# Change my return CRA: correct an assessed return in My Account

Source: https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file/change-my-return-cra
Publisher: Canada Tax Desk (canadataxdesk.com), independent editorial site
Topic: After You File
Last updated: 2026-09-18

> Change my return is the CRA's online service in My Account for correcting a personal tax return that has already been assessed. It covers the 10 previous calendar years (2016 to 2025 during 2026), opens only after your notice of assessment arrives, and most requests are processed within 2 weeks. The CRA then sends a notice of reassessment or a letter explaining its decision.

## Key facts

- Where to find it: My Account, Tax returns section
- Years accepted in 2026: 2016 to 2025 (10 previous calendar years)
- Earliest you can use it: After your notice of assessment is issued
- Online processing target: Within 2 weeks for most requests
- Result: Notice of reassessment or letter of explanation

## What Change my return CRA service is and when to use it

Change my return CRA service is the fastest way for an individual to fix an error on a T1 return the CRA has already assessed. You sign in to My Account, pick the tax year, and tell the CRA which line amounts should change. You do not resend the whole return, and you do not need the software you filed with.

Use it when you made a factual mistake or left something out: a T4 or T5 slip that arrived late, an RRSP receipt you forgot, medical expenses you missed, or a disability tax credit claim for past years. The CRA's May 2026 update said the service now walks you through common changes such as adding slips or claiming the disability tax credit, and asks follow-up questions when it needs more detail.

> **A mistake is not a disagreement:** If you think the CRA applied the law wrongly on information you already gave it, a change request is the wrong tool. That calls for a formal objection, generally due within 90 days of the date on your notice. Our [notice of reassessment](https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file/notice-of-reassessment) page covers that route.

## Change my return CRA My Account steps

The whole request usually takes 10 to 20 minutes if you have your notice of assessment and the corrected figures in front of you. Menu wording can shift slightly between CRA updates, but the path is the same.

1. Sign in to My Account with your CRA user ID, a Sign-In Partner (online banking) or a provincial partner.
2. Open the Tax returns section on the Overview page and select **Change my return**.
3. Choose the tax year you want to correct. Only assessed years within the 10-year window appear as options.
4. Pick the topic or line you are changing, for example employment income (line 10100) or RRSP deduction (line 20800), and enter the corrected amount rather than the difference.
5. Answer any guided questions. If the service flags an error or needs documents, it tells you on screen and gives you a case number.
6. Review the summary of changed lines, submit, and save the confirmation page.
7. Track the request with the progress tracker in My Account instead of submitting it again.

### Do you need to send receipts?

Not up front. The CRA says you only provide supporting documents if it contacts you and gives you a case number, and that more than half of online change requests are processed without any documents. Keep the receipts ready anyway, because a request can be selected for verification. If that happens, our [CRA review letter](https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file/cra-review-letter) guide explains how to upload them.

### Worked example: a forgotten RRSP receipt

Say you contributed $2,000 to an RRSP in February 2026 for the 2025 year but left the receipt off your return. Your taxable income on line 26000 drops by $2,000 once the change goes through. If that income sits in the lowest 2025 federal bracket of 14.5%, federal tax falls by $290 ($2,000 x 14.5%), plus a provincial saving at your province's rate. The CRA then issues a reassessment and pays the extra refund.

## Why Change my return CRA is not available or not working

When the option is greyed out, missing or refuses your year, the cause is almost always one of the rules below rather than a technical fault. Check them before calling.

| What you see | Likely reason | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Year not listed | No notice of assessment yet for that year | Wait for the assessment, then try again |
| 2015 or earlier not offered | Outside the 10-year window | Use Form T1-ADJ; no refund past 10 calendar years |
| Return blocked | Bankruptcy return or a year before bankruptcy | Use Form T1-ADJ |
| Return blocked | Optional T1 return for a deceased person | Use Form T1-ADJ |
| Return blocked | Wrong province or territory of residence, or Form T2203 needed | Use Form T1-ADJ |
| Return blocked | Certain international or non-resident returns | Use Form T1-ADJ |

Common reasons the service will not accept a request

### Changes the online service cannot make

Some requests are outside the service even for an eligible year. You cannot use it to make a new election or revise an existing one, to move a refund to another CRA account, or to update personal details such as your name, address, marital status or direct deposit. Personal details are changed in the profile section of My Account; banking details are covered on our [change CRA direct deposit](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/change-cra-direct-deposit) page.

### Sign-in problems

If the problem is getting into My Account at all, the fix is on the account side, not the return side. Since February 2026 the CRA requires a backup multi-factor authentication option, and people who forgot their credentials can register again for a new one. Our [CRA login help](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/cra-login-help) page walks through each error.

## CRA Change my return processing time

The CRA's target for online requests is 2 weeks, counted from the day it receives a complete request. Its May 2026 tax tip said the progress tracker in My Account now shows the expected completion date for each request, and that your status updates as soon as anything moves.

Requests that need extra checking take far longer. The same May 2026 tip warned that requests needing additional review can take up to 49 weeks, and the CRA processing-times page listed 33 weeks for complex adjustment requests in September 2026. A request usually becomes complex when the CRA has to ask you for documents or verify an amount with a third party.

### What the CRA sends back

- A notice of reassessment showing every change it accepted.
- A notice of reassessment with only some changes, plus a letter explaining what it refused.
- A letter explaining why it made no change at all.

Any extra refund goes to your direct deposit account or arrives by cheque. If the change increases your tax, the new balance is due right away, and interest on it is generally counted from the original balance-due date for that year, not from the reassessment date.

## Other ways to change a return: ReFILE and Form T1-ADJ

Change my return is one of three routes. All of them end in a reassessment; they differ in access, years and speed. Pick the one that fits your situation instead of using two at once, since duplicate requests slow everything down.

[ReFILE](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/refile-cra-amend-return) suits people who still have the original return saved in certified software, and tax preparers who filed through EFILE. The paper [T1 adjustment request](https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file/t1-adjustment-request) is the route for every case the online services exclude, such as a wrong province of residence or a bankruptcy year.

> **Do not send a second return:** Filing a fresh complete return for a year that is already assessed does not correct it. The CRA treats it as a duplicate, which delays the fix. Always use one of the three change routes.

## Can I change a return from years ago?

Yes, within limits. Change my return accepts the 10 previous calendar years, so in 2026 the oldest year it offers is 2016. On 1 January 2027 that window moves forward and 2016 drops off, which matters if you are about to claim an old refund.

Separately, the CRA cannot issue a refund from an adjustment request that goes back more than 10 calendar years. A 2016 correction that produces a refund should be requested before the end of 2026. Changes that increase tax can still be requested for older years through Form T1-ADJ, and the CRA may accept them. For an overview of what happens at each stage, see the [after you file guide](https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file).

## Step by step

1. **Wait for your notice of assessment.** The service only accepts years the CRA has already assessed.
2. **Sign in to My Account.** Use your CRA user ID, a Sign-In Partner or a provincial partner.
3. **Open Change my return.** Select it from the Tax returns section of the Overview page and choose the year.
4. **Enter the corrected amounts.** Pick each line that changes and enter the new total, answering any guided questions.
5. **Submit and track.** Save the confirmation and follow the request in the progress tracker until the reassessment arrives.

## Common questions

### How do I change my return with the CRA online?

Sign in to My Account, open the Tax returns section, select Change my return, choose the year and enter the corrected line amounts. Submit and save the confirmation. The CRA aims to process most online requests within 2 weeks.

### Why is Change my return not available in My Account?

The most common reasons are that the year has not been assessed yet, the year is 2015 or earlier, or the return is a type the service excludes, such as a bankruptcy return, a deceased person's optional return, or one filed with the wrong province. Those cases need Form T1-ADJ.

### How long does CRA Change my return take?

Most online requests are processed within 2 weeks. Requests the CRA needs to verify can take many months; in 2026 it cited up to 49 weeks for requests needing additional review. Your progress tracker in My Account shows the expected date.

### Can I use Change my return more than once for the same year?

The CRA does not publish a limit on the number of change requests. Wait until your first request is finished and you have the reassessment before sending another, so the two do not overlap and cause a delay.

### Does Change my return fix my address or bank account?

No. Personal information such as your name, address, marital status and direct deposit is updated in your My Account profile, not through a change to a return.

### Will changing my return trigger an audit?

A change request is not an audit. The CRA may ask for receipts to support the new amount, which is a routine verification, and more than half of online requests are processed without any documents.

## Sources

- [Change your return (CRA)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/change-your-return.html)
- [Making changes to your tax return? Here's what's new and how to save time (CRA tax tip, May 2026)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/newsroom/tax-tips/tax-tips-2026/making-changes-to-your-tax-return-here-what-new-and-how-to-save-time.html)
- [Check CRA processing times](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/contact-information/check-cra-processing-times.html)
- [CRA account for individuals](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-individuals/account-individuals.html)