How to Register for CRA My Account
CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ My Account lets you see your Notice of Assessment, RRSP and TFSA contribution room, benefit payments, and — critically — Auto-fill My Return, which imports every slip the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ already holds. Register with your SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ and one of three identification routes; full access needs a one-time code mailed to your address.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official CAN sources(2025-Latest).
0 of 7 steps
- Before You Go 10 min
Confirm you have filed at least one return
The classic registration asks for line amounts from your most recent Notice of Assessment (e.g., line 15000 income) to verify identity. If you have never filed a Canadian return, you must file one first — even a nil return for newcomers — before the identity check can pass.
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- Go 15 min
Choose a registration route
Three options: (1) CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ sign-in with your SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ + date of birth + tax-return line amounts — fastest; (2) Interac document verification (newer, verifies your ID with your bank app in minutes); (3) a provincial digital ID where available. You also need a personal access code if the system cannot verify you fully — it then mails one.
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- Fill / Prepare 10 min
Create the credential (username and password)
Set up your CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ user ID and password directly, or use a Sign-in Partner (your bank's login — then no separate CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ credential). Write answers to the security questions where none of the answers can be guessed from your social media (first pet, first school are risky).
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- Wait 5–10 business days
Wait for the security code by mail
After the initial registration you have partial access immediately (view basic info). Full access — auto-fill, notices, changes to returns — needs the one-time security code the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ mails to your address on file. If it does not arrive in 2 weeks, call the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ individual enquiries line and they can verify by phone.
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- Submit & Pay 5 min
Enter the code and unlock full access
Sign back in, enter the code, and the account unlocks permanently. Enable multi-factor authentication (passcode to your phone) — the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ added this after a spate of phishing-related account takeovers, and it now prompts on new devices.
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- Follow Up Ongoing
Use it: auto-fill, track, and fix
At tax time, use Auto-fill My Return in your NETFILENETFILE — CRA's service for filing your own tax return online using certified software.Click for official info ↗ software to import every T4Statement of Remuneration Paid — The slip your Canadian employer issues each February showing your wages and deductions. You need it to file taxes.Click for official info ↗/T5/T2202. Year-round: track benefit payments (CCB, GST/HST credit), check RRSP/TFSA room before contributing, view your Notice of Assessment for citizenship applications, and correct returns with ReFILE or a T1 adjustment.
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- Receive —
Stay secure
The CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ NEVER texts links or asks for prepaid cards. Phishing texts about "CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ refunds" surge every tax season — report them (30-40 fraud reporting) and never enter your credentials from an emailed link. Sign in only by typing canada.ca yourself or using a bookmark.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a brand-new resident with no tax history. How do I register?
You generally need one filed return first. Newcomers can file a part-year or nil return for the arrival year — even with zero income — which creates the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ record needed to pass identity verification, and unlocks benefit applications.
Can I use my bank login (Sign-in Partner)?
Yes — most major banks participate, letting you sign into CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ My Account with your online banking credentials and skip the separate CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ user ID. The bank never sees your tax data; it only confirms your identity.
What if the security code never arrives?
Call CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ individual enquiries (1-800-959-8281) after 10 business days. They verify your identity by phone and can re-issue. Make sure the CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗ has your current address — update it first if you moved, since undeliverable codes are the top registration blocker.
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