Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
“My income tax account” almost always means the CRA’s My Account, the online login where you see your notice of assessment, your RRSP room and the status of your return. That’s the one covered here. Quebec taxpayers also deal with Revenu Quebec, and that account isn’t part of this page.
The catch is registering. You need an assessed return from the last two years, and one of the amounts from it.
What can you do in your income tax account?
What you see depends on how far you got through the identity checks. The CRA splits the services into limited access and full access, and the difference is bigger than it sounds.
| Level | What the CRA page lists |
|---|---|
| Limited access | Status of your return, notice of assessment or reassessment, RRSP deduction limit and TFSA contribution room, a remittance voucher, and setting up pre-authorized debit |
| Full access | Everything else, about 40 services, including tax slips, mail, direct deposit, address changes, instalments, carryover amounts, change return and Home Buyers’ Plan balances |
If all you want is your room numbers, limited access does the job. If you want to fix a return or read your T4 online, you need the full version.
How do you register for the CRA account?
Have four things on the table before you start: your date of birth, your social insurance number, an amount from your most recent assessed return (from the last two years), and a way to get a one-time passcode each time you sign in. Use the amount as you first reported it, even if the CRA reassessed you later. The CRA’s registration page lays out the list.
There are three ways in: a CRA user ID and password, a sign-in partner such as your online bank, or a provincial account in Alberta or British Columbia. Those two provinces are the exception to the two-year rule, since a provincial partner login only asks for your SIN.
Full access comes from verifying who you are. Either use a phone camera and government photo ID, which gets you in straight away, or wait for a security code by mail.
We will mail your CRA security code to the address we have on file within 10 business days
Register for a CRA account, canada.ca
That means a stale address can hold you up for weeks. Update it before you ask for the code.
Why bother with the account before you file?
Because the numbers you need are already there. Your RRSP deduction limit sits in the account, so you can check it before deciding how much to put in with the RRSP calculator. TFSA room is there too, and it feeds the TFSA calculator if you’re planning a top-up.
Mid-year, try the tax refund calculator with your year-to-date tax withheld. For a $70,000 salary in Ontario with $12,000 withheld, it shows an $866.09 refund. Compare that with what the account shows after you file.
What if you can’t get in?
Start with the registration inputs. A wrong amount from a return, a return that hasn’t been assessed yet, or no return in the last two years will all stop you cold. In that case, file first, wait for the assessment, then register.
Say Priya finished school last year and filed for the first time in April. She tries to register in May and gets nowhere, because the return hasn’t been assessed. Two weeks later the notice arrives, and the same details work.
The other snag is old contact details. The CRA asks you to keep your name and address current, and the account is where you fix an address or direct deposit once you have full access.
Does the account help with instalments?
It does. If you pay tax by instalments, the account shows them under full access. The tax instalments calculator gives you a plan to compare against what the CRA shows.
How we checked the figures
Registration rules and the service list come from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s My Account pages, read in October 2026. The refund example uses our 2026 federal and Ontario rates and is an estimate. The CRA can change the account in later releases. No level of government runs or endorses this site.
Frequently asked questions
What is My Account with the CRA?
It's the CRA's online account for individuals. You can view your return status, notices of assessment and RRSP and TFSA room, and with full access much more.
What do I need to register for the CRA account?
Your date of birth, your SIN and an amount from your most recent assessed return within the last two years. You also set up multi-factor sign-in.
Can I register if I never filed a return?
Not with a CRA user ID or sign-in partner. In Alberta and British Columbia, a provincial partner login only needs your SIN.
How long does the CRA security code take?
The CRA says it's mailed within 10 business days. A phone camera and photo ID can give you access straight away instead.
Can I see my tax slips in My Account?
Yes, but that is a full access service. Limited access covers return status, notices of assessment, RRSP limit and TFSA room.
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