NETFILE access code: where to find it and when you need it

What the NETFILE access code is

The NETFILE access code is a short identifier the CRA prints on your notice of assessment so your tax software can prove the return comes from you. It is 8 characters long and mixes letters and numbers. When you enter it, the CRA can use details from your last assessed return to confirm your identity before it accepts the new one.

It is not a password and it does not sign you in to anything. It is also unrelated to your CRA account user ID. Think of it as a one-season check value that links this year's return to last year's assessment.

Is the NETFILE access code mandatory?

No. The CRA says entering the code is not mandatory. If you leave it blank, the CRA cannot use information from your previous return to confirm who you are, so it relies on other identifying information instead. Your return is still eligible for NETFILE either way.

Where to find the NETFILE access code on your notice of assessment

Look on the right side of the first page of your most recent notice of assessment, the document the CRA issues after it processes a return. On paper or in a PDF copy, scan the right-hand side for a line labelled as the access code rather than looking through the tax calculation.

Only the code on your most recent notice counts. The table below shows which notice to use for the return you are filing now.

If you cannot tell which notice is your latest, our guide to the notice of assessment explains the layout, the tax year shown at the top and the date it was issued.

Finding the NETFILE access code in My Account

The CRA said that from February 2026 the code would be easier to find inside your CRA account. That matters because, starting that same month, digital notices of assessment are shown only in My Account. If you chose online mail, there may be no paper notice in a drawer to check.

1. Sign in to your CRA account on canada.ca.
2. Open My Account for individuals.
3. Select the Tax returns section.
4. Read the 8-character access code shown for your most recent notice of assessment.
5. Copy it into the access code field in your tax software, taking care with similar characters such as 0 and O.

If you cannot sign in, see CRA login help. If the notice itself is missing from the account, where is my notice of assessment covers the usual reasons, such as a return that is still being processed.

Filing without an access code

You can send your return without the code. This is the simplest option if you cannot find your notice, cannot sign in to your account, or are filing at the last minute before the April 30 deadline. Leave the field blank rather than typing a code from an older notice, since only the latest one is valid.

What you lose is one way of confirming your identity. The CRA will lean more on your name, date of birth and SIN, so check those carefully. If they do not match CRA records, the transmission can be refused; our page on a NETFILE rejected return explains how to correct and resend.

NETFILE access code for first-time users

If this is your first Canadian return, you have never received a notice of assessment, so there is no code to enter. The CRA confirms this: first-time filers will not have an access code. Leave the field empty and complete the rest of the return.

First-time filers should also tell the software that this is their first return and enter their full legal name, including any second name. Newcomers, students and young people filing for the first time can use our first tax return guide for the rest of the setup.

NETFILE access code vs GST/HST access code

The two codes are easy to confuse because both carry the word NETFILE, but they belong to different programs and cannot be swapped.

If you run a small business and file sales tax returns, the GST/HST access code page explains how to get or change the 4-digit code. For your personal T1 return, only the 8-character code from your notice of assessment applies. More on the personal filing service is in our NETFILE Canada guide.