CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) is the Canadian federal government service which oversees the collection of tax and governs law and policy related to tax.
It is also responsible for the registration of charities in Canada and for providing tax credits and benefits.
CRA is headquartered in Ottawa and is one of the largest organisations based on several employees. It also enforces the tax laws in the country.
Every year a business or individual is required to file for an income tax return which decides if they owe taxes and their amount or if they will get a refund.
This has been made easy by using the online CRA service where you need to create a CRA account.
However, the CRA account can get locked when it notices unusual activity and you will not be able to sign in to your account.
This article will discuss why your CRA account gets locked and how can unlock it.
Why Your CRA Account is Locked?
There are various reasons for getting locked out of your CRA account which are as follows:
- You forgot your password.
- You are entering an incorrect password and it has exceeded the limit which is three times in a row. The multiple attempts of entering the incorrect password are considered suspicious activity.
- You are trying to log in from an unknown or suspicious location or device.
- No activity in your CRA account for more than two years.
- You have not confirmed your identity by mail when asked by CRA.
- The CRA website is down or facing technical glitches.
What Are The Consequences of CRA Account Being Locked?
If your CRA account remains locked then you will not be able to access any of the CRA services. You will not be able to file income tax returns or update any information on your account.
If your account is compromised then there is a chance of fraud by using your information to file the wrong income tax return.
How To Unlock Your CRA Account?
You can unlock your CRA account by following the steps mentioned below.
1. Reset Your Password
If the reason for getting locked out of your account is because you forgot your password then you can reset it to be able to sign in. You can request a password reset from the CRA website.
You must keep the following things ready for identity verification:
- Social Insurance Number
- Full Name and Date of Birth
- Complete Address
2. Contact The CRA Customer Care
If your account is locked because of suspicious or unusual activity then you should call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 to unlock your account.
The CRA will likely ask you about your personal information when you call them to verify your identity.
You must keep the following things ready for identity verification:
- Social Insurance Number
- Full Name and Date of Birth
- Complete Address
3. Confirm Your identity by E-mail
Check your mail by CRA to confirm your identity and follow the instructions in the mail to be able to access your account.
4. Wait for 24 to 48 Hours
The CRA website may be under maintenance or the server is down due to which you will not be able to log in to your account.
The best thing to do in such cases is to wait for some time and then try to log in to your account again later.
How Long Does Your CRA Account Stay Lock?
Your CRA account remains locked till you have a new password if you were locked out due to forgetting your password or multiple attempts of incorrect password.
You need to call CRA customer care so that they can help you reset your password. You will receive a unique password via mail for which you may have to wait at least 10 days to be able to log in to your account.
How To Unlock CRA Account Without Calling?
If you are locked out of your account then you can try to unlock your account by trying other methods of sign-in services.
To access your CRA account you can choose to log in via CRA User ID and Password, Sign-In Partner or Provincial Partner.
CRA offers Sign-In Partners and Provincial Partners that can be used to log in to your account. When you open the CRA website there will be three types of sign-in options.
Select the Sign-in partner or Provincial partner sign-in option. This way you will be able to unlock your account and get access to it.
How To Prevent Getting Locked Out Of Your CRA Account?
You can follow some tips so that you can prevent getting locked out of your CRA account.
- Create a strong password which is different for various online accounts. You can also use a password manager to keep track of all passwords for different online accounts.
- Ensure that you are entering the correct password when trying to log in to your CRA account. If you enter the incorrect password after the first attempt then select “reset password” to avoid getting locked out.
- If you have been asked to confirm your identity by email then you should do it at the earliest. Also, keep your information updated in your CRA account.
- Do not share your login credentials with anyone, if you do then change the password immediately.
- Also, keep changing your password every 3 to 4 months to keep your CRA account safe.
- You can also sign up for an email notification service from CRA to get regular updates.
You can reach out to the CRA Support team by calling on 1-855-330-3305 for individual-related issues.
