You can now go paperless for part of your communications with the Canada Revenue Agency. Through the CRA’s My Account service portal, online mail and email communication for certain tax information are now available.
What Is Online Mail?
The CRA’s My Account service integrates an online mail function that allows you to receive electronic versions of documents which were previously sent using traditional mail. As of October 2015, only Notices of Assessment and Notices of Reassessment issued after Feb. 9, 2015, are available to be transmitted electronically. However, the CRA plans to make more documents available electronically in the future.
According to the CRA, this service is convenient, paperless, and secure. Since the information contained in the documents is sensitive, the CRA specifies that the security level of the system is on par with that of your financial institution.
How to Register for Online Mail
There are three ways to register to receive online mail from the CRA. First, you can enter your email address directly on your tax return, whether you file electronically or by mail. The CRA will automatically register you for online mail.
Second, you can register by telephone. The number to call is 1-800-959-8281.
Finally, you can register online easily by using the My Account service. To do so, log in to My Account and click on Manage Online Mail in the Quick Links bar on the left side of the page. From there, choose the Update Your Current Email address link and follow the instructions.
Once you are finished, you will receive an automatic email from the CRA at the address you entered, confirming that your registration information has been received and that it will be processed within 7 days.
Should you ever wish to cancel the online mail service, you can do so by using any of the three methods above.
How Online Mail Works
The online mail service does not allow you to receive the documents directly in your email inbox. Rather, once you are signed up, you will receive an email notification whenever a document has been sent to you by the CRA.
To retrieve it, you will need to log in to My Account. Directly on the Welcome page, you will see a message indicating what the available document is, for example your 2015 Notice of Assessment. By clicking on the blue section of the message, the document will open on your screen.
Once you retrieve the document, you will be able to view it online and print it if necessary using the printer-friendly link at the top right of the document. At the bottom of the document, you will also see links to related sections of your My Account portal, such as RRSP deduction limits, or the tax returns related to the assessment.
Register for a CRA My Account.
Learn more about registering for a CRA My Account.
