A statute-barred year is a tax year that has passed the normal reassessment period and cannot be reassessed by the Canada Revenue Agency unless a specific statutory exception applies. The normal reassessment period is generally three years from the original notice of assessment for individuals and Canadian-controlled private corporations, and four years for other corporations and mutual fund trusts.
Exceptions that allow reassessment outside the normal period include a misrepresentation attributable to neglect, carelessness, or wilful default; fraud; a signed waiver; and certain carryback or consequential adjustments. For GST/HST, the basic period is generally four years. Once a year is statute-barred and no exception applies, the assessment for that year stands.