Disagree with your CRA assessment? Object properly — and on time.
Nyphron walks you through a notice of objection to the Canada Revenue Agency: check your deadline, assemble your facts-and-reasons letter, organise your evidence, and file with the right office.
One-time $39 CAD.
Built by a Canadian CPA. A do-it-yourself document tool — not a law firm, not an accounting engagement.
Why a notice of objection matters
When the CRA assesses or reassesses you and you disagree with the result, a notice of objection is the formal way to dispute the assessment itself — the facts and law behind how much tax you owe. It goes to the CRA's Appeals Intake Centre, where an appeals officer reviews it independently of the auditor who assessed you.
The catch: deadlines are strict. For most taxpayers it is 90 days after the notice was sent (individuals get the later of that and one year after the filing-due date). Miss it and you are into discretionary extension territory, where the CRA may refuse.
A fraction of the cost of hiring it out
Tax lawyers commonly charge a few thousand dollars just to file an objection — published figures range roughly $2,500–$7,500, with $3,500–$4,500 a typical reported range from one quoted practitioner. That is for the filing alone, before any dispute work begins.
Nyphron's DIY packet is $39 CAD, one time: the deadline calculator, a guided facts-and-reasons letter assembler, an evidence checklist tailored to your issue, and a filing guide with the current addresses, fax numbers, and online options. No subscription, no upsells.
How it works
- Check your deadline (free). Enter the date printed on your notice. The calculator applies the statutory rules — ITA s.165(1) for income tax, ETA s.301(1.1) for GST/HST — and flags weekend and federal-holiday shifts.
- Take the quiz (free). Confirm a notice of objection is the track to look at — and screen out cases that need a tax lawyer instead.
- Build your packet ($39 CAD). Assemble your facts-and-reasons letter from guided prompts, organise your evidence, and follow the filing guide to send it to the Appeals Intake Centre.
Honest expectations, before you pay
- Interest keeps accruing during the dispute on any amount owing. Paying now reduces interest even if you later win.
- Collections are generally suspended on the disputed amount once you file, until 90 days after the Minister's decision is sent (ITA s.225.1(2)) — with exceptions, including source deductions and large corporations.
- It takes a while. CRA published resolution times: service standards of 180 days (low-complexity, 80% target) and 365 days (medium-complexity); actual June 2026 averages were 127 days (low), 389 days (medium), and 690+ days (high-complexity, 2–3% of workload).
- Large corporations (group taxable capital employed in Canada over $10 million) must pay half the assessed amount even while objecting (ITA s.225.1(7)–(8)).
- Complex cases need a lawyer. Very large amounts, GAAR, transfer pricing, cross-border issues, or criminal tax matters are not DIY territory.
Nyphron makes no promises about outcomes. A well-organised objection is worth filing; whether you succeed depends on your facts and the law.
Objection vs. taxpayer relief — know which track you're on
A notice of objection disputes the assessment itself. A taxpayer relief request (Form RC4288) is a separate track that can only ask the CRA to cancel or waive penalties and interest — it cannot change the tax the CRA says you owe, and there is no right of objection or appeal on relief decisions. If your issue is penalties and interest only, our packet is not the right tool.
Not legal or tax advice
Nyphron is a do-it-yourself document tool built by a Canadian CPA. It is not a law firm, not an accounting firm, and using it does not make us your accountant. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or accounting advice, and no client relationship is created. You are solely responsible for any documents you file with the CRA. Read the terms.