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Notify the CRA of a date of death

Contact us about the date of death as soon as possible

Contact the CRA as soon as possible to avoid any repayment situations for benefits. Even if the deceased was not receiving benefit payments, you should report the date of death.

By phone:

Before you call

You will be asked to provide the following information about yourself:

  • full name
  • phone number
  • relation to the person who died

In addition to your information, you will need the following information about the person who died:

  • date of death
  • social insurance number (SIN)
  • full name and date of birth
  • complete address
  • assessed tax return, notice of assessment or reassessment, or other tax document

Telephone number

Call either of the following CRA phone lines to report the date of death of the deceased.

When you call, select any of the initial options, as there is no specific one to notify the CRA of a death. After selecting an option, press 0 to reach an agent who can update the date of death.

  • Individual Tax Enquiries

    1-800-959-8281

    • Wait time: Wait times are not available --
      Updated: Wait times are not available -- ET

    Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut:
    1-866-426-1527

    Outside Canada and U.S. (operates in Eastern Time):
    613-940-8495

  • Benefit Enquiries

    1-800-387-1193

    • Wait time: Wait times are not available --
      Updated: Wait times are not available -- ET

    Call Benefits Enquiries if you also have questions about the next benefit payment date of the deceased or if you'll have to return any payments.

Hours of service

Table 1
Day Hours
Mon to Fri 8 am to 8 pm
Sat 9 am to 5 pm
Sun Closed

Closed on public holidays

By mail:
Complete a form to notify us by mail

Complete the applicable information in Form RC4111, What to do following a death (includes "Request for the Canada Revenue Agency to Update Records") and send it to the tax centre of the person who died.

Additional help to cancel or transfer benefits

Generally, by reporting the date of death to the CRA, benefit payments will be appropriately managed. However, in some cases, you might need to take further steps to ensure they are cancelled or transferred:

GST/HST credit or Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR) (formerly known as Climate action incentive payment)

If the person who died was receiving one or both of the GST/HST credit or CCR, the CRA may still send out the payments after the date of death because we are not aware of the death. If this happens, you should return the payment to the tax centre that serves your area. This also applies to any other related federal, provincial, and territorial programs that the CRA administers.

Generally, GST/HST credit payments are issued on the fifth day of the month in July, October, January, and April. The CCR is issued in the same months as the GST/HST credit, however it is issued on the 15th day of the month and begins in April.

If either of the payment dates for the GST/HST credit or the CCR fall on a weekend or a federal statutory holiday, the payment will be made on the last business day before that day.

Deceased received payments from provincial or territorial programs related to the GST/HST credit or CCR

The CRA administers provincial and territorial programs that are related to the GST/HST credit and the CCR. If the deceased was receiving payments under one or both of these programs, you do not have to take any further action. The CRA will use the information provided to adjust other applicable credit program payments.

Deceased was single, separated, divorced, or widowed

If the recipient died before the scheduled month in which the CRA issued either the GST/HST credit or the CCR, payments will no longer be issued in that person’s name or to that person’s estate.

If the recipient died during or after the scheduled month in which the CRA issues a payment for one or both of these programs and the payment has not been cashed, return it to the CRA so that we can send the payment to the person's estate. This also applies to any other related federal, provincial, and territorial programs that the CRA administers.

If the person who died was getting an amount for a child, the child's new caregiver should contact the Benefit enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193, as they may qualify to receive the GST/HST credit or the CCR amounts for that child.

Deceased received payments for both themselves and their spouse or common-law partner

The deceased's spouse or common-law partner may now be eligible to receive one or both of the GST/HST credit or CCR if they filed an Income Tax and Benefit Return. The GST/HST credit will be based on their net income alone. The CCR will be revised based on their updated eligibility. This also applies to any other related federal, provincial, and territorial programs that the CRA administers.

Deceased's spouse or common-law partner received payments for both themselves and the deceased

The payments will be recalculated based on the surviving spouse's or common-law partner's updated eligibility and will only include a claim for them and any eligible children, if applicable.

Deceased is an eligible child

Entitlement to GST/HST credit for a child who died stops the quarter after the child's date of death. For the CCR, the entitlement stops if the child died before the month the next payment is issued. You should contact the Benefits enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193 to notify us of the date of death so that we can update our records.

Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) advance payments

If the person who died received advance payments of the CWB, they are only eligible up to the date of death.

The benefit for the final year up to the death must be claimed on line 45300 in the Final Return for the deceased.

Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments

If the person who died was receiving CCB payments for a child, including payments from related provincial or territorial child benefit and credit programs, and the surviving spouse or common-law partner is the child’s parent, the CRA will usually transfer the CCB payments to that person.

Apply as a new recipient of the benefit who is not the parent

If anyone other than the parent is now primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child, that person will have to apply for benefit payments for the child through one of the following options:

If the person who died was receiving payments under provincial or territorial child benefit and credit programs administered by the CRA, there is no need to apply separately to qualify. The CRA will use the information from the application to determine the new caregiver's eligibility for these programs.

Deceased's spouse or common-law partner receives the benefit

If the surviving spouse or common-law partner receives CCB payments, the CRA will automatically recalculate the payments excluding the net income of the person who died when the CRA is notified of the death.

Deceased is an eligible child

Eligibility for CCB payments stops the month after the child's date of death. You should contact the Benefits enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193 to notify us of the date of death so that we can update our records.

Contact other government agencies to notify about the death

In addition to the CRA, when someone dies, there are other departments and agencies you might need to contact:

Notify other federal departments and agencies of the death

Access tax records or details on benefits of the deceased

The legal representative can get access to tax and benefit information of the deceased. To determine who is the legal representative, to authorize other representatives, and to get access to tax records of the deceased, refer to Represent someone who died.

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