You may have read recently in an Ontario Provincial Police warning about a nasty scam targeting Canadian taxpayers that the Canada Revenue Agency won't call or contact you outside of registered mail.
Well, that's not quite accurate, says the CRA.
"It is important to note that the CRA may contact a taxpayer by phone or mail, but we will not use forceful language or threaten a taxpayer with arrest or jail time," said David Walters, of CRA media relations.
Here's what the CRA confirms they will do:
- send a registration confirmation email to the address you provided for online mail service for an individual or a business; and
- send an email to the address you provided to notify you when new online mail is available to view in the CRA's secure online services portal.
And here's what they won't do:
- send email with a link and ask you to divulge personal or financial information (Except: If you call the CRA to request a form or a link for specific information, a CRA agent will forward the information you are requesting to your email during the telephone call. This is the only circumstance in which the CRA will send an email containing links)
- ask for personal information of any kind by email or text message.
- request payments by prepaid credit cards.
- give taxpayer information to another person, unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.
- leave personal information on an answering machine.
When in doubt, ask yourself the following:
- Did I sign up to receive online mail through My Account, My Business Account, or Represent a Client?
- Did I provide my email address on my income tax and benefit return to receive mail online?
- Am I expecting more money from the CRA?
- Does this sound too good to be true?
- Is the requester asking for information I would not provide in my tax return?
- Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
Still confused? The RCMP has put together this list of helpful answers.
