ARCHIVED - At your service
On this page…
What if you need help?
In this guide, we use plain language to explain the most common tax situations. If you need more help after reading this guide, you can contact us (see later on this page) or use our other services.
T.I.P.S.
For personal and general tax information by telephone, you can use T.I.P.S. (see "T.I.P.S. (Tax Information Phone Service)").
Internet access
Visit our Web site at www.cra.gc.ca . General information, forms, and publications are accessible by topic and by client group.
My Account ( www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount ) is a secure online service that gives you the convenience and flexibility of viewing your personalized information, such as: your identification, refund or balance owing, instalment account, RRSP, Home Buyers' Plan, Lifelong Learning Plan, Canada Child Tax Benefit, and GST/HST credit. You will also be able to file an objection online.
Access codes for electronic services
Your four-digit access code that may allow you to NETFILE or TELEFILE (see "Filing electronically") your 2004 return is printed on the label sheet in the tax package you received in the mail. You can also get an access code online for our NETFILE service at www.netfile.gc.ca . For all our other secure electronic services a different code is needed. For more information, visit www.cra.gc.ca/access or call 1-800-714-7257.
Publications
Throughout this guide, we mention forms, pamphlets, interpretation bulletins, information circulars, and other guides that give more details on specific tax topics.
You can get most of our publications, including the General guide and forms book, by visiting our Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/forms or by calling 1-800-959-2221 from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time). The General guide and forms book for a particular province or territory are also available from any postal outlet in that province or territory beginning in February.
Before you contact us
We want to provide you with the best service possible. By being prepared in advance, you will help us serve you better. Before contacting us you should do all of the following:
- read the appropriate sections of this guide and other publications we mention in this guide;
- prepare all the details of your situation and question; and
- have on hand the working copy of your return, any related papers or receipts, a pencil, some paper, and your social insurance number (SIN).
Contacting us
Our telephone and fax numbers are listed on our Web site at www.cra.gc.ca and in the government section of your telephone book.
You may have difficulty reaching us during peak periods; however, our goal is to respond to your call within two minutes and to serve you in the official language of your choice.
By phone (individuals) - You can call 1-800-959-8281. Our automated service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Agents are available Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time). However, from mid-February to April 30, these hours are extended to 10:00 p.m. weekdays, and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on weekends.
By phone (businesses) - You can call 1-800-959-5525. Our automated service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Agents are available Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (local time).
By fax - You can send us correspondence by facsimile. However, because of the nature of facsimile services, we are not responsible for misdirected, incomplete, or illegible documents.
Teletypewriter (TTY) users - If you use a TTY because you have a hearing or speech impairment, an agent at our bilingual enquiry service (1-800-665-0354) can assist you during the hours shown under "By phone (individuals)" earlier on this page.
Getting personal tax information
The personal information that you provide on your income tax forms is collected under the authority of the federal, provincial and territorial income tax acts, and will be used to administer and enforce these acts and their regulations. For more information, refer to Personal Information Bank Number CRA/P-PU-005 at http://infosource.gc.ca or in the Infosource book, or call us at one of the telephone numbers listed in the previous section.
Your personal information is confidential. However, you can authorize someone (such as your spouse or common-law partner) to represent you to discuss your file. See "Representatives" in the next section. In certain cases, we give some of your information to other government bodies to administer the law. In all cases, we follow strict procedures before giving your information to anyone.
If you visit us and ask for personal tax information, we will ask you to identify yourself. In addition, we will ask for one of the following:
- one piece of signed identification with your picture;
- two pieces of signed identification;
- your Notice of Assessment, Notice of Reassessment, or other tax documents; or
- information about the contents of your return.
If you call us and ask for personal tax information, we will ask you to identify yourself and give information about the contents of your return. If you call before May 1, use your return for 2003. After April 30, use your return for 2004.
Representatives
You can authorize a representative (such as your spouse or common law partner, tax preparer, or accountant) to get information on your tax matters. However, we will give information to your representative only after we are satisfied that you have authorized us in writing to do so. Your authorization will stay in effect until you cancel it.
Authorizations received between mid-March to mid-July will be processed within four weeks and any authorizations received mid-July to mid-March will be processed within one week.
Note
Authorizing a new representative does not cancel your existing authorizations. You can now cancel any authorization by telephone.
If your representative visits us and asks for your personal tax information, we will give this information only if we have received, from you or your representative, a completed Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative (or a letter containing the same information), that you have signed. After we confirm that we have your written permission, we also will ask your representative for either of the following:
- one piece of signed identification with his or her picture; or
- two pieces of signed identification.
In addition, we will ask for either of the following:
- your Notice of Assessment, Notice of Reassessment, or other tax documents; or
- information about the contents of your return.
If your representative calls us and asks for your personal tax information, we will give this information only if we have received a completed Form T1013 or letter that you have signed. After we confirm that we have your written permission, we also will ask your representative for information about the contents of your return. A representative who calls before May 1, should use your return for 2003. A representative who calls after April 30, should use your return for 2004.
If you are the representative for a deceased person, get guide T4011, Preparing Returns for Deceased Persons , to know what documents are required.
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
If you need help to complete your tax return, your income is low, and your tax situation is simple, our volunteers are specially trained to help you. For more information about this free program, or if you want to become a volunteer, call us at 1-800-959-8281.
Page details
- Date modified: