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The CRA lists these 2027 limits: money purchase $36,390, defined benefit $4,043.33, RRSP $35,390 and DPSP $18,195. The RRSP figure is up $1,580 from 2026. TFSA is not listed yet. Below is what each limit caps, how they connect and an example of how a workplace pension shrinks your RRSP room.
What pension and savings limits does the CRA list for 2027?
The CRA table of limits for registered plans lists a 2027 row. It shows a money purchase limit of $36,390, a defined benefit limit of $4,043.33, an RRSP dollar limit of $35,390 and a DPSP limit of $18,195. The same row carries the CPP ceilings of $76,700 and $87,400.
The table was last modified on 28 October 2026. It does not list a 2027 TFSA limit yet. The latest TFSA figure in that table is $7,000 for 2026.
| Limit | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money purchase limit (MP) | $35,390 | $36,390 | $1,000 |
| Defined benefit limit (DB) | $3,932.22 | $4,043.33 | $111.11 |
| RRSP dollar limit | $33,810 | $35,390 | $1,580 |
| DPSP limit | $17,695 | $18,195 | $500 |
| YMPE (CPP ceiling) | $74,600 | $76,700 | $2,100 |
| YAMPE (CPP2 ceiling) | $85,000 | $87,400 | $2,400 |
The change column is our subtraction from the two CRA rows. Source: CRA limits table for MP, RRSP, DPSP, TFSA and YMPE, checked 12 November 2026.
What does each limit actually cap?
The money purchase limit caps the combined yearly contributions that you and your employer can make to a money purchase registered pension plan, an RPP where the pension depends on what the account earns. The defined benefit limit caps the yearly pension that can accrue for one year of service in a defined benefit plan, where the formula sets the pension.
The RRSP dollar limit is the most the RRSP deduction limit can grow by in one year. Your own room is also capped at 18% of the earned income from the year before, so the dollar limit only binds when your earnings are high. The DPSP limit caps employer contributions to a deferred profit sharing plan, which is a pension style plan funded by the employer only.
How are these limits connected to each other?
The table lets you spot a pattern, and the figures below are our arithmetic rather than a CRA statement. The 2027 money purchase limit is $36,390, which is nine times the $4,043.33 defined benefit limit (9 x 4,043.33 = $36,389.97, rounded by the CRA). The DPSP limit is exactly half of the money purchase limit ($36,390 / 2 = $18,195).
The RRSP dollar limit for 2027, $35,390, equals the money purchase limit that applied in 2026. The 2026 RRSP limit of $33,810 follows the same rule against the 2025 limit. So the RRSP limit for a year is the money purchase limit of the year before. This is useful because it tells you the 2028 RRSP dollar limit will be $36,390 if the 2027 row stays as published.
How much do you need to earn to reach the $35,390 RRSP limit?
RRSP room is 18% of last year's earned income, up to the dollar limit. For the 2027 limit of $35,390, that works out to $196,611.11 of earned income in 2026 (35,390 / 0.18). In round dollars, you need about $196,612 of 2026 earned income to add the full amount.
Earned income for RRSP purposes is not the same as total income. Salary, self-employed net income and rental income count. Investment income and most pensions do not. Your notice of assessment shows your actual room, so use that number and not our estimate.
The 18% rule and the room shown on your notice of assessment are described on the CRA pages for RRSP contributions. Our RRSP contribution limit 2027 article goes through the deadline and room steps.
How does a workplace pension reduce RRSP room?
If you belong to a registered pension plan or a DPSP at work, your employer reports a pension adjustment on your T4. The pension adjustment is deducted from the 18% figure when the CRA calculates your RRSP room for the next year. The more your employer puts away for you, the less new RRSP room you get.
Here is a simplified example for 2026 earnings, which sets room for 2027. It ignores past service pension adjustments and any carry forward room, and it is our illustration only.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Employee contributes 5% | $4,500 |
| Employer contributes 5% | $4,500 |
| Pension adjustment (both) | $9,000 |
| 18% of 2026 earned income | $16,200 |
| Estimated new RRSP room for 2027 | $7,200 |
In this example the money purchase plan puts $9,000 into the plan, well under the $36,390 cap. Your own notice of assessment is the only number to trust.
What is a DPSP and what is its contribution limit?
A deferred profit sharing plan is funded only by the employer, and employees cannot contribute. The 2027 limit of $18,195 is the most the employer can put in for you in the year. The amount also counts as a pension adjustment and lowers your RRSP room, like an RPP contribution would.
Most workers will never need this limit. It matters to owners and managers of private companies and to employees who work for companies that offer profit sharing in registered form.
What are the common mistakes?
Using the wrong year is the first one. The $35,390 figure applies to the 2027 tax year, which means 2027 deductions you claim on your 2027 return in spring 2028. The 2026 tax year, filed in 2027, uses $33,810 as the dollar limit.
The second is mixing the money purchase limit with the RRSP limit. They are different numbers, and in 2027 they differ by $1,000 ($36,390 and $35,390). The third is trusting estimates on a site instead of the CRA notice of assessment, which shows the room that the CRA has on file for you.
Which limit applies at different salaries?
The 18% rule and the dollar limit work together. Below about $196,611 of earned income the 18% figure is the smaller one, and above it the dollar limit is. This table uses the 2027 dollar limit of $35,390 and shows only the first step. Pension adjustments and unused room from past years are not in it.
| Earned income in 2026 | 18% of earned income | Room before adjustments | Binding rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $10,800 | $10,800 | 18% of earnings |
| $100,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 | 18% of earnings |
| $150,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | 18% of earnings |
| $196,612 | $35,390 | $35,390 | dollar limit |
| $250,000 | $45,000 | $35,390 | dollar limit |
The figures in the table are our arithmetic, shown as an example. Someone earning $60,000 can add up to $10,800 of new room, well under the cap. Someone earning $250,000 hits the cap and gets $35,390.
What should you do before the March 1, 2027 RRSP deadline?
A contribution made in the first 60 days of 2027 can be deducted on your 2026 return. In 2027, the 60th day is Monday, March 1, since February 28 falls on a Sunday. For those contributions the 2026 dollar limit of $33,810 applies, not the $35,390 limit for 2027.
Start with your 2025 notice of assessment, which shows your deduction limit for 2026. Add any 2026 pension adjustment changes your employer reports on your T4, and subtract what you have already contributed. If you are close to the limit, check the figures in your CRA My Account before you pay in, because an excess over $2,000 is taxed at 1% a month. Our RRSP deadline article covers the first 60 days.
What is still unpublished?
The CRA has not listed a TFSA limit for 2027, and the federal indexation factor, brackets and basic personal amount for 2027 are not posted either. See our TFSA 2027 page and the 2026 versus 2027 tax numbers, which are updated when the CRA publishes. We checked the CRA indexation page on 12 November 2026 and it still covers 2023 to 2026 only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RRSP limit for 2027?
The CRA lists an RRSP dollar limit of $35,390 for 2027, up from $33,810 for 2026. Your own deduction limit is the lower of that figure and 18% of last year's earned income, less any pension adjustment, plus unused room. Your notice of assessment shows the exact amount.
What is the money purchase limit for 2027?
It is $36,390 for 2027. That is the cap on combined employee and employer contributions to a money purchase registered pension plan in the year. The CRA lists it in the same table as the RRSP and DPSP limits, in a row dated 28 October 2026.
What is the DPSP limit for 2027?
The DPSP limit is $18,195 for 2027, up from $17,695 in 2026. It is half of the money purchase limit, and it caps what an employer can contribute to a deferred profit sharing plan for an employee in the year.
Is the TFSA limit for 2027 published?
Not as of 12 November 2026. The CRA table of limits ends its TFSA column at 2026, with $7,000. The CRA usually announces the next TFSA limit after the indexation factor is set, so check the CRA page before you plan 2027 contributions.
How much income gives me full RRSP room in 2027?
About $196,612 of earned income in 2026, because 18% of that is $35,390. Lower earnings give less room. A workplace pension reduces room by the pension adjustment, so the true figure can be higher.