I have a client who is non- resident. Due to COVID 19, I sent the document to CRA on May 06. My client keeps asking when he will receive the refund. The represent a client shows that it has not been received and i leant that the backlog is high. I talked to CRA and they don’t have this information. I just want other community members share their experience.
Depends what type of return you sent but my experience with S216 returns for instance is that those sent in June are typically not processed until November sometime (who knows this year) so I’d warn your client it is likely to be months and you have no control over it. The CRA system does not typically report the S216 returns as received until they are actually processed either so them not having it recorded as received is not something you necessarily need to worry about. I send all those types of returns registered mail to ensure they are received and that I have proof in case the CRA says they never received it - which has happened once or twice.
I keep track of anything paper filed and two returns i paper filed on May 15 where accessed on June 18th but its the luck of the draw really
I had some paper returns received before March 15 but not processed and they were finally processed last week. Most offices in the cra are back to work now. When I called about a different issue I was told to add 3 months at least on to expected time lines.
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I’m glad to hear that. I mailed a paper copy at the end of May and it still hasn’t shown up on CRA’s system as having been received. I’m getting nervous.
I dropped off a copy of a death certificate and will at the end of February before they removed the blue bins and 3 months later they said they never received them. so with all thats going in, this isn’t surprising
I send them registered post. Just raised a service complaint WITH the Canada Post Receipt for the documents.
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Does registered mail work the same at CRA’s end as ExpressPost or PriorityPost? In that the courier when picking up the mailbag from the post office, to deliver to CRA, signs for the mail in the bag? (ie no actual proof that CRA received anything)
You are right. Nobody signs at the CRA office, but at least you have proof that you mailed it, which could be important if it pertains to a time limited matter.
The failure to obtain signature is an issue at Canada Post, not the CRA.
However, Canada Post is trying to work out alternatives right now, given that several thousand passports are on hold for delivery.
A CRA agent told me that NR returns (paper) are not marked as “Received” until they are assigned to an agent for review. Mine took almost 10 months to go through the system - and this was last year - before all this virus backlog happened!
I Re-filed at tax return on April 4th to submit an RRSP contribution for the 1st 60 days of 2020 that came in the mail late, after we had already filed the 2019 tax return. We are STILL waiting, 115 days later, for this reassessment to be processed. CRA online has been showing “Reassessment in Process” all this time. This contribution slip is visible in the CRA portal Tax Slips section, and CRA hasn’t sent any letters asking for more information. So it isn’t just paper returns that are slow to be processed! The worst part is the delays in phoning CRA with the long wait times - they should have a system to “Press 9 to be called back at this number”.
My personal return for 2018 was ReFiled on March 15, 2020 for a simple deduction item.
On Thursday, July 23, I receive my letter in the mail asking for supporting documents which I had to FAX as this review agent did not accept thru the portal.
This may give you an idea of where they are in timing of simple items.
Rachel from NB
Wow - over 4 months for a Re-file. Unreal. Amazing the slowdown caused by the Covid crises!
Thanks for sharing, Rachel.
I filed an adjustment to a 2018 return on November 1, 2019. I called the first of June to find out its status and it still hadn’t even been assigned…