Calm, organized help when the CRA writes
CRA Audit Help in London, Ontario
A letter from the Canada Revenue Agency is stressful, but most CRA reviews end quietly once the right documents reach the right person. A&P Accounting & Tax Experts steps in as your authorized representative, reads exactly what the CRA is asking and handles the reply for you.
People call us holding a review letter about medical or rental claims, facing a reassessment they think is wrong, or several years behind on filing and unsure where to start. Owner-managers come to us with HST reviews, payroll examinations and corporate audits.
We handle CRA correspondence all year, not just in tax season, and we know what each review program is really looking for. You get a plain-language explanation of where you stand and a written plan before anything goes back to the CRA.
- 5.0 stars on Google
- Downtown London office
- In person or fully online
- Open Saturdays
How we help
Our CRA Audit and Tax Problem Services
Most CRA problems can be fixed without a courtroom or a lawyer. Once you authorize us through the CRA’s Represent a Client service, we can see your CRA records, receive copies of letters, speak with agents and upload documents on your behalf.
From one missing receipt to five years of unfiled returns, here is the CRA help Londoners and local businesses ask us for most.
CRA Reviews, Audits and Requests for Information
We answer pre-assessment and processing reviews, matching letters, desk audits and field audits for personal T1, corporate T2, GST/HST and payroll accounts.
Every response is organized, reconciled to the return and explained in a cover letter so the reviewer does not have to guess.
Notices of Objection
If a reassessment is wrong, a notice of objection sends it to the CRA’s Appeals branch, which is independent of the auditor. Corporations have 90 days from the date on the notice of reassessment.
Individuals have the later of 90 days or one year after the filing due date. We file through My Account or on Form T400A with the facts, law and documents that support your position.
Late Filing and Back Taxes
The late tax filing penalty in Canada is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% for each full month late, up to 12 months. Repeat late filers can face 10% plus 2% a month for up to 20 months.
We prepare catch-up returns, confirm what is really owed on back taxes and help you set up a payment arrangement with CRA Collections.
Taxpayer Relief for Penalties and Interest
The CRA can cancel or waive penalties and interest when they resulted from events beyond your control, CRA errors or financial hardship. Requests are made on Form RC4288 and cover the 10 calendar years before the request.
The CRA reports an average processing time of about 16 months, so a well-documented first request matters.
Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP)
The Voluntary Disclosures Program lets you correct unreported income or unfiled returns before the CRA finds them. Under rules in effect since October 1, 2025, unprompted disclosures normally receive full penalty relief and 75% interest relief.
Prompted disclosures, made after CRA contact, can still qualify for partial relief. Applications go on Form RC199 and must be complete.
CRA Letters for Businesses
HST input tax credit reviews, payroll source deduction examinations and T2 audits need the books to tie out. We reconcile your QuickBooks Online or Xero records to what was filed before the CRA sees them.
Know what you are holding
Types of CRA Letters and What They Mean
Not every CRA letter is an audit. Most are routine reviews asking you to prove a claim, and the program name in the letterhead tells you how serious it is and how much time you have.
| Letter or program | What the CRA wants | Typical response window |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-assessment review | Receipts for a claim before your Notice of Assessment is issued, often medical, tuition, child care, moving or donation claims. | About 30 days; your refund waits until it is resolved |
| Processing review | Proof of deductions or credits on a return that has already been assessed. | About 30 days |
| Matching program | An explanation of income the CRA received on a slip (T4, T4A, T5, T3, T5008) that does not match your return, or RRSP over-contributions. | About 30 days; silence usually leads to a reassessment |
| Desk audit | A broader document request handled by mail or online, typically for self-employment, rental or corporate expenses. | Usually 30 days, with extensions possible |
| Field audit | An on-site examination of books, records and systems at your business or your representative’s office, often covering two or three years. | Scheduled by the auditor; can run for months |
| GST/HST review or audit | Support for input tax credits, refund claims or new-housing rebates, often before a refund is released. | Often 30 days |
| Payroll examination | Verification of CPP, EI and income tax withheld, taxable benefits, T4 reporting and worker status. | Scheduled with the examiner |
A notice of reassessment is different: it is the CRA’s decision, not a question. That is when the objection clock starts, so note the date printed on it.
Got a CRA letter on your kitchen table?
Call us before the response date. We will tell you what the letter means and what it will take to answer it.
First steps
What to Do When a CRA Letter Arrives
Open it, read it twice and resist the urge to call the number on the page right away. A few calm steps in the first week make the rest of the process far easier.
Confirm the Letter Is Really From the CRA
Log in to CRA My Account or My Business Account and check that the same letter appears under your mail. Scammers impersonate the CRA constantly by phone, text and email.
The real CRA never demands payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or e-transfer to an individual, and never threatens arrest. The CRA’s scams and fraud page lists current schemes.
Note the Response Deadline
Most review letters give you about 30 days from the date on the letter, not the date you opened it. Write that date down first.
If you need more time to gather records, an extension can usually be arranged when you ask before the deadline. Missing it entirely often means the claim is denied and reassessed.
Gather Records Before You Call the CRA
Pull together the receipts, bank statements, slips and agreements that support the item in question before anyone speaks to the CRA. Answer only what is asked.
Do not volunteer guesses or estimates. A rough figure said on the phone can end up in the auditor’s notes as fact.
Authorize Your Accountant
Through Represent a Client, you can give us Level 1 access, which lets us view your information, or Level 2, which also lets us make changes and act for you. Individuals approve it in My Account and businesses in My Business Account.
For phone and mail access only, the CRA uses Form AUT-01. Once authorized, we deal with the CRA directly.
Our process
How We Handle Your CRA Audit
Every file follows the same disciplined path, whether it is a single matching letter or a three-year business audit. You see each document before it is sent and know the next step before it happens.
Authorization and File Review
We get Represent a Client access, pull your CRA account history and the prior returns, and pin down exactly what the CRA is questioning.
Document Package and Response
We organize, reconcile and index your records, then send them with a cover letter that ties each document to the item under review.
Reassessment Review
When the CRA issues its decision, we check its math, its interpretation and any penalties against what was actually provided.
Objection or Relief Request if Needed
If the outcome is wrong, we file a notice of objection; if it is right but unfair, we pursue taxpayer relief or a payment arrangement.
Choosing the right help
Do You Need an Accountant or a Tax Lawyer?
For most CRA reviews, audits, objections and relief requests, an experienced accountant is the right first call. These disputes turn on records, reconciliations and tax calculations, which is accounting work.
A tax lawyer is the right call in a few specific situations. A&P is an accounting firm, not a law firm, and we do not give legal advice; when your file needs a lawyer, we tell you early and work alongside the one you choose.
When to bring in a tax lawyer in London, Ontario
- The CRA’s Criminal Investigations Program contacts you, or there is a search warrant
- Your disclosure may involve deliberate evasion and you need solicitor-client privilege
- An objection fails and the matter is headed to the Tax Court of Canada
- You face director’s liability for a corporation’s unpaid source deductions or HST
- Large gross negligence penalties are on the table
Communications with an accountant are not privileged the way legal advice is, which is exactly why serious exposure belongs with counsel.
Not sure if your CRA problem needs a lawyer?
Call and describe the letter. We will tell you honestly whether it is accounting work or legal work.
Fees
CRA Audit Support Fees
Defined jobs get a fixed fee: answering a processing review, preparing catch-up returns or writing a taxpayer relief request. You know the price before we start.
Open-ended work, such as a multi-year field audit or a complex objection, is usually quoted as a fixed scope with clear milestones, or hourly when the CRA’s demands are hard to predict. We tell you which approach fits and why.
The biggest cost drivers are how many years and accounts are involved and how organized your records are. Our fees and pricing for accounting and tax services explain the rest, and a phone call gets you a quote for your file.
The A&P difference
Why Londoners Call A&P When the CRA Writes
When the CRA is involved, you want someone close by, available and precise. Our downtown office sits a few blocks from the CRA’s tax services office at 451 Talbot Street, though nearly all CRA disputes today are settled through letters, phone calls and online submissions.
Year-Round Availability
CRA letters arrive in June, September and December too. We answer the phone six days a week through the year, not just during tax season.
Responses Built From Your Records
We never send the CRA a guess. Every figure in a response traces back to a receipt, a statement or a reconciled ledger.
Five-Star Reviews for Clear Answers
Our 5.0-star Google rating from 11 reviews reflects what clients say most: clear explanations, attention to detail and responsiveness.
In Person or Remote
Bring your CRA letter to our Wellington Street office, or send it through our secure client portal and sign authorizations electronically.
CRA Audit FAQs
What triggers a CRA audit?
Most CRA reviews start with a mismatch: income on a T4, T5 or T4A slip that does not appear on your return, or a claim that is large compared with your income. Big refunds, rental or business losses year after year, and home office, vehicle or medical claims are common triggers.
The CRA also runs industry projects in sectors it considers higher risk, such as construction, restaurants, real estate and the gig economy, and some files are picked at random.
How many years back can the CRA reassess?
Normally three years from the date on your original Notice of Assessment for individuals and Canadian-controlled private corporations, and four years for other corporations. GST/HST returns can generally be reassessed for four years.
There is no time limit when the CRA can show misrepresentation through carelessness, neglect or wilful default, or fraud, or when you signed a waiver. That is one reason to keep records for at least six years.
Can the CRA cancel my penalties and interest?
Yes, through the Taxpayer Relief provisions, when penalties or interest arose from circumstances beyond your control. Serious illness, a death in the family, a natural disaster, CRA errors or delays, and genuine inability to pay are the situations the CRA considers.
Requests go on Form RC4288 and can reach back 10 calendar years. Relief cancels penalties and interest, not the tax itself.
What happens if I haven’t filed taxes in years?
Start filing now, oldest year first, before the CRA sends a demand. If you are owed refunds or benefits, there is usually no penalty at all, and filing restarts payments like the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) and Canada Child Benefit.
If you owe, penalties grow every month you wait. When the unfiled years involve unreported income and the CRA has not contacted you yet, the Voluntary Disclosures Program may cut the penalties and much of the interest.
Should I talk to the CRA auditor myself?
You can, but most people are better served by letting their representative handle the conversation. Auditors take notes, and a casual guess about cash sales or personal use of a vehicle can become a finding.
Speaking yourself costs nothing and can feel more transparent. Using an authorized accountant keeps answers accurate, limited to what was asked and backed by documents.
Keep exploring
Related Services and Areas We Serve
Many CRA problems start with a return that needed more care, so audit support and annual filing go hand in hand. We help taxpayers in London and the surrounding towns respond to the CRA without ever needing to visit the office.
Personal Tax Returns
Catch-up and current-year T1 returns prepared with every claim documented, so a future review is easy to answer.
Corporate Tax Returns (T2)
T2 corporate tax returns and year-end statements that reconcile to your books, the first thing a corporate auditor checks.
GST/HST Returns
GST/HST return filing and input tax credit support that keeps HST reviews short and refunds moving.
CRA Help for St. Thomas
CRA letter and audit support for St. Thomas and Elgin County taxpayers, by phone, online or at our London office.
CRA Help for Woodstock
Review, objection and late filing help for Woodstock individuals and Oxford County businesses.
CRA Help for Strathroy
Tax problem help for Strathroy and Middlesex County residents, from matching letters to back taxes.
Get Help With Your CRA Letter Today
Have the letter in front of you when you call. We will explain what the CRA is asking, how long you have and what it will cost to respond, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.