Once the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) receives your GST/HST return, the CRA will send you a notice of assessment if either:

• the CRA owes you a refund or rebate
• your amount owing is more than the payment you made

If the CRA sends you a notice of assessment and you are registered to receive email notifications, the CRA will send a notification that there is mail for you in My Business Account. If you are not registered for email notifications, the CRA will mail you your notice of assessment.

If there is an amount owing, the CRA will send you both your notice and Form RC159, Remittance Voucher – Amount Owing – personalized. Use this form to pay any outstanding amount. Form RC159 is not available on our website. This form is only provided in a pre-printed format. To order this personalized form, go to My Business Account, or Represent a Client. 

To view the status and the details of a previously filed GST/HST return, see My Business Account.

When to expect your refund

You can claim a refund if your net tax (line 109 of your GST/HST return) for a reporting period is a negative amount.

Generally, the CRA process a GST/HST return in:

• 2 weeks if you filed electronically
• 4 weeks if you filed a paper return

If you did not include all the necessary information but completed your return correctly, the processing of your refund could be delayed.

The CRA will hold any GST/HST refund or rebate you are entitled to until all outstanding returns and amounts are received. This includes all amounts payable and returns required under other programs administered by the CRA. The CRA can also use any GST/HST refund or rebate that you are entitled to receive to pay that outstanding amount.

You may receive your refund deposited directly into your bank account. For more information on how to enroll for direct deposit, go to Direct deposit – Canada Revenue Agency.

The CRA pay refund interest according to the prescribed interest rate. Refund interest is compounded daily on an overpayment up to and including the day the overpayment is refunded, repaid, or applied. The calculation of interest we pay ends on the day the refund is paid or applied.

For more information, see GST/HST – Penalties and interest.

Penalties and interest

Failing to comply with your GST/HST obligations could lead to penalties, interest, or even prosecution.

For example, penalties or interests may apply if you:

• did not file on time
• received a demand to file and did not file
• had to file electronically and did not
• made a false statement or omission

Interest is charged if you:

• have an overdue balance owing on a return
• make a late or insufficient instalment payment

For more information, see GST/HST – Penalties and interest.

Change a return

To change a return you have already sent, do not file another return. Instead, go to :

• My Business Account
• Represent a Client

Make a voluntary disclosure

The Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) allows you to:

• fix inaccurate or incomplete information
• disclose information you had not previously reported to us

You may apply to the VDP to avoid penalties and prosecution. If you are eligible, you will only have to pay the taxes owing and interest.

For more information, see Voluntary Disclosures Program.

Support for small businesses

The Liaison Officer Service is designed to help small businesses understand their tax obligations. Selected small and medium-sized businesses can voluntarily choose to participate in the program. If you participate, a liaison officer will help you:

• understand your tax obligations
• find out where you can get more information
• learn the common mistakes businesses make
• get answers to your questions

For more information, see Liaison Officer service.

Prepare for a GST/HST post-assessment review

To make sure you reported certain amounts correctly on your GST/HST return, CRA may contact you for a GST/HST post-assessment review. This is not a GST/HST audit.

During this review, the CRA will ask you to provide a brief explanation to validate the amounts on your GST/HST return. In some cases, you may be asked to provide supporting documents for these amounts such as receipts or a bill of sale. Adjustments may be made to your GST/HST return, if required.

There are some common adjustments that are made to correct reporting errors on GST/HST returns. Read about common mistakes to avoid when completing your GST/HST return.

Prepare for a GST/HST audit

Being audited can be overwhelming. The following questions will help you prepare for a GST/HST audit and understand how the CRA’s tax audit process works:

• Why do we audit and what is a tax audit?
• What are your responsibilities and what happens during an audit?
• What are your rights?

For more information on these subjects, see Business audits.