How to Pay CRA: Choose a Method and Confirm Your Payment

First, check what you are paying

A balance from your filed personal tax return is not the same payment type as a tax instalment, a benefit repayment or a business remittance. CRA’s make-a-payment page offers a short selector because methods differ by debt. Read the notice or the Accounts and payments section of your CRA account before choosing a payee or reference.

If a new notice shows an amount owing, check the current account balance first. CRA says a notice may have been issued before a payment you already sent was received. Our reassessment guide explains where that notice amount appears and how to compare it with your current account.

Paying through your bank or credit union

Many Canadian banks and credit unions let you add CRA as a bill payee. CRA’s online-banking instructions distinguish a tax return payment before assessment, an assessed amount owing and an instalment. Your bank’s payee wording may vary; CRA gives examples such as “CRA (revenue) – 20XX tax return,” “tax amount owing” and “tax instalment.” For an individual payment through this route, CRA says to enter your nine-digit Social Insurance Number as the account number.

Check the payee and account number before confirming in your banking app. Keep the payment confirmation. CRA says an online-banking payment is considered paid the same or next business day, depending on the bank, while your CRA account may take up to three business days to update. Those are different dates. Do not assume a payment must appear instantly.

CRA My Payment and scheduled withdrawals

My Payment is CRA’s one-time online service for an eligible debit card. CRA says it does not accept credit cards through My Payment. Use CRA’s selector to check whether your payment type is supported before starting.

A pre-authorized debit (PAD) lets you schedule one or more withdrawals from a Canadian chequing account in your CRA account. CRA says the first PAD must be scheduled at least five business days before it is withdrawn. That makes a new PAD unsuitable for a payment due today. Check the agreement details, account information and withdrawal date before confirming. A PAD authorization does not remove the underlying tax obligation.

Paying in person, by mail or through a third party

CRA lists bank and credit-union counters, some ATMs, Canada Post locations and mailed cheques among its methods. At a bank counter you need a remittance voucher. At Canada Post you need a customized QR code before paying with debit or cash, and a service fee applies. Do not send cash through the mail; CRA says it will not accept it.

Some third-party providers accept a credit card or Interac e-Transfer and pass the payment to CRA. These are not CRA’s own card or transfer services. Providers charge a fee, their accepted payment types vary, and CRA says it does not endorse them. Check the provider’s current fee and its CRA payment instructions before using one; do not rely on a fee estimate from an older article.

If you mail a cheque, include the remittance voucher CRA asks for and allow mailing and processing time. CRA’s confirmation page says to allow ten business days plus mailing time before checking receipt. A method that requires posting or a future withdrawal date may not suit an imminent due date.

What if the due date is close?

Compare the date CRA will consider the payment made with the date it will appear in your account; they are not always the same. A new PAD needs at least five business days before the first withdrawal. Online banking may be considered paid on the same or next business day, depending on the bank, even though CRA’s account display can take longer to update. A mailed cheque adds delivery time. CRA’s payment selector and your bank’s confirmation provide the method-specific details to check before you press Pay.

If you cannot pay the full amount by the due date, do not let uncertainty about the “best” method stop you from checking the next step. CRA has a separate payment-arrangement route for people who cannot pay a debt at once. Paying part of a balance and arranging the rest are different from disputing the assessment; if the amount itself looks wrong, check the objection route and its deadline. None of these steps makes a late payment free of interest.

How do you confirm it was applied?

In an individual CRA account, select Accounts and payments to check your balance and available payments. CRA says to allow three business days before checking an online payment. If an online payment is still not applied as expected after five business days, its payment-issue page explains when to contact CRA. For a mailed cheque, its contact threshold is ten business days plus mailing time.

If a payment reached CRA but was not applied to the right tax year, an individual or authorized representative may be able to use Accounts and payments → Transfer payment(s). CRA also shows unapplied money under available payments. Keep your bank or provider receipt until the CRA account reflects the right amount and destination.

A simple payment-check example

Suppose your notice shows an assessed balance, and your bank offers separate CRA payees for a tax return, an amount owing and instalments. Select the assessed-amount option CRA describes, enter the account number required for an individual payment, and save the bank confirmation. Check CRA’s account a few business days later. If the payment is shown as available but not assigned to the intended year, read CRA’s transfer instructions instead of sending the same amount again. The example is a process check, not a recommendation of one payment method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the wrong payee: Match a return payment, assessed amount owing or instalment to the corresponding CRA option.
• Assuming PAD is immediate: CRA requires advance scheduling for a new PAD withdrawal.
• Thinking CRA My Payment takes credit cards: It accepts eligible debit cards; credit cards use third parties with fees.
• Paying twice because the account has not updated: CRA gives different waiting periods for online and mailed payments.
• Using a third party without checking costs: Fees and supported payment types vary by provider.