Tax refunds: When to expect your refund

How you file affects when you get your refund

The Canada Revenue Agency's goal is to send your refund within:

• 2 weeks, when you file online
• 8 weeks when you file a paper return

These timelines are only valid for returns we received on or before their due dates.

Returns may take up to 16 weeks if you live outside Canada and file a non-resident personal income tax return.

We may take longer to process your return if we select it for a more detailed review. See Review of your tax return  by CRA for more information.

If you use direct deposit, you could get your refund faster.

Set up direct deposit.

Why haven’t you received your refund?

The CRA may keep some or all of your refund if you:

• owe or are about to owe a balance
• have a garnishment order under the Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act
• have certain other outstanding federal, provincial, or territorial government debts, such as student loans, employment insurance and social assistance benefit overpayments, immigration loans, and training allowance overpayments
• have any outstanding GST/HST returns from a sole proprietorship or partnership
• have a refund of $2 or less

Interest on your refund?

The CRA will pay you compound daily interest on your tax refund for 2020. The calculation will start on the latest of the following 3 dates:

• May 31, 2021
• the 31st day after you file your return
• the day after you overpaid your taxes

For more information, see Prescribed interest rates.