CRA My Account is a secure, online portal where you can view and manage your personal or business tax information via the Canada Revenue Agency’s website. 

Opening a CRA My Account is an easy process and comes in handy when you file your annual tax return. You can quickly access your T4 slips, benefit payments, carry-forward amounts and account balances. It also allows you to make adjustments to past returns and submit documents directly online.

Key Takeaways
  1. Registering for CRA My Account is quick, easy, and simplifies the tax filing process.
  2. Set up online mail to receive notifications when the CRA sends you important electronic documents.
  3. Sign up for direct deposit to get your refund faster.

Benefits of CRA My Account

If you haven’t already signed up, you should consider registering for CRA My Account to take advantage of what the service has to offer you. Having a CRA My Account is: 

  • Convenient: Available 21 hours a day 7 days a week
  • Fast: You can access many services right away online instead of having to call the CRA and wait to speak to a representative
  • Accurate: Info is always up to date and transactions are processed immediately
  • Secure: Your account is secure with unique security questions and multi-factor authentication

We put together a short video to show you how CRA My Account works:

How to register for CRA My Account

Make sure you have the following personal information handy before registering:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Date of birth
  • Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  • Your two most recent tax returns or notice of assessments

You can set up your CRA My Account in a few steps:

  1. Visit the “CRA My Account” registration page and click “CRA Register”
  2. Enter your SIN and the other required fields (Postal Code, Date Of Birth, Tax Information from previous year’s tax return) to verify your identity
  3. Choose a user ID you will remember or set up your account using a sign in partner
  4. Create your security questions and answers

Now you’re all set! Your CRA My Account is created. You’ll have limited access to your My Account at first, but the CRA will mail you a security code within 1–2 weeks to give you full access to all of its services.

Things you can do with CRA My Account

Once you get full access to your account, you’ll have a big range of online services at your fingertips. Here’s a full list of all CRA My Account services.

  1. View CRA mail
  2. View the detailed status of a tax return
  3. View detailed notice of assessment or reassessment
  4. View account balance and statement of account
  5. Change my return
  6. Submit documents
  7. Address and telephone numbers (view, update)
  8. View and update children in my care
  9. Change my marital status
  10. View authorized representative
  11. Authorize my representative
  12. View tax information slips: T4, T4A, T4A(P), T4A(OAS), T4E, T4RSP, T4RIF, T5007, T3, T5, T5008, RRSP Contribution Receipt, T1204, T5013, RC210, RC62, Rent Assist and tax-free savings account (TFSA)
  13. View Proof of income statement (option ‘C’ print)
  14. View detailed RRSP deduction limit and TFSA contribution room
  15. View Home Buyers’ Plan and Lifelong Learning Plan
  16. View carryover amounts
  17. View installments
  18. Arrange my direct deposit (start, update, stop)
  19. Pay by pre-authorized debit (create new agreement, manage active agreements, view inactive agreements)
  20. Benefits and credits overview
  21. Apply for the new Canada Dental Benefits (CDB)
  22. Apply for child benefits
  23. View Canada Child Benefit and related provincial and territorial programs payments, account balance, and statement of account
  24. View GST/HST credit and related provincial programs payments, account balance, and statement of account
  25. View Working Income Tax Benefit advance payments
  26. View disability tax credit
  27. Canada Workers benefit advance payments application
  28. Personal Identification Number (PIN)
  29. Notification and online preferences
  30. File a GST/HST rebate
  31. Request a CPP/EI ruling
  32. Claim uncashed cheques
  33. Request relief of penalties and interest
  34. Register my formal dispute
  35. Audit enquiries
  36. Open a non-resident account
  37. Request a remittance voucher
  38. Trust account registration

How to set up direct deposit on CRA My Account

CRA My Account allows you to set up or change direct deposit banking information for the following payments:

  • Income tax refund
  • GST/HST credit 
  • Canada child benefit
  • Canada workers benefit
  • Deemed overpayment of tax
  • COVID-19 benefits such as Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit

This means you can get your payments faster, directly to your bank account so you don’t have to wait a couple of business days to receive a cheque in the mail. 

Here’s how to set up direct deposit:

  1. Log in to your CRA My Account and click “Arrange My Direct Deposit” (under Quick Links)
  2. Click Start or Update and enter your banking information

How to set up online mail on CRA My Account

With CRA My Account, you can sign up to receive electronic documents rather than waiting for the physical mail, including:

  • Notices of assessment or reassessment
  • Benefit notices
  • T1 adjustment notices
  • Installment reminders
  • Letters asking for information and documentation

There are three ways to register for online mail:

  1. Enter your email address directly on your tax return
  2. Call 1-800-959-8281 to register by telephone
  3. Log in to My Account and click on your Personal profile, scroll down to Notification preferences, and click “manage” to add your email address

Email notifications from the CRA let you know when you have mail to view in My Account and when important changes are made on your account.

How to update your personal info on CRA My Account

If there have been any changes to your personal info (e.g. address, phone number, marital status), you can inform the CRA and update your details online. Here’s how:

  1. In the Related Services section, click on “Change my address and phone number(s)” or “Change my marital status”
  2. Enter your new information

Connect your CRA My Account to a NETFILE certified tax software

When you file your return online you can connect your CRA My Account to a NETFILE certified tax software such as TurboTax, which can make tax filing faster in different ways:

  • Your tax information is pulled automatically through Auto-fill my return
  • You get immediate confirmation when the CRA receives your return
  • You don’t have to send receipts unless the CRA asks for it
  • If you have a direct deposit you may get your refund in as early as 2 weeks

Protecting your CRA My Account

If you access your CRA My Account from a shared device, make sure to follow these tips to make sure your account is secure and your information is safe:

  • Use a strong password 
  • Create security questions that are easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess
  • Change your password periodically
  • Make sure your personal information is accurate and up to date
  • Sign up for email notifications to receive alerts of activity on your account
  • Monitor your account for suspicious activity
  • Create a PIN to help confirm your identity on call with the CRA
More help with taxes, more confidence to file.

Frequently Asked Questions

To retrieve your password, on the main CRA Login Services page:

  • Click on “CRA Login” 
  • On the login page, click on “Forgot your password?” under the password field
  • Enter your user ID
  • Answer the question correctly and you can reset your password.

If you have forgotten your User ID, you cannot retrieve it online. You will need to re-register your CRA My Account to access your file.

If someone helps you manage your finances, you can give them access to your My Account. 

  • In the Related Services section, click on “Authorize My Representative”
  • Fill in the needed information

You can instantly change the level of authorization granted, choose a different representative, or revoke authorization completely at any time.

To change your email address, on the main CRA My Account page:

  • Click on “Manage Online Mail” in the Quick Links section
  • Click on “Update Email Address”