lining is that government cheques never expire. That means you can claim them even if they're years or decades old.
How to check if the CRA owes you money
The easiest way to find out is through your CRA My Account. Once you log in, look for "Uncashed cheques" in the Overview page or under "Accounts and payments." The tool covers personal payments that are more than six months old, including tax refunds, benefit payments and credits.
If the CRA is holding any uncashed payments for you, you'll see them listed there. From there, you can download a pre-filled form to request a replacement payment, either as a direct deposit or a new cheque in the mail.
What if you're not registered online?
If you don't have a CRA My Account set up, or if you're looking for business or trust cheques, you'll need to call the CRA directly. They can confirm whether you have any uncashed payments and send you the form you need to claim them.
Once you've filled out and signed the form, you can either upload it through your online account or mail it to the Sudbury tax centre. Due to an increase in volume of requests, processing currently takes eight to ten weeks, and a mailed cheque can take up to ten additional business days on top of that.
One thing to keep in mind: if you owe the CRA money, they may deduct that amount from your uncashed cheques before sending you the balance.
Worth a quick check
Logging in takes just a few minutes, and there's really no downside. If you've received any CRA payments over the years — even a long time ago — it might be worth seeing if any of that money is still waiting for you.
50th Anniversary of the CN Tower coin.Royal Canadian Mint
50th Anniversary of the CN Tower coin.Royal Canadian Mint
50th Anniversary of the CN Tower coin.Royal Canadian Mint