Getting your tax benefits and credits when in an abusive situation
If you are facing an abusive or violent situation, including economic abuse, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is committed to helping you continue to get support.
You will never need to contact an abusive person or organization to provide any information to the CRA or apply for and get your benefits.
On this page:
- Getting your benefit and credit payments
- Updating your personal information
- What to do when the CRA contacts you
- Additional support
Getting your benefit and credit payments
You should apply for benefits and credits that might be available to you. In order to get your benefits and credits, make sure your information is up-to-date.
Apply for benefits and credits
You will never need to contact an abusive person or organization to apply for and get your benefits.
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible for various benefit and credit payments.
For example, if you provide care for a child or children under 18 years of age, and do not currently get child benefits for them, apply for the Canada child benefit (CCB).
Your spouse or common-law partner’s signature is not required on any benefit-related forms.
Check for other benefits and credits that might apply to you
Do your taxes every year
Do your taxes by April 30 of each year to make sure you keep getting your benefit and credit payments.
Even if you have no income or if your income is tax-exempt, the CRA will use information from your tax return to calculate the amount of money you will get for benefit and credit payments.
For example, when you do your taxes, the CRA automatically determines if you are eligible for:
- The GST/HST credit
- Provincial and territorial benefits
If you are eligible for the Canada child benefit (CCB), it's important to do your taxes on time to avoid possible delays or interruptions in your benefit payments.
Find out how to do your taxes, or get help from a volunteer at a free tax clinic.
If your benefit or credit payment has changed or stopped
If you notice a change in your benefit or credit payments, it could be due to a change in your situation, or the CRA may need more information from you.
For example, if your spouse or common-law partner has not done their taxes, your payments may have stopped.
If you have questions about your benefit and credit payments, you can contact us.
Why your payments may have changed or stopped
Updating your personal information
Your personal information must be up-to-date for you to get your benefit and credit payments on time and in the correct amounts.
It is important to protect your personal and financial information. Regularly update your passwords to ensure your accounts stay secure.
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Protect your CRA My Account
Review who can access your CRA My Account and remove anyone who should not have access.
If someone assisted you with your taxes in the past, they may have been granted authorization to access your account.
Removing a representative online or by phone will immediately cancel their access to your account.
You can also authorize a trusted person, such as a friend or family member, to be a representative.
For more information, refer to: Authorize a representative
Protect your SIN
Your social insurance number (SIN) is private and it is illegal for another person to use it.
If you need to apply for or retrieve your SIN
Contact Service Canada to apply for or retrieve your SIN information if:
- you don't have a SIN
- you don't know your SIN
- you don't have access to your SIN
If Service Canada is unable to give you a permanent or temporary SIN, the CRA may give you a temporary tax number (TTN), which can be used to get benefit and credit payments, file your taxes, and sign up for CRA's My Account.
Call Service Canada at 1-866-274-6627, or find a Service Canada office.
You can cancel or add a representative’s authorization:
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Update personal information
We may need to contact other individuals or organizations to verify details such as your marital status or child custody information.
Your personal information will never be disclosed to anyone who is not authorized on your account.
Updating your address
If you move, update your address with the CRA to keep getting your payments and any mail we may send to you, even if you use direct deposit and your bank account does not change.
You can give us any temporary address until you have a permanent address available. This could include:
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A friend's house
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A shelter
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A temporary safe place
If you were using a joint email account, you may need to open a new account in your name.
You should do this to maximize safety and if you choose to register for the CRA My Account.
Updating your marital status
If you separate from your spouse or common-law partner, you must wait 90 days before letting the CRA know.
You do not need to wait 90 days to update your address or other personal information.
We will then recalculate your benefits based on your new marital status and adjusted family net income.
The adjustment will take effect the month after your marital status changed.
We may need to contact another individual to verify your marital status.
Your personal information will never be disclosed to anyone who is not authorized on your account.
Updating your custody information
To make sure you get your benefit and credit payments on time and in the correct amounts, the CRA needs to know if:
- a child starts to live with you
- a child is no longer in your care
- a shared custody arrangement has changed
We may need to contact other individuals or organizations to verify your child custody information.
Your personal information will never be disclosed to anyone who is not authorized on your account.
If you are the primary caregiver for a child or children in your home but are not receiving the Canada child benefit (CCB), consider applying now.
Updating your direct deposit information
For direct deposit payments, make sure the CRA has the correct financial account information on file.
If you were using a joint account, you may need to open a new account in your name. It’s important to provide this new account information to us as soon as possible.
Update your direct deposit information at least 4 weeks before your next benefit payment is issued to make sure it is deposited into your new account on time.
Do not close your old account until your first payment has been deposited to your new account.
Let us know if your benefit payments were deposited into a financial account under another person's name that you can no longer access. It may be possible to have the payment reissued to a new account or by cheque.
You can update your personal information:
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Use your CRA My Account
You can use your CRA My Account to update your personal information including your:
- mailing address
- phone number
- direct deposit information
- marital status
- custody information
- account authorization
- email address
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You can:
Sign in to your CRA My Account to update your personal information.
- Select "Profile" from the left menu options
- Then select "Edit" to make changes to your information
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You can:
Register for CRA's My Account to update your personal information.
When registering, you will need to validate your identity.
A CRA security code will be sent to the mailing address the CRA has on file.
Contact by phone or mail
You can contact the CRA to update your personal information, or if you have questions.
By phone
You can update your:
- mailing address
- phone number
- direct deposit information
- marital status
- custody information
- account authorization
- email address
- first or last name
- Before you call
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To confirm your identity, you’ll need your:
- social insurance number (SIN)
- full name and date of birth
- complete address
- assessed tax return, or notice of assessment or reassessment
- Telephone number
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1-800-387-1193
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Wait time: Wait times are not available --Updated: Wait times are not available -- ET
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- TTY number
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If you use a teletypewriter:
1-800-665-0354 - Hours
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General enquiries for businesses hours Date Hours Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm (local time) Saturday 9 am to 5 pm (local time) Sunday Closed Closed on public holidays
By mail
Change your address or phone number
- Complete Form RC325, Address Change Request
- Mail the completed form to the address on the form
Change your marital status
- Complete Form RC65, Marital Status Change
- Mail the completed form to the address on the form
Change your custody information
- Complete Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application
- Mail the completed form to the address on the form
Cancel a representative
- Complete Form AUT-01X, Cancel Authorization for a Representative
- Mail the completed form to the appropriate CRA tax centre listed on the form within 6 months of the date it is signed
Change your first name, last name or both
You must provide documentation if you have already changed your name.
Write a letter with the following:
- original or certified true copy of one of the following documents:
- a name change certificate from a provincial/territorial vital statistics department
- a court order issued under an act on change of name
- your old and new names
- your social insurance number
- your signature
Send your letter by mail to your tax centre:
What to do when the CRA contacts you
You may get a letter from us asking you to confirm your personal information or provide supporting documentation.
Send any supporting information back to the address listed on the letter or through your CRA My Account.
If your situation prevents you from getting the requested documents or information, you can send any of the following explaining your situation:
- A letter from a trusted third party such as:
- a band council
- a shelter
- a resettlement office
- a member of the clergy
- A copy of a restraining order or an order of protection
- A copy of a police report
If you have questions about the documents requested, or about benefit and credit payments, you can contact us.
You can also register for email notifications from the CRA. If you do, we may send you notifications about your account by email.
Provide supporting documentation
Register for email notifications
Additional support
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