You're sitting at your kitchen table, a pile of T4 slips in front of you, and you realize you have a question that Google just can't answer. You need to speak to a human. But finding the right phone number for the Canada Revenue Agency feels like trying to find a needle in a haystack—if the haystack was made of government bureaucracy and confusing automated menus.
Most people just search for "CRA number" and call the first 1-800 they see. Honestly, that’s usually a mistake. Depending on whether you're asking about your personal taxes, a small business payroll issue, or why your child benefit hasn't arrived, you could end up sitting on hold for forty minutes just to be told you've called the wrong department.
The main numbers you actually need
Let’s get the big ones out of the way. If you are an individual calling about your personal income tax, the magic number is 1-800-959-8281. This is the frontline for most Canadians. If you’re calling from the Yukon, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut, use 1-866-426-1527 to save yourself some headache.
Business owners have their own dedicated line at 1-800-959-5525. If you call the individual line with a GST/HST question, they’ll just transfer you anyway, so start with the business line.
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It’s not just about the digits, though. It’s about the timing. The CRA agents are generally available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on weekdays. On Saturdays, they often have shorter hours, usually starting around 9:00 a.m. and wrapping up by 5:00 p.m. But here is the kicker: if you call at 10:00 a.m. on a Monday in April, you’re basically signing up for a marathon of elevator music.
Why you should stop calling at "peak" times
Look, everyone thinks they’re being smart by calling right when the lines open at 8:00 a.m. They aren't. Thousands of other people have the exact same idea.
The "sweet spot" is usually midweek—Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday—late in the afternoon. If you can wait until 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., your wait time often drops significantly. I’ve seen wait times go from 55 minutes at noon to under five minutes at 6:30 p.m.
Also, have your paperwork ready. The agent is going to ask for your Social Insurance Number (SIN), your full name, date of birth, and likely a specific line amount from your last assessed return (usually line 15000). If you don't have that last bit, they literally cannot help you for security reasons. It's frustrating, but they're protecting your data.
Benefit specific lines (Save these)
Sometimes you don't need the general tax line. If you're specifically worried about your "baby bonus" or the GST/HST credit, there's a faster way.
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- Canada Child Benefit / GST Credit: 1-800-387-1193
- Debt and Payments: 1-888-863-8657 (if you actually owe money and need a payment plan)
- International Tax: 1-800-959-8281 (within Canada/USA) or 613-940-8495 (collect calls from outside)
Basically, if it’s about money coming to you, use the benefits line. If it's about the math on your return, use the individual enquiries line.
The "Scam" factor: How to tell if it's really the CRA
This is the part that keeps people up at night. You get a call from a "CRA agent" threatening you with jail time or demanding payment in Bitcoin or iTunes gift cards.
The CRA will never do this. Ever.
If you get a suspicious call, hang up. Call the official phone number for the Canada Revenue Agency back yourself. If a real agent called you, they will have left a note on your file, and the person you reach on the official line can verify it. Real CRA agents are professional, albeit a bit dry. They don't use aggressive language, and they definitely don't want your crypto wallet address.
A better way than calling?
In 2026, the CRA has actually gotten surprisingly good at their digital game. Before you pick up the phone, sign into CRA My Account.
You can check your refund status, change your address, and even see your RRSP limit without talking to a single person. They also have a GenAI chatbot now that can handle basic questions about tax credits and deadlines. It’s not perfect, but it’s faster than the hold music.
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Actionable steps for your next call:
- Check My Account first. If the answer is there, you save an hour of your life.
- Gather the "Identity Trio": Your SIN, your last Notice of Assessment, and your current address.
- Use the Automated Callback. If the wait is over 15 minutes, the system often offers to call you back when it's your turn. Take it. It actually works.
- Avoid Mondays. It's the busiest day of the week by a long shot.
If you’re calling from outside North America, remember that the 613-940-8495 number accepts collect calls, but you have to go through a local operator to set that up. Don't just dial it directly and eat the long-distance charges.