CRA My Account Is Worth Setting Up

CRA My Account is one of the most useful online tools for Canadian taxpayers.

Many people only think about it during tax season, but it can be helpful throughout the year. It gives you access to tax records, CRA correspondence, refund information, direct deposit details, benefit information, and other important account details.

If you are an individual taxpayer, self-employed person, investor, parent, newcomer, or retiree, setting up CRA My Account can save time and reduce the need to call CRA.

What Is CRA My Account?

CRA My Account is the Canada Revenue Agency’s online portal for individuals.

It allows you to view and manage many parts of your personal tax account. For example, CRA says notices of assessment and notices of reassessment can be viewed in your online CRA account once a return is processed.

In practical terms, this means you can use CRA My Account to access tax information that is often needed for:

• Tax filing
• Mortgage applications
• Loan applications
• Benefit reviews
• Immigration or residency documentation
• Income verification
• Tax planning
• CRA correspondence

Why Every Taxpayer Should Set It Up

The biggest benefit is convenience.

Instead of waiting for mail or calling CRA, you can access important information online. For many taxpayers, this can make tax season much easier.

CRA My Account can help you:

• View your notice of assessment
• Check the status of your tax return
• Review CRA mail
• Update direct deposit information
• Track payments or balances
• Access prior-year tax information
• Review benefit and credit information
• Authorize a representative, where applicable

CRA notes that taxpayers can view the status of their return through the progress tracker in their CRA account.

Access Your Notice of Assessment

Your notice of assessment, often called an NOA, is CRA’s summary of your assessed tax return.

CRA explains that a notice of assessment shows the calculated amounts for your income tax and benefit return after CRA receives and processes your return.

This notice is important because it may show:

• Refund or balance owing
• RRSP deduction limit
• Unused amounts
• Changes made by CRA
• Information relevant to future tax planning

You may need your notice of assessment for lenders, accountants, government programs, or your own records.

Check Your Refund or Balance Owing

CRA My Account can help you monitor what happened after your tax return was filed.

You can generally use it to check whether your return has been processed and whether you have a refund or balance owing. CRA notes that your notice is available in your account once your return is processed.

This is helpful because it reduces uncertainty after filing.

Set Up or Update Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is one of the most practical reasons to use CRA My Account.

CRA says individuals with a Canadian bank account can sign up for direct deposit through their CRA account or through a Canadian bank or credit union. CRA also notes that direct deposit can no longer be started or updated by telephone.

Direct deposit can be used for payments CRA sends you, such as:

• Tax refunds
• GST/HST credit payments
• Canada Child Benefit payments
• Other eligible benefit or credit payments

Keeping direct deposit information current can help avoid missed or delayed payments.

Keep Your Contact Information Current

CRA My Account can help you keep important personal information up to date.

This matters because CRA may send notices, letters, requests for information, and other updates based on the information on file.

You should review your CRA account if you move, change banking information, change marital status, or need to update communication preferences.

Keeping your information current can help avoid missed mail and delayed processing.

Access Tax Information for Filing

CRA My Account can also help during tax preparation.

Depending on your account access and available information, you may be able to review tax slips, prior-year return information, notices, RRSP information, and other details needed to prepare your tax return.

This can be especially useful if:

• You misplaced a tax slip
• You changed employers
• You have multiple income sources
• You receive benefits or credits
• You need prior-year information
• You are catching up on tax filings

Even when a tax slip is available online, you should still review your own records to make sure the tax return is complete.

Manage Benefits and Credits

CRA My Account can also help taxpayers manage benefit and credit information.

This is useful for individuals and families receiving payments such as:

• GST/HST credit
• Canada Child Benefit
• Canada Carbon Rebate, where applicable
• Other federal, provincial, or territorial benefits administered through CRA

Because benefit amounts may depend on income, marital status, children, residency, and other facts, keeping your CRA information current is important.

Authorize a Representative

If you work with an accountant or tax advisor, CRA My Account may allow you to authorize a representative.

This can make it easier for your advisor to access relevant tax information, respond to CRA questions, and help with filings or reviews.

You should only authorize someone you trust, and you should periodically review who has access to your CRA information.

Security Matters

Because CRA My Account contains sensitive personal and tax information, security is important.

You should:

• Use a strong password
• Keep multi-factor authentication information current
• Avoid signing in from public or shared devices
• Never click suspicious links claiming to be from CRA
• Log in directly through the official Government of Canada website
• Review account activity if something looks unusual

CRA account access should be treated with the same care as online banking.

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes include:

• Waiting until tax season to set up CRA My Account
• Forgetting login details
• Not updating direct deposit after changing banks
• Not checking CRA mail
• Ignoring notices or requests for information
• Assuming a tax return was accepted without checking the notice of assessment
• Not reviewing who has representative access
• Using outdated contact information
• Relying only on tax slips instead of reviewing all income sources

These issues can lead to missed deadlines, delayed refunds, or unnecessary CRA follow-up.

Final Thoughts

CRA My Account is a practical tool that can help Canadian taxpayers stay organized and informed.

It can help you access notices of assessment, check tax return status, update direct deposit, review CRA mail, manage benefit information, and support better tax planning.

If you are unsure what your CRA account information means, or if you received a notice, reassessment, or request from CRA, Confectus can help you review the details and determine the next steps.

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This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, accounting, legal, financial, or professional advice. The information may not apply to your specific situation, and rules or guidance may change over time. You should consult a qualified professional advisor before making decisions or taking action based on this information.