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“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. We’ve assumed that meaning here. Quebec taxpayers also deal with Revenu Quebec, and that account isn’t covered on this page.
The catch is registering. You need to have filed a return in the last two years, and one of the amounts from it.
What can you do in your income tax account?
What you see hangs on how far you got through 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 you only want your room numbers, limited access is enough. 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?
You’ll need your date of birth, your social insurance number and an amount you reported on your most recent assessed return, and that return has to be from the last two years. You also set up multi-factor sign-in, and the CRA says a one-time passcode is needed every time you sign in.
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 gives access straight away, or wait for a CRA security code by mail. The CRA says that code arrives within 10 business days.
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. Then compare that with what the account shows after you file.
What goes wrong with CRA logins?
The likely snag is 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. In that case, file first, wait for the assessment, then register.
The other one is old contact details. The CRA asks you to keep name and address current, and the account is where you fix an address or direct deposit once you have full access.
And if you owe tax through instalments, the account shows them under full access. The tax instalments calculator gives you a plan to compare.
Where do these numbers come from?
Registration rules and the service list come from the Canada Revenue Agency’s My Account pages, read in September 2026. The refund example uses our 2026 federal and Ontario rates and is an estimate. We haven’t confirmed what the CRA might change in later releases of the account. This site has no connection with the CRA.
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.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.