CRA direct deposit: how to set it up for refunds and credits

Why use CRA direct deposit

Direct deposit is how the CRA pays money owed to you electronically. Once you are enrolled, income tax refunds and CRA-administered benefit and credit payments land in your account instead of arriving as a cheque in the mail.

The practical gains are speed and reliability. There is no cheque to lose, forward or redeposit after a move. The CRA also points out that direct deposit keeps payments arriving on time during emergencies or mail disruptions, when cheques can stall.

The CRA is not the only federal payer. Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security and Employment Insurance payments come from other departments and are set up through the Government of Canada direct deposit service, not the CRA. Enrolling with the CRA covers CRA payments only.

Three ways to sign up for CRA direct deposit

Individuals have two fast routes and one slow one. The comparison below shows the trade-offs, and the sections after it give the exact steps.

CRA direct deposit setup in My Account

If you already have a CRA account, this is the quickest route and the one you control fully. You will need three numbers from a cheque or your bank's direct deposit details: the 5-digit transit (branch) number, the 3-digit institution number and your account number.

1. Sign in through canada.ca and choose Personal, then My Account.
2. Select Profile from the menu.
3. Scroll to the Direct deposit section and select Edit.
4. Enter the transit, institution and account numbers, then review them digit by digit.
5. Submit. The CRA updates your record the next business day.

Not registered? Our CRA My Account guide explains the options, and the bank route below works without an account.

CRA direct deposit sign up through your bank

Most large Canadian banks and many credit unions let you enrol for CRA direct deposit inside online banking. The bank sends your account details to the CRA with your consent, and the CRA's records update the next business day.

1. Sign in to your bank's website or app.
2. Look for a Canada Revenue Agency direct deposit option, often under account services or profile settings.
3. Choose the account for deposits and give consent to share it with the CRA.
4. Save the confirmation the bank shows.

One condition trips people up: the CRA says you should have filed a tax return before enrolling this way. Someone who has never filed has no CRA file for the bank to update. Newcomers should file first; our guide to a first tax return in Canada covers that step.

Is there a paper CRA direct deposit enrolment form?

Yes. The Canada Direct Deposit Enrolment Form is published by Public Services and Procurement Canada and can be mailed to the CRA. You print it, fill it in digitally or by hand in capital letters, and mail it with a void cheque to the address printed at the end of the form. Incomplete forms cannot be processed.

Mail is the slow lane. The CRA estimates processing at up to 3 months or longer, and until the form is processed you keep getting paid by cheque. A form mailed in March could miss that spring's refund. Use it only if neither online route is open to you.

Trusts use a different form, T3-DD, and non-resident individuals have their own direct deposit rules on a separate CRA page. This guide covers Canadian residents filing a T1 return.

How long CRA direct deposit takes to start

Enrolment itself is quick online, but your first deposit only arrives when the CRA next owes you money. For most people that is the next tax refund or benefit payment date.

A worked example

Say you enrol through My Account on a Wednesday in early March 2027 and NETFILE your 2026 return that weekend. (The 2027 NETFILE opening date is not yet announced; it has opened in late February in recent years.) The direct deposit record is active from Thursday. The CRA's service standard is a notice of assessment within 2 weeks for online returns, and a refund owing would then be deposited rather than mailed. Had you mailed the paper form instead, the refund could have gone out by cheque before the form was processed.

Refund amounts of $2 or less are not issued, and the CRA can keep part of a refund to cover debts such as a balance owing or a student loan. Our CRA refund status page explains how to track what is coming.

If a deposit does not arrive

Check the banking details in your Profile first. If they are correct and 10 business days have passed since the payment date, contact the CRA through its official contact page.

Common CRA direct deposit setup mistakes

Most failed or misdirected deposits trace back to a handful of avoidable errors. Check these before you submit.

• Mixing up the transit and institution numbers. The transit number has 5 digits and identifies the branch; the institution number has 3 digits and identifies the bank.
• Using a closed or dormant account. Pick an account you use and expect to keep for at least a year.
• Entering a credit card or line of credit number. Deposits need a chequing or savings account.
• Enrolling through a bank before filing. If the CRA has no return on file, the bank route may not work; file first.
• Using a foreign account. Canadian residents need a Canadian bank or credit union account.

If you share an account with a spouse, each person enrols separately under their own SIN. Setting up direct deposit on your file does not change where your partner's refund goes.

Keeping your direct deposit safe

Banking details are a favourite target. A person who gets into your CRA account can redirect refunds to their own account, which is why the CRA treats unauthorized banking changes as identity theft.

• Sign up for CRA email notifications so you are told when your banking details or address change.
• Keep a backup multi-factor option on file.
• Never give banking numbers in reply to a text or email; the CRA does not collect them that way.

Moving to a new bank later? Read how to change CRA direct deposit before closing the old account. If a message about your refund looks off, our CRA letter scam checklist will help you test it.