After you’ve done all the calculations and submitted your tax return, all that’s left is to sit back and wait for one key piece of mail: your Notice of Assessment (NOA). Once the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has processed your return, it will send you a Notice of Assessment via either electronic or physical mail, depending on which communication option you chose.
A Notice of Assessment is like a receipt for filing your tax return. It details the results of your assessment and contains some other critical information, like how much contribution room you have in your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) this year. Here, we walk you through everything you need to know about your Notice of Assessment.
- Your Notice of Assessment (NOA) is like a receipt for your taxes.
- Your NOA has important information on it, such as your tax assessment summary, an explanation of any changes, and your RRSP/PRPP deduction limit.
- You can get your NOA in the mail, online, or from the CRA’s mobile app.
What’s included on a CRA Notice of Assessment?
Your Notice of Assessment contains lots of key info, including but not limited to:
- Your account summary
- Your tax assessment summary
- An explanation of changes or corrections made on your return
- Your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)/Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP) deduction limit
- Your Home Buyers’ Plan statement
- Your Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) statement
It’s important to read your Notice of Assessment and keep it for your records. Information, such as the amounts listed can sometimes be needed in later years.
How to get your Notice of Assessment
There are two ways to get your Notice of Assessment:
- By mail: The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sends it to the mailing address on your tax return.
- By CRA Online Mail: The CRA notifies you that your assessment is available for you to view via CRA Online Mail. You can register for CRA Online Mail when you file your tax return or online through your CRA My Account – this is how to get your Notice of Assessment online.
How to get another copy of your Notice of Assessment
If you’ve misplaced the paper copy of your Notice of Assessment that was mailed to you, there are two easy ways to get a replacement copy:
- Use CRA’s My Account to view and print your notices of assessment or reassessment. Be aware, however, that you’ll be able to look only at CRA NOAs for the current and previous three years on the CRA website.
- Use MyCRA, the CRA’s mobile application, to view assessment and reassessment notices issued after February 9, 2015.
Note: If you don’t have online or app access, the only way to request another copy of your Notice of Assessment is to call the CRA phone number (1-800-959-8281).
How long it takes to get your Notice of Assessment
If you recently filed your tax return, you might not see your current year Notice of Assessment when you sign in to your CRA My Account or MyCRA. It can take up to two weeks for the CRA to assess your return if you submitted it to CRA’s NETFILE service, and anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks if you printed and mailed your return.
If you filed near or after the tax deadline, it can take even longer for the CRA to assess your return, sometimes as long as 8 weeks. It can also take up to 16 weeks if you live outside Canada or if you’re a nonresident filing a personal income tax return.
An express path for your Notice of Assessment
Express Notice of Assessment (Express NOA) is a service that lets individuals and authorized tax representatives view the Notice of Assessment in EFILE and NETFILE software immediately after the return has been processed by the CRA.
To use the Express NOA service you have to:
- Be registered for CRA My Account
- Use a NETFILE-certified software
How long after a Notice of Assessment do you get a refund?
Typically, you get your refund at the same time that you get your Notice of Assessment in the mail. However, if you opted for an electronic Notice of Assessment, you might get that before your cheque arrives or your money gets electronically deposited.
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