CRA wait times today: current hold and the best time to call
On the CRA Individual Tax Enquiries line the weekday barely matters — every weekday averages 26 to 34 minutes — so the hour is what to pick: 8am–9am ET is quietest at about 21 minutes, 6pm–7pm ET the busiest at 36 minutes. Measured over the last 30 days. The line is closed right now as of .
Individual Tax Enquiries · last 30 days
Quietest hour
8–9 AM
about 21 min
Busiest hour
6–7 PM
about 36 min
Day of week
Barely matters
26–34 min every weekday
Right now
Updated every 5 min
Updated
Individual Tax Enquiries
—
CLOSED — OPENS MONDAY 8:00 AM ET
this line usually runs 31 min when open
All nine lines vs. usual for this hour
| CRA phone line and what it covers | Compared with usual | Current wait (minutes) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Tax Enquiries Personal income tax, refunds, notices of assessment, and payment arrangements for individuals. | usually 31 min when open | — | Closed |
| Benefits Enquiries Canada child benefit, GST/HST credit, and other benefit payments for individuals and families. | usually 30 min when open | — | Closed |
| Business Enquiries Corporate income tax, business accounts, and general enquiries for businesses. | usually 29 min when open | — | Closed |
| E-Services Help with My Account, My Business Account, and other CRA online services. | usually 31 min when open | — | Closed |
| Registered Plans RRSPs, RRIFs, pension plans, and other registered plan administration. | usually 25 min when open | — | Closed |
| GST/HST Goods and services tax and harmonized sales tax accounts, returns, and remittances. | usually 28 min when open | — | Closed |
| Payroll Payroll deductions, remittances, T4 slips, and employer accounts. | usually 27 min when open | — | Closed |
| Business Number Registering a business number and managing program accounts. | usually 27 min when open | — | Closed |
| Corporate Self-Service Automated self-service line for corporate account balances and filing information. | usually 28 min when open | — | Closed |
When to call
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 24 | 36 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 32 |
| Tue | 22 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 35 | 26 |
| Wed | 20 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 27 |
| Thu | 19 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 25 |
| Fri | 19 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 43 | 33 |
| Sat | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sun | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
<15Under 15 min 15–2915–29 min 30+30 min and over FullLine full Closed
View this data as text
Average CRA hold times for Individual Tax Enquiries, by day, Eastern Time:
- Monday — busiest day, 34 minutes on average. Best hour 8a (24 min), worst hour 10a (37 min).
- Tuesday — 30 minutes on average. Best hour 8a (22 min), worst hour 6p (35 min).
- Wednesday — 29 minutes on average. Best hour 8a (20 min), worst hour 6p (34 min).
- Thursday — quietest day, 26 minutes on average. Best hour 8a (19 min), worst hour 6p (32 min).
- Friday — 34 minutes on average. Best hour 8a (19 min), worst hour 6p (43 min).
- Saturday — closed, no answered calls recorded.
- Sunday — closed, no answered calls recorded.
We log the CRA's published estimates every five minutes and average them, so the grid above is measured rather than guessed. Many account updates, benefit checks and form submissions are faster through the CRA's secure online services than on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to call the CRA?
Call on a Thursday, the quietest weekday across all 9 lines, averaging 26 minutes. Call around 8am–9am ET, the quietest hour across all 9 lines on any weekday, averaging 19 minutes. Call the Registered Plans line if your question fits it — it is the fastest to reach, averaging 25 minutes.
What is the worst time to call the CRA?
Avoid Fridays, the busiest weekday across all 9 lines, averaging 30 minutes. Avoid 10am–11am ET, the busiest stretch across all 9 lines on any weekday, averaging 31 minutes. Avoid February through April, when filing-season volume lengthens every line and the E-Services line — already the slowest at 31 minutes — is worst affected.
What are the CRA phone line hours?
Our readings show CRA phone lines answering Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Our data shows no answered calls on Saturdays or Sundays outside tax season, and lines open earlier — around 6:30 a.m. ET — from February to April.
How long is the current CRA wait time?
Wait times on this page are updated every 5 minutes from the CRA's own published figures. Over the last 30 days, waits ranged from an average of 25 minutes on the Registered Plans line to 31 minutes on the E-Services line.
Why are CRA wait times so long?
Call volume concentrates at the start of the workday, around 10am–11am ET, on Fridays, and during the February-to-April filing season. Many account updates, benefit checks and form submissions can be completed faster through the CRA's secure online services than by phone.
Which CRA line has the longest wait?
The E-Services line, averaging 31 minutes over the last 30 days.