Language selection

Tone

On this page

The tone of the government's web content should be:

Write as if you were talking to your audience in person, but with the authority of an institution that provides information as part of its mandate.

Write directly to the person

Use an informal tone, and speak directly to people by using the second person ("you," "your").

Example: Writing directly to the person
  • Send your application to…
  • To get this benefit you must…

Address the person in page titles, links and navigation labels

For page titles, links and navigation labels, use the possessive adjective "your" when the audience might consider the item being referred to as belonging to them.

Example: Addressing the person using "your"
  • Change your address
  • Replace your card

If the subject of the title, link or label refers to general information, use the indefinite article ("a" or "an") or no article at all.

Example: Referring to general information using an indefinite article
  • Start a new business
  • Pay application fees

Don't use the first person

Don't speak on people's behalf. Don't use "I" or "my" statements.

Example: Avoiding the first person

Write:

  • How to renew your passport
  • Renew your passport

Instead of: How do I renew my passport?

Exception

You may use "my" in content, page titles and links for proper names (such as My Service Canada Account).

Use "we" to refer to the Government of Canada

We generally provide information to people from the perspective of the government as a whole rather than from a specific institution.

Use "we" and "our" when writing on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Example: Using "we" to refer to the Government of Canada

Write: If you started a new claim within the last 52 weeks and there are still weeks payable on that claim, we will automatically renew your existing claim.

Instead of: If you started a new claim within the last 52 weeks and there are still weeks payable on that claim, Service Canada will automatically renew your existing claim.

Use "Government of Canada" when:

Use the name of a specific institution in situations when the:

Example: When to use a specific institution name
  • The Canada Revenue Agency will inform you if you have to repay benefits
  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency gives permits for some meat products
  • All restricted or controlled drugs need an import permit from Health Canada

Don't include references to your website on your website.

Example: How to refer to your own website

Write: Determine if you're eligible.

Instead of: Get more information about eligibility on the Canada.ca website.

How to refer to the CRA

If you are writing in the third person, use "the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)" for the first reference and "the CRA" for the second and following references.

Use the word "the" before CRA when it is used as a noun. Do not use the word "the" when CRA is used as an adjective.

Example: When to use the word "the" before CRA

Write:

  • The fairness provisions give "the CRA" the flexibility to use a balanced approach
  • Consult CRA policies for guidance on claiming these credits

For internal documents, you can use "the Agency" as a short form, but do not use this term in documents for an external audience. For external audiences, use "CRA" wherever possible.

You can refer to "the CRA" in the first-person plural voice, using we and our, if you think this will be easily understood by the reader.

"The CRA" corporate signature consists of the flag symbol and a bilingual title. Use the correct language version of the title (English first for English products, and French first for French products). "The CRA" corporate signature and the Canada wordmark must appear on all our products.

For more information, check the Infozone guide on the Federal Identity Program and Canada wordmark Infozone.

For CRA templates, go to Using CRA's new corporate template – Guidelines Infozone.

Third parties

Don't provide information on behalf of another organization. Don't duplicate information provided on another organization's website. Instead, direct people to that website to get the information.

Name the other organization when your content refers to it.

Example: Referring to third parties

Write: If you plan to travel to or transit through the United States, find out about the rules you need to follow from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Instead of: If you plan to travel to or transit through the U.S., CBSA encourages you to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for information on the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and the requirements for entering or returning to the U.S.

Modifying your tone for different scenarios

The tone you use may vary somewhat depending on the nature of the content and the channel.

Users will be coming to our content with a wide variety of tasks, based on a wide variety of experiences. It is important to consider the emotional state of the end user at all times, though especially when it comes to tasks where users would be under more stress, such as:

For example, you may want to modify your tone based on:

Nature of content
  • Benefits = We're here to help you
  • Doing your taxes = You need to do this, but we'll try to make it as easy as possible
  • Compliance and enforcement = Clear and matter of fact
Channel
  • Web content = Concise, clear, easy to follow
  • Social media and chatbot = Friendly, conversational
  • Contact centres Infozone = Recognizing and adapting to the communication style of the caller (analytical, the driver, expressive, amiable) and being able to deal with difficult callers

Express an obligation

Use "must" when telling people about what the law requires them to do.

Use "need to" when telling people about an administrative requirement.

Example: Expressing an obligation

Legal: To be eligible for compassionate care benefits, you must be able to show that…

Administrative: After you apply online, you'll need to provide us with the following documents before we can finalize your claim.

Express a recommendation

When telling people that they're allowed to perform an action:

Example: Expressing a recommendation

Write: If you were self-employed or a member of a partnership in 2022, you may be eligible to claim a refundable tax credit equal to 25% of your total ventilation expenses.

Expressing urgency

When telling people something must be done quickly, be clear there is a deadline or a need to complete a task right away. Provide all information required to complete the urgent task so a user does not need to find extra pages or documents. Consider using an alert to catch the user's attention if the urgency is temporary.

Example: Expressing urgency related to a deadline

If you have not applied yet

The last day to apply is March 31, 2023 (11:59 pm PT).

If you recently filed your 2021 taxes:

  • you may not be able to apply on time with CRA My Account or by phone if your 2021 income information is not updated in our system yet
  • to meet the deadline, make sure you're eligible and apply with the online application form

Pronouns and possessive adjectives

Avoid gendered language

For guidance on how to be inclusive and avoid gendered language, refer to gender inclusive language.

Use the singular "they"

When you don't know whether the subject is male, female, a company, or an entity, you can use "they" or "them". If you use "they", "them", and "their" with singular subjects, you must use this combination consistently throughout your document.

Example: Using the singular "they"

We will look at all of the facts related to each particular case to make sure the taxpayer receives all of the relief they are entitled to.

If a registrant does not remit GST/HST as required, they will have to pay penalties and arrears interest.

Choose your tax preparer carefully, and check their references.

For more details about replacing or omitting a gendered pronoun, refer to Gender-inclusive writing techniques.

Date modified: