Quick answer: A T2 review letter asks for support for specific lines on a filed corporate return — usually expenses, credits, or a figure that does not match their slips. It is a document request, not an audit, and a good response usually ends it. Note its deadline first.
What you send, and what you do not volunteer, decides how long this runs. How a review is handled here, or start with an enquiry.
On this page
What a review is, and is not
The CRA matches returns to the slips, elections and filings it holds; when something does not line up, or a claim is one they routinely verify, it asks for the documents behind the number. A review means showing your work on named lines. It is not an accusation or an audit, which is broader, with different rules.
Read the letter for these four things
- The reference number — every response has to quote it, or it lands in a queue unattached to your file.
- The specific lines or claims named — the review is limited to these. Answering what was asked, fully, is the whole job.
- The response deadline — the letter states it. If the records cannot be assembled in time, an extension can be requested before it passes, not after.
- Where to respond — usually online through My Business Account, which timestamps the submission.
What to send, and what not to volunteer
Send exactly what supports the named lines — invoices, agreements, account ledgers, proof of payment — legible and organized by line. Never the whole year unasked: wider responses invite wider questions. Precision is compliance; volume is exposure.
If the number was actually wrong
Sometimes the review is right. If the claim was overstated, saying so beats defending it, and for wider problems the Voluntary Disclosures Program may matter. Decide with an accountant before responding.
What happens after you respond
The CRA accepts the support, reassesses, or follows up. A reassessment you dispute can go through the formal objection process, with its own deadline from the reassessment date.
A T2 review asks for the working papers behind a line, and they exist or they do not — corporate returns prepared with the backup already assembled is how they come to exist.
General information, not tax advice. A letter’s own wording and dates govern — confirm anything that affects a decision by sending us an enquiry.
Common questions about CRA T2 review letter
Is a review letter the same as an audit?+
What if I miss the deadline in the letter?+
Should I call the CRA before responding?+
Can EverStone handle the response for me?+
Other CRA letters, decoded
Not sure which letter you have? Start with the full list and match what yours says.
One letter often follows another. These cover the ones owner-managers see most.