CRA My Account: what it does and how to use it safely

What CRA My Account does

CRA My Account is the individual side of the CRA account, the government's secure portal for your personal tax file. It shows you what the CRA already knows about you: the returns it has processed, the slips employers and banks sent in, the room left in your registered plans and any balance you owe.

It has become harder to manage taxes without it. Starting in February 2026 the CRA made digital notices of assessment and reassessment viewable only in My Account, and it stopped sending copies of tax slips to people who phone in for them. The account is now the main place to get your own records.

This guide is written by the Canada Tax Desk editorial team, an independent site. We are not the CRA. Use canada.ca to sign in, and never type your details into a link sent by text or email.

Is CRA My Account free?

Yes. The CRA does not charge to register for or use My Account. Any website or caller asking for a fee to set up or reopen your CRA account is not the CRA.

Ways to sign in to CRA My Account

The official sign-in page on canada.ca offers three routes. You pick one when you register, and you can add or switch later. Our CRA login help page compares them in detail and covers the error messages people run into.

The Sign-In Partner route does not give the government your banking data. The CRA says your banking information and the name of your financial institution are not shared with it. It simply lets your bank vouch that you are the person signing in.

How to register for CRA My Account

Registration is a one-time setup that ties a sign-in method to your social insurance number. You need your SIN, your date of birth and amounts from your most recent assessed income tax return, which must be from within the last 2 years. You also need to enrol in multi-factor authentication during setup.

The last step, proving who you are, can go two ways. With the document verification service you photograph a government photo ID and your face on a phone, and you get full access right away; it is open to people 16 and older. The alternative is a CRA security code sent by mail within 10 business days, with limited access until you enter it.

The full walkthrough, including what to do if you filed for the first time last spring, is in our step-by-step guide to register for CRA My Account.

Main tasks you can do in My Account

Most people log in a few times a year: once to check that a return was received, once to read the assessment and again when a slip or letter needs attention. The checklist below covers the tasks the CRA lists for individuals.

Returns, notices and refunds

Tax returns shows the processing status of each year you filed and links to the notice of assessment once it is ready. The 8-character NETFILE access code for your next return also appears there. If you spot a mistake after filing, the Change my return option lets you fix most lines online.

Banking, address and payments

The Profile page holds your mailing address and banking details. Setting up CRA direct deposit there is the quickest way to get refunds, and switching to a new bank later takes a few minutes; see how to change CRA direct deposit. If you owe $1,000 or more in personal tax, you can set up a payment arrangement yourself under Manage balance.

Slips, limits and mail

You can view T4, T5 and other slips the issuers filed, your RRSP deduction limit, TFSA details and carryforward amounts. CRA mail, including review letters, can be delivered to the account instead of by post, with an email alert when something new arrives.

Security and backup multi-factor authentication

Every CRA sign-in now asks for a one-time passcode on top of your password. Options include a text message or phone call, a third-party authenticator app that makes a 6-digit code every 30 seconds, and a printed passcode grid.

From February 2026 the CRA requires a second, backup method on file, such as a passcode grid or an authenticator app, so a lost phone does not shut you out. Our page on CRA multi-factor authentication explains which pairing works best and how to add one.

CRA My Account for individuals in the 2027 filing season

Several 2026 changes make the account more central when you file your 2026 return in 2027. Digital notices of assessment can only be viewed in the account, so it is where the result of your return shows up online. Slip copies are no longer given out by phone either.

Tax software also leans on the account. The Auto-fill my return feature asks you to sign in with your CRA credentials so the software can pull in slips and carryforward amounts, which saves retyping and catches missing slips. If your sign-in is broken in March, you lose that shortcut.

Budget 2025 also proposed automatic filing for some lower-income people with simple tax situations, starting with the 2026 tax year. Under the proposal, pre-filled returns would be made available in My Account. The CRA has not yet published how or when people will be told they are included, so treat any unexpected message about automatic filing with the same caution as any other unsolicited contact.

When CRA My Account does not work

Most access problems fall into four groups. Start with the one that matches the message on your screen.

A lock caused by wrong passcodes lasts 30 minutes, but after 3 lockouts the account stays locked until the CRA releases it. Our CRA account locked page covers self-service recovery and the cases where you have to call.

Do not re-register as a workaround if the CRA locked the account for security reasons. Registration cannot undo that kind of lock, and the CRA asks you to contact it instead.