Your privacy and how we protect it
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Your privacy matters
The CRA does not ask for your identity when you submit a lead. If you want to remain anonymous, do not include any details that could reveal who you are.
The CRA collects, uses, and safeguards leads with the utmost care. Protecting personal information is important, and the CRA is committed to keeping your information secure.
Section 241 of the Income Tax Act and section 295 of the Excise Tax Act protect the confidentiality of taxpayer information. These laws prevent the CRA from sharing information about taxpayers without their consent. This means you will not receive feedback or updates on the lead you provide.
Before you submit a lead, it is important to understand that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) cannot guarantee your anonymity. While the CRA takes every step to protect your privacy, it cannot control if the person or business assumes that you submitted the lead. It is possible that the information in a lead could indirectly reveal your identity if you are the only one who knows about it.
There are rare cases where the lead information may be included in legal proceedings. The CRA will do all it can to protect your identity in these cases, but the lead information could become part of the court file.
How the CRA uses your information
Lead information is collected under the authority of federal tax and benefit laws. These laws, along with privacy laws, impose strict limits on what the CRA can share. The CRA may use the information provided in a lead to ensure that taxpayers meet their tax obligations and receive the benefit payments they are entitled to.