Your Social Insurance Number  (SIN) is a ix-digit number provided to you from Service Canada. Yous demand a SIN to work in Canada, have admission to regime benefits and programs, and it is your SIN that identifies you when you file your personal income taxes. If yous're a citizen, a permanent resident or a temporary resident, you need a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

Your parents may accept practical for a SIN number on your behalf when you were built-in. Otherwise, you likely got your SIN as a teenager, before you started your first job.

Where Tin can I Notice My Social Insurance Number (SIN)?

  • On your SIN card or confirmation alphabetic character: Service Canada used to consequence SINs in plastic card format, however presently, they are issued in paper format. Check your records for either your card or confirmation letter.
  • On CRA documents: Your SIN is used to place you with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) so you'll find your SIN number on the outset page of your tax returns and on whatever other documents or correspondence from the CRA.

Tin can I Get a Replacement If I've Lost my SIN?

  • To supercede your lost SIN, you'll need tovisit your local Service Canada co-operative. If you lot visit with all the appropriate documents, Service Canada volition give y'all your SIN number on the spot.
  • If you alive more than 100 km from a Services Canada branch or cannot visit a Service Canada branch considering of a special situation, y'all can brand aSIN request by mail service. Just, before mailing your SIN request, you must get-go get permission from Service Canada by calling 1-800-206-7218 (select Option #three).
  • It's of import to note thatyou lot will only be issued a make new SIN if y'all were the victim of identity theft or fraud. Check out Service Canada's Protecting your Social Insurance Number spider web folio for details.

Do I Have To Give Out My SIN?

You must requite it to anyone who prepares data slips (such as T3, T4, or T5 slips) for you. Each time y'all do not give it when yous are supposed to, you may have to pay a $100 penalty which is levied past the CRA. For this reason, information technology is important that if y'all receive any of these information slips that you check over the information on the slips, and if your SIN is missing or is wrong, inform the slip preparer.

Your SIN is also used by the CRA when you brand enquiries about your Income Tax, benefits such as the GST/HST Credit, Canada Child Benefit (CCB) and other Regime programs such as Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP), etc.

However, with the contempo number of scams and fraudulent activity surrounding the CRA and identity theft, taxpayers should be vigilant when they receive, either by telephone, mail service, text message or email, a fraudulent communication that claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting personal data such every bit a Social Insurance Number. More information on recognizing a scam and protecting yourself confronting fraud can be plant here.

A complete list of "who can ask for your SIN", as well equally "when you don't have to provide your SIN", can be constitute in this CRA document.