Does anyone have recent experience in timing with CRA on processing Sch 89 requests for CapDivs and (separately, obviously) on T3/Trustee creation or changes filed electronically?
I only submit Schedule 89’s with the actual T2054 (CDA Election), and I find it still takes about 10 to 12 months to receive the response back from the CRA stating the election was valid, along with the acknowledgement of the Schedule 89. The letter also includes a line that says a Schedule 89 is only required if our balance in the CDA account differs from the balance in My Business Account.
As for Estate files… I filed a T3 return in early February of 2026 to which I am the estate trustee. On November 9th, 2025 the estate was upgraded 
from a GRE to an ordinary testamentary trust. When I check the status of the T3 return in Represent a Client all it says is “In Process”. The income tax was paid back in February, but just shows as a credit in the statement of account. This is crazy…
Oddly enough, the 52 day “stub period - December 31, 2025” for the normal testamentary trust was assessed within about 4 days of filing. The “re-assessment” for that same year was due to me filing an objection for the $100 fine for not filing the Schedule 15. They re-assessed the T3 and actually mailed me my $100 back.
See this topic for background surrounding the $100 fine:
Given that I’ve only seen a handful of files that have a CDA actually reported on the T2 file on CRA, mostly they…disagree? And yes, they do have the Cap Gain history, so I generally work with that and if they agree then just file the S89 and T2054 together.
Not sure why it takes SO long to do something that they already have on file. Just another thing in the glacial pace of CRA.
Good to know that it’s still about a year…that’s almost exactly what my last one took.
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My T3 is a problem…I’m not yet the Auth Rep and the Trustee/Executor can’t get access at CRA as they seem to have “something” wrong on the file - be it the name of the Estate, the TN or the names/identity of the Trustees, one of which whom already has a RepID. But they haven’t matched the RepID to the Trustee due to some bizarre thing at Estates & Trusts … and we can’t find out although we spent hours on the phone with them and all the guy would say is “You’re not authorized”. Over and over. So I just resubmitted the whole package with a cover letter. With luck someone will read it.
Forgot to mention: the above is because the CPA originally hired in 2021 (!) has gone AWOL and although a final T1 was filed, there has been nothing done on the T3 side although they were told it had been filed…apparently not though based on a lack of assessment notices…
Ditto @snoplowguy - I’ve generally seen it take about a year. But, the last one I filed in Dec 2025 was done and got the letter back in June. I just submitted another one here last month, so we will see if we get a repeat of that “quick” turn-around.