Unclaimed property

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Search for Lost Property and Money and Submit property will not be available on:

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• Sundays from 7 am to 10 am MT
• the first working day of each month from 5:30 pm to midnight MT

Overview

The Alberta government maintains a central registry of property that is unclaimed and has been presumed abandoned by its owner. A person or entity that holds or maintains unclaimed property is required to report and transfer the abandoned property or its cash equivalent to Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, Tax and Revenue Administration (TRA). Once transferred, the owner or their legal representative, or a creditor, can make a claim for that property.

As of March 31, 2023, there were approximately 333,838 unclaimed items in the unclaimed property repository, with an estimated value of $142 million.

Find your property

Search for missing property on the official websites at no charge. Try searching using your first initial, nickname, or any other name you have previously used.

• MissingMoney.com searches the Alberta registry, as well as over 40 other state and provincial registries in North America.
• Search for Lost Property and Money searches the Alberta registry only.

Locator assistance

If you use the assistance of a person or agency to locate your property, make sure you have the arrangement in writing. The locator fee in Alberta cannot be greater than 10% of the value of the property.

Submit a claim

There is no charge to submit a claim; however, you may be required to pay a fee for the administration costs of the property (e.g., storage costs, holder fees).

Step 1: Search for and select the property

• After searching the Alberta Search for Lost Property and Money website, you will be directed to MissingMoney.com for the results of your search.
• Select the properties that you can claim, and follow the instructions on the page to continue.

Step 2: Complete the online claim form

• Enter the information requested to complete the form.

Step 3: Submit your claim

• Submit your claim and print the confirmation page to keep for your records.
• Claims must be submitted within 10 years from the date the property was received by TRA.

Step 4: Submit documents in respect of your existing claim

After submitting a claim, you must provide supporting documents as proof of ownership. You will need the confirmation number that was provided when you submitted your claim.

• Online: Upload or email your supporting documents to TRA.
• Paper: Mail or fax your supporting documents to TRA.

Step 5: After you submit your claim

• All claims are reviewed within 120 days of receipt of the claim. If other documentation is required, additional time may be needed to review the claim.
• If your claim is approved, the property will be returned within 30 days if there are no amounts owing.
• The claimant is responsible for any delivery charges incurred for returning the property.
• If your claim is not approved or if you disagree with a decision made by TRA regarding your claim, you may submit Form AT4954 – Notice of Objection.

Property holders

Definition of a holder

A holder is a person or entity that is or becomes obligated to hold property (both tangible and intangible) for an owner. A holder includes an individual, business, government, personal representative, securities intermediary or issuer of a security.

• Tangible property is any physical property other than land, such as artwork or jewellery. Tangible property must have an aggregate net value of $1,000 or more for the unclaimed property program to apply.
• Intangible property is an interest held, issued or owing by a business or government, such as money, interest, dividends, unpaid salary or refunds. Intangible property must have an aggregate net value of $250 or more for the unclaimed property program to apply.

Responsibilities of a property holder

• Determine when property is unclaimed. For information on when property is presumed to be abandoned, refer to section 6 of the General Regulation (the Regulation) or Appendix A of Information Circular UP-2 – Information for Property Holders.
• Notify property owners between 3 and 8 months prior to transferring the property to TRA.
• Within 120 days of the end of the reporting year:
  • submit to TRA a list of all unclaimed property you were holding as of December 31 that was presumed to be abandoned during the year; and
  • pay, transfer or deliver the property (or its cash equivalent) to TRA
• Retain records for 10 years from the date of submission

Abandonment periods

Each property has a defined abandonment period, which determines when property is required to be paid, transferred or delivered to TRA. Depending on the type, property must be dormant for 1 to 15 years before it can be declared unclaimed. For information on when property is presumed to be abandoned, refer to section 6 of the Regulation or Appendix A to Information Circular UP-2 – Information for Property Holders.

Table 1. Abandonment periods

Submit property

For information on how to submit property to TRA, refer to the Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Quick Guide or watch the How to submit an unclaimed property report video.

Property holders must pay, transfer or deliver the property or its cash equivalent to TRA within 120 days from December 31 of the respective reporting year.

A property holder who has not paid, transferred, or delivered property (or its cash equivalent) to TRA within 120 days from December 31 of the respective reporting year must pay interest on the value of the property from the date the holder was required to pay, transfer or deliver the property to TRA, up to and including the date the property is paid, transferred or delivered to TRA.

Interest is payable in accordance with section 4 of the Judgment Interest Act and calculated using the rates prescribed in the Judgment Interest Regulation.

How to pay

For cash value transfers, payment must be made for each submission. Do not combine your payment for multiple submissions.

Online through your financial institution

• Tax Payment and Filing Service is available at most financial institutions.
• Select ‘Alberta Finance – Unclaimed Property Program – ABUPP’ as the Payee.
• Include your Submission Number.

By cheque

• Include your Legal Name and Submission Number.
• Mail TRA cheques payable to the Government of Alberta.

By wire

• Refer to the confirmation page on your submission for wire information or email Unclaimed Property.

Publications and forms

Video

• How to submit an unclaimed property report (January 2024)

Information Circulars

These documents discuss procedural matters and administrative policies and practices for programs administered by TRA. They are updated as necessary and a revision number assigned.

• Information Circular UP-1R4 – Overview of the Alberta Unclaimed Property Program (November 2023)
• Information Circular UP-2R6 – Information for Property Holders (November 2023)
• Information Circular UP-3R3 – Information for Persons Searching and Making a Claim for Unclaimed Property (April 2023)

Special Notices

These documents are used to announce changes to the legislation administered by TRA or changes to administrative policies and practices carried out by TRA. These notices are time-specific and meant to be transitory in nature. The information may eventually be incorporated into other publications, such as information circulars or web content.

• Special Notice Vol. 9 No. 5 – Extension of Abandonment Period for Securities and Contents of Safety Deposit Boxes (August 2018)

Forms for claimants

• AT4954 – Notice of Objection (April 2023)

Forms and other resources for property holders

• Unclaimed Property Holder Reporting Quick Guide (November 2022)
• XML File Format Requirements document and Holder Report XSD File (January 2024)
• AT4954 – Notice of Objection (April 2023)
• AT4980 – Request for Extension (April 2023)

Legislation

• Unclaimed Personal Property and Vested Property Act
• General Regulation

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Contact

Connect with Tax and Revenue Administration:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-3044
Fax: 780-422-5284
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]