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“MyTax” isn’t the name of the account most Canadians use for their federal tax. That one is called My Account, and it belongs to the Canada Revenue Agency. But several private services and firms use names like MyTax too, so before you type a password anywhere, work out which account you mean. We can’t tell you what any one of those private services does or costs, and we don’t make claims about them. This page covers the account that everybody with a tax return can open.
Which MyTax account do you actually have?
Check the address bar first. If it ends in canada.ca, you’re on a Government of Canada page. If you signed up through an accountant or a software company, your login lives on their site, and you’ll need to go back to them for a reset. A CRA login won’t open it.
Not sure? Look for the email you got when you registered. Nothing there? Then you likely don’t have one, and My Account is the place to start.
What can you see in a CRA account?
The CRA describes it as the place to manage your tax information and accounts. In practice you use it to update direct deposit, change your address, phone number or name, and set how you sign in. Your RRSP deduction limit is there too, and it matters most between January and March.
It also lets a preparer see your file, once you allow it. Since 15 July 2025, an individual’s authorization request from a preparer goes through the “Represent a Client” service and you confirm it in your account.
| Sign-in route | What to know |
|---|---|
| Sign-in partner | Uses a participating financial institution’s login |
| CRA user ID and password | Credentials you create with the CRA |
| Provincial partner | Offered in British Columbia and Alberta |
How do you register, and what if you get locked out?
Pick one of the three routes above. The sign-in partner route saves you a new password, since you already have the bank login. The CRA warns about one thing here: don’t register using someone else’s banking credentials, because that other person will then have access to your tax information.
Locked out? The CRA’s answer is to go through registration again to regain access. You don’t call anyone first. It also tells you not to use autofill on a shared device, which is good advice for a library computer or a family laptop.
Use multi-factor authentication if it’s offered. It’s a small annoyance that stops most of the bad outcomes.
What should you do with the numbers in your account?
Use them as inputs. Say you’re an Ontario employee on $60,000 with $9,000 withheld. The tax refund calculator shows a refund of $679.50. Enter the $5,000 RRSP contribution your account shows you can still claim, and the refund becomes $1,896.28. That $1,216.78 difference is why people open the account before filing rather than after.
If your slips show self-employment income, the tax installments calculator is worth a look, because the CRA may ask you to pay during the year instead of all at once. For your RRSP number, the RRSP calculator shows what a contribution grows to.
And for the year in total, the income tax calculator gives a quick check against the figure on your assessment.
What goes wrong with online tax accounts?
The main problem is phishing. Messages that say your refund is waiting, or that your account is suspended, tend to link to a copy of a login page. If a message asks for your login, type the address yourself or use your bookmark.
The second is a mismatch. Your software’s numbers and your CRA account’s numbers won’t always agree, especially if a slip arrived late. The CRA account is the record of what the CRA knows, so start there when they differ.
Third, sharing a login. Giving your CRA details to a helper means they see everything, including your banking details. Authorize them as a representative instead.
We can’t say what a private “MyTax” service holds on you. If you have one, its own support page is the source.
Where the numbers come from
The account features, sign-in routes and security advice are taken from the Canada Revenue Agency’s My Account pages, and the authorization change from its 2026 tax tips. Example figures come from the 2026 federal and Ontario data in our calculators. We are not part of the CRA and can’t see your account.
Frequently asked questions
Is MyTax the CRA's online account?
No. The CRA's account is called My Account. Other services use similar names, so check that the web address ends in canada.ca before you sign in.
How can I sign in to my CRA account?
With a sign-in partner (a participating financial institution), a CRA user ID and password, or, in British Columbia and Alberta, a provincial partner.
What if I'm locked out?
The CRA says to go through the registration process again to regain access, without calling first.
What can I change in my CRA account?
Direct deposit, your address, phone number, name and your multi-factor authentication choices.
Can my tax preparer see my account?
Only if you authorize them. Requests for individuals go through Represent a Client, and you confirm them in your account.
- 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.