How to register for CRA My Account, step by step

What you need before you register for CRA My Account

Registering for CRA My Account goes fastest when the paperwork is on the desk before you start. The CRA matches what you type against your tax file, so figures have to be exact, not rounded.

Which return amounts the CRA asks for

You will be asked for amounts from a specific line of your most recent assessed return. The return has to meet two conditions: it is the latest one the CRA has assessed, and it is from within the last 2 years. In September 2026 that normally means your 2025 return, or your 2024 return if the 2025 one has not been assessed yet.

Keep a copy of that return or its notice of assessment open. If you used tax software, the saved return file or a PDF printout shows every line. The registration screen names the line it wants, so have the whole return in front of you rather than one figure.

Photo ID and a phone, if you want instant access

For immediate full access you also need a mobile device with a camera and a valid Canadian passport, driver's licence or provincial or territorial photo ID card. Without these you can still register, but you will wait for a mailed code.

How to register for CRA My Account step by step

The CRA splits sign-up into five stages. The flow below shows them in order; the numbered steps give the detail.

1. Go to the Sign in to your CRA account page on canada.ca and choose to register for personal access.
2. Pick a sign-in method. Choose CRA user ID if you want credentials that survive a bank switch, or a Sign-In Partner to reuse your online banking. BC and Alberta residents can also pick their provincial ID.
3. Enter your SIN, date of birth, current postal code and the requested amount from your assessed return.
4. Enrol in two multi-factor authentication options, for example a text to your cell phone plus a passcode grid or authenticator app.
5. Verify your identity: use document verification for instant access, or ask for a CRA security code by mail.
6. If you chose the mailed code, sign in again when it arrives and enter it before it expires to switch on full access.

When you create a CRA user ID, you also set security questions. Choose answers you will remember exactly as typed, because wrong answers count toward a lockout.

Security code by mail vs document verification

This choice decides how soon you can use the account. Both are legitimate, and neither costs anything.

How long does the CRA security code take?

The CRA mails the code within 10 business days to the address it has on file, so plan for that window plus normal mail delivery time. If nothing has arrived after 10 business days, you can ask for a new one. Check your address in the file first: a code sent to an old address will never reach you.

Can I register without a security code?

Yes. Document verification replaces the mailed code, and a BC or Alberta provincial partner also gives full access without one. What you cannot skip is the identity check itself.

Registering for CRA My Account as a first-time filer

Newcomers, students and young workers often try to sign up before filing, and the system turns them away. The reason is the return amount: if the CRA has never assessed a return for you, there is nothing to match.

The fix is to file first. The CRA's standard is to issue a notice of assessment within 2 weeks for returns filed online, and after that you can register using figures from that return. Our first tax return in Canada guide covers filing without prior history, and you leave the NETFILE access code field blank the first time.

People without a SIN can register with a temporary tax number, an individual tax number or a non-resident representative number instead.

If CRA My Account registration fails

Registration fails for a small set of reasons. Match your situation to the list before trying again, since repeated wrong entries lock the process.

• The return amount is rejected. Check you are reading the most recent assessed year and the exact line requested, including cents.
• The system says you have no recent return. Your last assessed return is older than 2 years. File the missing years, then register.
• The photo ID check fails. Retake in good light with the whole card in frame, and make sure the ID has not expired. If it still fails, switch to the mailed code.
• The mailed code expired. Sign in and request a new one; the old code will not work.
• You are locked out. Wrong entries on the security code or document check lock the account. See CRA account locked for recovery.

Once registered, set a backup passcode method straight away; our page on CRA multi-factor authentication explains the options. For a tour of what is inside, read the CRA My Account guide, and if a sign-in problem appears later, the CRA login help page has fixes.

After you register: five settings to check first

A new account works straight away, but a few settings decide whether it keeps working and whether you hear about problems. Spend ten minutes on these the first time you sign in with full access.

1. Confirm your mailing address under Profile. It is where the CRA sends security codes and paper letters.
2. Turn on email notifications so you are told when new CRA mail arrives or when your address or banking details change.
3. Add banking details for CRA direct deposit so refunds skip the cheque stage.
4. Check that two multi-factor options are listed and that at least one does not depend on your cell phone.
5. Note where your NETFILE access code appears under Tax returns, ready for next season's filing.

If you file for other people, such as an elderly parent, do not use their sign-in. They can authorize you as a representative instead, and you then reach their file through Represent a Client with your own credentials.