Request a clearance certificate: Step 1. The purpose of a clearance certificate
COVID-19: Important updates
During the COVID-19 pandemic, processing times for clearance certificates may be longer than usual. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) mail operations are currently limited. If you or your representative submitted a request by mail between March 12, 2020 and November 30, 2020, and you have not received any communication from the CRA, it is recommended that you resubmit the request electronically through My Account, Represent a Client, or My Business Account.
Step 1. The purpose of a clearance certificate
A clearance certificate does the following:
- confirms that an estate of a deceased person or a corporation has paid all amounts of tax, interest and penalties it owed at the time the certificate was issued
- lets the legal representative distribute assets without the risk of being personally responsible for amounts the deceased, estate, trust or corporation might owe the CRA
- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) gives a clearance certificate to the legal representative of:
- someone who has died
- a trust or corporation that has wound up or dissolved
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