# How to change CRA direct deposit to a new bank account Source: https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/change-cra-direct-deposit Publisher: Canada Tax Desk (canadataxdesk.com), independent editorial site Topic: CRA Account Last updated: 2026-09-18 > A CRA direct deposit change made in My Account or through your new bank's online banking is recorded the next business day. A mailed paper form can take 3 months or longer. Keep your old account open until the first CRA payment reaches the new one, because a payment already scheduled may still go to the old details. ## Key facts - Change in My Account: Active the next business day - Change through new bank: Active the next business day - Change by paper form: Up to 3 months or longer - Change by phone: Not possible - Old account: Keep open until the first deposit reaches the new one ## Ways to make a CRA direct deposit change Changing where the CRA sends your money uses the same channels as signing up, and the CRA treats a new account as a replacement for the old one. You do not need to cancel the old details first. ### Change bank account with the CRA in My Account 1. Sign in on canada.ca and open My Account. 2. Go to Profile and find the Direct deposit section. 3. Select Edit and replace the transit, institution and account numbers with the new ones. 4. Submit, then note the date so you know when the change goes live. ### Change it through your new bank If your new bank or credit union offers CRA direct deposit enrolment in online banking, signing up there overwrites the old account on your CRA file. This is handy when you have just opened the account and the bank prompts you to move government payments. ### Is there a CRA direct deposit change form? The only paper option is the Canada Direct Deposit Enrolment Form, the same one used for first-time sign-up. It works for changes too, but the CRA puts processing at up to 3 months or longer. There is no phone option: agents cannot update banking details over the phone. ## How long a CRA direct deposit change takes to take effect Online changes are recorded the next business day. The question that matters more is whether a payment is already in the pipeline when you make the change. Here is a concrete case. You switch banks on Friday, June 11, 2027 by updating My Account. The CRA's record updates Monday, June 14, the next business day. A reassessment refund issued later that month goes to the new account. But a payment the CRA had already queued before Monday could still be sent to the old account, which is why the old account needs to stay open for a while. | Method | Record updated | Risk to the next payment | | --- | --- | --- | | My Account | Next business day | Low, unless a payment is already scheduled | | New bank's online banking | Next business day | Low, same caveat | | Paper enrolment form | Up to 3 months or longer | High; payments keep going to the old details | How long does the CRA take to change direct deposit ## If your old bank account is already closed The CRA's instruction is simple: do not close the old account until your first payment has landed in the new one. Plenty of people learn this after the fact, so here is what to do if the old account is gone. 1. Update your direct deposit to the new account right away so future payments are safe. 2. Ask your former bank whether a CRA deposit was received or returned after the closing date. 3. Wait until 10 business days have passed since the payment date. 4. Contact the CRA through its official contact page, explain that the account was closed and ask what happened to the payment. Refunds you are expecting show in My Account under your return. Our [CRA refund status](https://canadataxdesk.com/after-you-file/cra-refund-status) page explains the stages so you can tell a sent payment from one still being processed. ## Will a pending refund go to my old account? It can. If the CRA assessed your return and scheduled the refund before your change was recorded, that payment may use the old details. Refunds scheduled after the update go to the new account. The safest timing is to update your banking details before you file. For the 2027 season, that means making the change before you send your 2026 return, whenever NETFILE opens (the date is not yet announced; it has opened in late February in recent years). > **Before you switch banks:** Run through the checklist below, especially if a refund or reassessment is due in the next few weeks. ## Watching for direct deposit scams Fraudsters who get into a CRA account often do one thing first: swap the banking details so the next refund goes to them. The CRA lists unauthorized banking changes as suspicious activity to report. - Turn on CRA email notifications. The CRA can email you when your address or direct deposit information changes on its records. - If you get that email and did not make the change, report it to the CRA using its online suspicious activity form or Form RC213, Identity theft and suspicious activity declaration. - Tell your bank, and consider notifying Equifax and TransUnion and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. - Ignore texts asking you to confirm banking details for a refund. The CRA does not use texts for that. After a report, the CRA places protections on the account and a designated officer contacts you within 14 business days. More warning signs are covered in our [CRA letter scam](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/cra-letter-scam) guide, and first-time enrolment is explained in [CRA direct deposit](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/cra-direct-deposit). If you cannot sign in to make the change, see [CRA login help](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account/cra-login-help) or the [CRA My Account guide](https://canadataxdesk.com/cra-account). ## Step by step 1. **Keep the old account open.** Do not close your old account until the first CRA payment arrives in the new one. 2. **Sign in to My Account.** Sign in on canada.ca and open Profile. 3. **Edit direct deposit.** Select Edit in the Direct deposit section and enter the new transit, institution and account numbers. 4. **Confirm the change.** The record updates the next business day. Watch for the CRA email notification confirming the change. ## Common questions ### How do I change my direct deposit with the CRA? Sign in to My Account, go to Profile, select Edit under Direct deposit and enter your new banking numbers. You can also enrol through your new bank's online banking. Both update your CRA record the next business day. ### How long does it take for CRA direct deposit changes to take effect? Online changes take effect the next business day. A mailed Canada Direct Deposit Enrolment Form can take up to 3 months or longer, and payments keep going to your old details until it is processed. ### Can I change my CRA direct deposit over the phone? No. The CRA does not start or change direct deposit by phone. Use My Account, your bank or the mailed form. ### What happens if the CRA deposits to my closed account? Update your banking details, check with your former bank, then contact the CRA once 10 business days have passed since the payment date and ask about the payment. ### I got a CRA email saying my direct deposit changed but I did not change it. What now? Treat it as possible identity theft. Sign in through canada.ca yourself, not through any link, check the banking details, then report the suspicious activity to the CRA and tell your bank. ## Sources - [Direct deposit for individuals: Payments the CRA sends you](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/direct-deposit/individuals.html) - [Report a scam or identity theft](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/scams-fraud/report-scam.html) - [How the CRA secures compromised accounts](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/secure-accounts.html) - [Canada direct deposit enrolment form](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/payments-to-from-government/direct-deposit/individuals-canada/enrolment-form.html)