Anyone else recently get some weird BS request from the CRA to pay installments?
My wife was laid off from both of her jobs last march so she collected max CERB, then moved onto EI/Mat Leave toward the end of 2020. CRA sent her a letter requesting her to pay a $3,000 installment by March 15. Not convinced she will owe nearly that much ( hard to say where dust will settle as she has some outstanding T slips ) but whatever.
Letter is pretty vaguely worded and makes it sound like the installments are kindof voluntary, unless they are not in which case they will charge interest ( which is BS considering the time of the year relative to tax filing season but whatever ).
I assume this is around the whole CERB not being taxed thing ( Though notably if you are a CERB fraudster they are cool with you taking a couple years to pay it back interest free, fuck this country ).
Anyone with experience around installments have advice? Is the "smart" move to pay the $3k JIC and see where it nets out once I file in April?
Whole situation just seems so bizarre to me but whatever. Not interested in spending 6 hours on hold with CRA to ask them the question just for them to give me the wrong advice and not be liable for it.
TIA