Canadian woman left in limbo after CRA accidentally declares her dead
When June “Juna” Miller filed her taxes in spring, she expected a refund, but instead, she was declared legally dead.
The 65-year-old Vancouver woman told Daily Hive that she mailed in her own return, alongside her late husband Giorgio’s, in May 2025.
Giorgio died in September 2024.
A few weeks later, she attempted to log in to her CRA account. It didn’t work, and she called the agency.
“The woman on the phone said, ‘Well, you’re deceased.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about? You’re speaking to me!'” Miller explained.
What followed was a month-long ordeal that cost her her pension, Social Insurance Number, and sense of stability.
“It took five seconds for them to kill me”
Miller was shocked and confused to learn about the CRA’s error, especially given how they abruptly assumed she had died.
“It took them five seconds to say I was dead… without even asking for a death certificate,” she said. “Now I’m being told it could take six months to prove I’m alive. That makes no sense to me.”
June “Juna” Miller and her late husband, Giorgio. (Supplied)
What made matters worse was the timing.
The CRA error hit just as Miller officially retired at 65, a milestone that should have marked the beginning of her pension-supported life.
But with her account frozen and no payments coming in, she was suddenly without any source of income.
Her Social Insurance Number had been cancelled, making it impossible to access her bank account or even apply for temporary work to stay afloat.
“One company offered to hire me,” she said. “But they couldn’t onboard me without a valid SIN. And I didn’t have one anymore.”
CRA needed “proof” she was alive
To reverse the error, the CRA told Miller that she would need to prove she was alive, which meant submitting a government-issued ID and letters from people confirming she wasn’t actually deceased.
But when she reached out to friends for help, some thought she was joking and refused to write the letter.
Even Service Canada wasn’t much help, Miller claimed.
She recalls one interaction with an agent who questioned why she kept insisting she was alive, while another refused to proceed because her name didn’t match across various documents.
When Miller attempted to order a copy of her marriage certificate to fulfill the requirement, her request was denied because her ID had already been flagged as invalid.
The process became a frustrating loop of bureaucratic contradictions, with every step forward blocked by another technicality.
At one point, Miller recalls being told her documents were “not enough” and that she’d need to keep trying.
“What else do I need to do?” she asked. “Rise from a coffin?”
CRA responds with regret
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When Daily Hive asked the Canada Revenue Agency for comment, a spokesperson declined to discuss Miller’s specific case due to confidentiality rules, but confirmed that such incidents, although rare, can occur.
According to the CRA, a person may be mistakenly declared deceased due to human error, a filing mistake, or miscommunication with another department, including provincial records or the Social Insurance Registry.
“Despite safeguards to ensure accuracy, on very rare occasions an individual may erroneously be declared deceased,” the agency said.
The CRA explained that once an error is flagged, a taxpayer’s file is typically corrected by simply removing the date of death, which restores access to benefits and reverses incorrect letters or tax changes.
While reversals are initiated immediately, they noted that it can still take a few weeks for documents and adjustments to be fully processed.
“We understand this can be alarming and have financial implications,” the spokesperson told Daily Hive.
“We regret these types of situations and are committed to providing the best possible service to Canadians.”
Receiving support after the CRA error
Although Miller said the experience of trying to prove she was alive to the CRA was emotionally taxing, she says she feels grateful for the community support she received.
A member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Miller said her local band never questioned her status.
“It’s our culture to show up for each other,” she explained.
Her Vancity bank branch at Commercial Drive in Vancouver also vouched for her in person and restored her banking access.
“They know me. They went up to the board and said, ‘Unlock her account. She’s not dead.'”
“June is a familiar face in her community branch. When she came in needing our help, we were so happy to provide it. As a member owned financial cooperative, supporting members and community is what Vancity does and exists to do,” Vancity Credit Union told Daily Hive.
She credited her daughter and close friend, Caroline, for launching a GoFundMe to help with her $1,600 monthly strata fees.
“We’re family. We take care of each other, especially when the system doesn’t,” said Miller.
Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan stepped in as well, formally raising Miller’s case with the federal government.
Miller provided Daily Hive a copy of the letter dated June 30, in which Kwan wrote directly to Minister François-Philippe Champagne, asking that CRA fix the mistake immediately, restore her pension, and ensure all missed payments were sent without delay.
Resurrection, at last
On June 30, Miller received the call she’d been waiting for.
“CRA just called and I have been resurrected,” she told Daily Hive. “They’re sending an apology letter in the mail.”
“I belong to a strong community,” she said. “That’s what got me through.”
But the emotional damage lingers.
“Giorgio would’ve fixed this in a heartbeat,” she said of her late husband of 35 years. “If he were here, they’d have listened. He had that kind of presence.”
And if she could speak directly to CRA leadership?
“Listen to people. Really listen. Don’t just try to move them along to the next file. That’s not how you treat humans…living ones, at least.”
Daily Hive has contacted the CRA as well as Jenny Kwan’s office for comment and will update this story when a response is received.