Request a comfort letter

Effective April 1, 2025, the Canada Revenue Agency will no longer provide comfort letters. Owners, legal representatives or authorized representatives with at least Level 2 access can request a filing and balance confirmation (FBC) letter through My Business Account or Represent a Client.

A comfort letter confirms that a business's CRA program accounts are in good standing. It is most commonly requested by financial institutions (lending institutions) and lawyers. For example, a bank could request a comfort letter from the CRA for a business before granting a loan. Persons who are considering purchasing real property or a business from a person may also request one.

This type of letter is different from a request for a clearance certificate.

Eligibility

A comfort letter applies to the following CRA program accounts:

How to request a comfort letter

You must send your request for a comfort letter in writing. Send it either by mail or by fax to the tax services office nearest to the business. Any third party request must be sent with a letter of authorization, unless the requestor is already authorized for each program account.

The request must contain the following information:

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