Keeping an informant's identity confidential

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will protect the identity of an informant to the fullest extent possible as required by the law.

There are some circumstances, such as when the informant is required as an essential witness in a court proceeding, where it may not be possible to proceed without revealing the informant's identity. The CRA will advise the informant before it decides whether to proceed in such cases.

Confidentiality of taxpayer information

All taxpayer information is covered by the confidentiality rules in federal tax legislation as well as by privacy laws that impose strict limits on what the CRA can disclose.

Obtaining or receiving information about the status of a case

The CRA can only provide information to an informant on the status and disposition of their particular case. To ensure confidentiality, a request for an update on a case must be made in writing to the program and refer to the case number. The program will respond in writing and will only confirm whether a case is open or closed. Please do not contact the program hotline for updates or to request information about a case.

An informant will receive written correspondence from the program only at their designated mailing address to acknowledge the submission, to initiate contract discussions, to inform them of a payment under the contract, and to serve notice of contract termination or completion.