CRA can accept a payment plan, but the terms depend heavily on how the request is framed.

What this means for you

Representation is optional at every stage, but the further a file progresses — from initial contact to formal objection to Tax Court — the more a second set of eyes tends to help, particularly around whether a position is worth contesting versus resolving quickly.

What you can do next

  • Confirm which tax year and account the notice actually concerns
  • Call the number on the notice itself, not a number found by searching online
  • Write down the name, date, and reference number for every call

A documented budget showing genuine inability to pay in full carries far more weight than a verbal request.