Lost a receipt? What the CRA accepts instead

Why a missing receipt matters

A business has to keep records of all its transactions, and those records have to be backed by documents such as receipts and invoices. The CRA is direct about what happens in an audit: if your records don't support your claims, "they could be disallowed." If records are incomplete, auditors "will have to use other methods to establish your income."

For an expense, the CRA's guidance on business records says the receipt should show the date, the seller's name and address, the buyer's name and address, a full description of what was bought and, for purchases of $100 or more, the seller's GST/HST number if they're registered. A replacement should cover as much of that as you can.

When records are inadequate overall, the CRA usually asks for a written agreement to keep proper records, and can then issue a formal requirement letter. Not complying can lead to prosecution and a fine of at least $1,000.

Step 1: Get a copy of the original

A copy from the source is the best replacement, because it shows everything the original did. Look in this order:

• Your email. Many stores and suppliers send the receipt or invoice by email. Search for the supplier's name and the amount.
• Your online accounts. Online stores, phone and internet providers, utilities and software subscriptions usually let you download past invoices.
• The supplier. Ask for a duplicate receipt or a copy of the invoice. Give the date, the amount and how you paid, so they can find the sale.

Step 2: Keep proof that you paid

If no copy exists, start with proof of payment. The CRA lists bank statements, cancelled cheques and credit card receipts among a business's records. Keep whichever applies: the card or bank statement showing the charge, the cancelled cheque, or the e-transfer confirmation.

Proof of payment shows that money left your account, when, and to whom. It doesn't show what you bought, or that the purchase was for the business. That's what the next step is for.

Step 3: Write down what the receipt would have shown

When a seller doesn't give a receipt, the CRA says to record the seller's name and address, the amount paid, the date and the details of the transaction in your expense journal. Doing the same for a lost receipt, kept with the proof of payment, gives you the most complete record you can have:

• The seller's name and address
• The date of the purchase
• The amount paid, and the tax if you know it
• What you bought, and why it was for the business
• How you paid (card, cheque number, e-transfer)
• That the original was lost, and what you did to try to get a copy

Write it as soon as you notice the receipt is missing, while the details are fresh.

What each replacement shows

The strongest file has more than one: proof of payment, plus a copy or a note.

GST/HST: the tax credit needs more

Claiming the GST/HST back as an input tax credit has its own document rules. From $100, the receipt or invoice has to show the supplier's GST/HST registration number and the tax charged, or that the total includes it. A card statement or your own note won't show either, so without a copy from the supplier, you may not be able to claim the GST/HST back on that purchase.

In Quebec, Revenu Québec also requires supporting documents for the GST and QST, and from $100 the receipt has to show the supplier's QST number as well.

When many records are lost at once

A fire, a flood, a theft or a crashed computer is a different situation from one missing receipt. If your books and records were destroyed in a disaster, the CRA asks businesses to call 1-800-959-5525. For electronic records that are lost, destroyed or damaged, the CRA's guidance says to report it to your tax services office and recreate the files within a reasonable time. The same guidance says to keep proper backups at all times.

How to stop losing receipts

1. Take a picture at the counter, before the receipt goes in a pocket or fades. Our guide on how long to keep receipts covers the rules for keeping them as images.
2. Ask for email receipts whenever a store offers them, and have them all sent to one address.
3. File every receipt the same week, named the same way every time. Our file naming convention guide shows one way.
4. Match your statements to your receipts every month. A receipt you notice missing after a few weeks is easy to replace. One you notice three years later often isn't.