CRA My Account is the Canada Revenue Agency’s online portal for managing personal income-tax and benefit information.

Through My Account, individuals can access information such as tax returns, Notices of Assessment, refunds, benefits and credits, direct deposit, registered-plan information and tax slips.

In 2026, there are three main ways to register for and sign in to a CRA account:

• CRA user ID and password
• Sign-In Partner using participating online-banking credentials
• Provincial partner using an Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card

The registration requirements are different depending on which method is used.

The official starting point is the CRA account registration page.

What You Can Do in CRA My Account

CRA My Account provides access to personal tax and benefit information held by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Depending on the level of account access, available services can include:

• checking tax-return and refund status
• viewing Notices of Assessment and Reassessment
• reviewing benefit and credit information
• viewing available tax slips
• checking RRSP deduction information
• checking TFSA contribution-room information
• managing direct deposit
• updating certain personal and contact information
• viewing CRA correspondence

CRA distinguishes between limited access and full access. The services available depend on whether identity verification has been completed.

CRA lists current My Account services on its About My Account page.

CRA Account Registration Options in 2026

Registration Method	What You Use	Main Requirement
CRA user ID and password	A CRA credential created during registration	Recent assessed tax-return information
Sign-In Partner	Credentials from a participating financial institution	Recent assessed tax-return information
Provincial partner	Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card	Available only to eligible Alberta or British Columbia residents

Option 1: CRA User ID and Password

A CRA user ID and password is a separate credential created specifically for accessing CRA services.

When registering through this method, CRA generally asks for:

• date of birth
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) or another accepted tax identifier where applicable
• information from the most recent assessed income tax and benefit return from within the last two years
• a multi-factor authentication method

If the tax return was later reassessed, CRA instructs registrants to use the amounts that were originally reported on the return when answering registration questions.

The registration session can expire after 18 minutes of inactivity, and unfinished registration progress is not saved.

Option 2: Sign-In Partner

A Sign-In Partner allows eligible users to access their CRA account using the same sign-in credentials they use with a participating financial institution.

Participating institutions include many Canadian banks and credit unions.

Using a Sign-In Partner does not mean the CRA receives a user’s online-banking password or banking information.

CRA states that:

• banking information and the identity of the financial institution are not shared with the Government of Canada, and
• personal CRA tax information is not shared with the financial institution.

A person registering with a Sign-In Partner still needs to meet the applicable CRA registration and identity-verification requirements.

Be Careful Using Sign-In Partner on a Shared Device

CRA warns users not to allow another person’s online-banking credentials to autofill when registering on a shared computer or device.

If a person’s SIN is accidentally linked to another individual’s Sign-In Partner credentials, that individual could gain access to the person’s CRA tax information.

Users should confirm that the correct banking credentials are entered before continuing.

Option 3: Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card

CRA currently offers a provincial-partner registration method for residents of Alberta and British Columbia.

The supported provincial partners are:

• Alberta.ca Account
• BC Services Card

During the first CRA sign-in using a provincial partner, the user generally provides a SIN to validate their identity.

CRA may also accept a temporary tax number or individual tax number in certain circumstances.

Provincial-partner registration provides immediate CRA account access and does not require the separate CRA document-verification service or mailed CRA security code.

Details are available on the CRA provincial partners page.

Can You Register Before Filing a Canadian Tax Return?

The answer depends on the registration method.

For registration using a CRA user ID and password or Sign-In Partner, CRA generally requires the person to have filed an income tax and benefit return for either the current tax year or the previous tax year.

Registration also requires information from the person’s most recent assessed return from within the last two years.

If a person has never filed a Canadian tax return or has not filed during that period, these registration methods generally cannot be completed until an eligible return has been filed and assessed.

Alberta and British Columbia Have an Exception

CRA provides an exception for eligible residents using an Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card.

A person using a supported provincial partner can register even if they have never filed a Canadian tax return or have not filed during the previous two years.

This exception applies specifically to the provincial-partner registration route.

GCKey Does Not Work for CRA My Account

GCKey is used for several Government of Canada online services, but it cannot be used to sign in to a CRA account.

Having a GCKey for immigration, Service Canada or another federal service does not automatically provide CRA My Account access.

CRA account users must use one of the CRA-supported sign-in methods.

Identity Verification for Full CRA Account Access

People registering with a CRA user ID/password or Sign-In Partner generally need to complete identity verification to obtain full access.

CRA currently provides two main methods:

• Document verification service
• CRA security code sent by mail

Once identity verification is completed, full My Account access becomes available.

Document Verification Service

The document verification service can provide immediate full access without waiting for a CRA security code in the mail.

To use it, the individual must generally:

• be at least 16 years old
• have an accepted government-issued photo identification document
• have a mobile device with a working camera

CRA currently accepts the following original identification documents for this service:

• Canadian passport
• Canadian driver’s licence
• provincial or territorial photo ID card

Provincial health cards are not accepted for this document-verification process.

The user takes a real-time image of themselves and the accepted identification document.

See the CRA’s identity verification guide.

CRA Security Code by Mail

People who do not use document verification can request a CRA security code by mail.

CRA mails the code to the physical address it has on file, generally within 10 business days.

When requesting the code, the user may need to enter the postal code or ZIP code associated with the current CRA mailing address.

If the postal code does not match CRA records, the address may need to be updated before the process can continue.

The security code has an expiry date. After receiving it, the user signs in and enters the code to complete identity verification.

What if the CRA Security Code Does Not Arrive?

If the security code has not arrived after 10 business days, CRA provides two main options:

• use the document verification service, if eligible, or
• contact CRA to request another security code by mail.

If a security code expires, users may also be able to use document verification or request another code.

Limited Access Before Identity Verification

Some My Account services can be used before full identity verification is completed.

CRA currently lists limited-access services that include:

• viewing tax-return status
• viewing RRSP deduction limits
• viewing TFSA contribution room
• viewing a Notice of Assessment or Reassessment
• requesting a remittance voucher
• creating a pre-authorized debit agreement
• changing notification preferences

Additional services, including certain personal-information changes and benefit applications, become available after full registration is completed.

Multi-Factor Authentication Is Required

CRA uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) as an additional security layer for CRA accounts.

When signing in, users may need to provide a one-time passcode in addition to their normal sign-in credentials.

For first-time registration, CRA currently prompts users to enroll in MFA options selected from:

• third-party authenticator app
• passcode grid
• phone

CRA’s current registration process prompts first-time users to enroll in two MFA options.

The MFA settings can later be managed through the Security settings section of a CRA account.

See the CRA multi-factor authentication guide.

A Mobile Phone Is Not the Only MFA Option

CRA’s MFA system does not require every user to receive an SMS text message.

The passcode grid and third-party authenticator app provide alternatives to telephone-based authentication.

This can also provide another way to access the account if a phone number later changes or becomes unavailable.

British Columbia Provincial-Partner Users and MFA

CRA states that users who register through a BC Services Card are not required to enroll separately in CRA multi-factor authentication.

Alberta provincial-partner users follow the applicable CRA and Alberta.ca Account authentication requirements.

Never Give an Unexpected Caller Your MFA Code

CRA warns users to protect their one-time MFA passcodes.

CRA will not unexpectedly call a taxpayer and ask them to disclose a one-time MFA passcode.

If an individual calls CRA directly, a passcode may be used through CRA’s official verification procedures, but an unsolicited caller asking for a code should not be treated as a normal CRA account process.

CRA My Account and TFSA Contribution Room

My Account can display TFSA contribution-room information, but financial institutions report TFSA transactions to CRA after the transactions occur.

The number shown in CRA records may therefore not reflect every very recent TFSA transaction immediately.

Individuals should compare CRA information with their own contribution and withdrawal records before making another contribution.

For the 2026 TFSA limits and contribution-room rules, see our TFSA Contribution Limit 2026 guide.

Canada Child Benefit Information in CRA My Account

CRA My Account can also provide information about CRA-administered benefits and credits.

The Canada Child Benefit has its own eligibility, application and payment rules.

For current CCB payment dates and income rules, see our Canada Child Benefit 2026 guide.

Forgot Your CRA User ID or Password

CRA provides recovery options for users who have forgotten a CRA user ID, password or security-question answers.

If the existing credential cannot be recovered, going through the CRA registration process again may allow a user to regain access with new sign-in information, provided the required identity-verification and existing MFA requirements can be completed.

The current recovery options can be accessed from the CRA account sign-in page.

What if Your Online-Banking Sign-In Changes?

If a person uses a Sign-In Partner and their financial-institution credentials change, CRA provides procedures for switching or restoring the Sign-In Partner connection.

When access to the previous Sign-In Partner is no longer available, re-registration may be necessary.

Existing CRA MFA information may be required during that process.

What if You Lose Access to Your MFA Method?

If one MFA option becomes unavailable, another MFA option already enrolled on the account may be used.

If none of the enrolled MFA methods can be accessed, CRA instructs the account holder to contact the agency for assistance.

This is one reason CRA supports more than one MFA method.

What if Your CRA Account Is Locked?

A user may be temporarily locked out after entering an incorrect one-time MFA passcode too many times.

CRA currently states that this type of MFA lockout lasts 30 minutes. After that period, the user can try again or use another enrolled MFA method.

Other CRA security locks can require different recovery steps.

If the account remains inaccessible, follow the message displayed by CRA or use the agency’s official contact information.

What if You Lost Access to the Entire CRA Account?

CRA may allow users to go through registration again to regain access when:

• a CRA user ID or password was forgotten
• security-question answers were forgotten
• online-banking information changed
• a CRA credential was revoked

To complete this process, the user generally needs access to an existing MFA option and must complete the registration and identity-verification process.

If an account has been locked by CRA for security or another reason, re-registration may not resolve the issue and CRA may need to be contacted directly.

Keep Your Mailing Address Current

The mailing address on CRA records is important when a security code or other CRA correspondence needs to be sent.

If the postal code entered while requesting a security code does not match CRA records, the individual may need to contact CRA to update the address before receiving the code.

Keep Direct Deposit Information Current

CRA My Account can be used to manage direct-deposit information for eligible tax refunds and CRA-administered payments.

Banking information should be reviewed when accounts change or close to reduce the risk of delayed payments.

Review Notices of Assessment

A Notice of Assessment shows the result of CRA’s assessment of an income tax and benefit return.

My Account allows individuals to access available Notices of Assessment and Reassessment electronically.

These documents can also contain information used for future tax and registered-plan calculations.

CRA My Account Is Different From My Service Canada Account

CRA My Account and My Service Canada Account are separate federal online services.

CRA My Account focuses on Canada Revenue Agency tax and benefit information.

My Service Canada Account is used for Service Canada programs such as Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.

A credential accepted by one government service is not necessarily accepted by another.

2026 CRA Account Registration Summary

Situation	Registration or Verification Rule
CRA user ID/password registration	Requires recent assessed tax-return information
Sign-In Partner registration	Requires recent assessed tax-return information
Alberta.ca Account	Provincial-partner registration available to eligible Alberta residents
BC Services Card	Provincial-partner registration available to eligible BC residents
Never filed a tax return	Standard CRA credential or Sign-In Partner registration generally unavailable until filing; provincial-partner exception may apply in Alberta or BC
Document verification	Can provide immediate full access
CRA security code	Mailed within 10 business days to the address on file
Before identity verification	Limited My Account access may be available
GCKey	Cannot be used to sign in to a CRA account

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create CRA My Account in 2026?

Register through a CRA user ID and password, a participating Sign-In Partner, or an eligible Alberta or British Columbia provincial partner.

Do I need a tax return before registering?

For CRA user ID/password and Sign-In Partner registration, you generally need information from a recent assessed return. Alberta and British Columbia residents using an eligible provincial partner can register even if they have not filed during the previous two years or have never filed.

Can I use Alberta.ca Account for CRA My Account?

Yes. Eligible Alberta residents can register and sign in using an Alberta.ca Account as a CRA provincial partner.

Can I use BC Services Card?

Yes. Eligible British Columbia residents can use a BC Services Card as a CRA provincial partner.

Can I use GCKey?

No. GCKey cannot be used to sign in to a CRA account.

How do I get immediate full access?

Eligible users registering through a CRA credential or Sign-In Partner can use CRA’s document verification service. Provincial-partner users can also receive immediate access through their supported provincial credential.

What ID can be used for document verification?

CRA currently accepts a Canadian passport, Canadian driver’s licence or provincial or territorial photo ID card.

How long does the CRA security code take?

CRA states that it mails the security code within 10 business days to the physical address it has on file.

Can I use CRA My Account before receiving the security code?

Yes. Limited access to certain services can be available before identity verification is completed.

Is a mobile phone required for MFA?

No. CRA supports a third-party authenticator app, passcode grid and telephone options.

What if I forget my CRA password?

CRA provides credential-recovery and re-registration procedures. The appropriate method depends on the sign-in option and whether the user still has access to existing MFA information.

What if my CRA account is locked?

Follow the error message displayed by CRA. Certain MFA lockouts are temporary, while security-related account locks may require direct assistance from CRA.

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Disclaimer: This article provides general information about CRA online-account registration and access. CRA registration, identity-verification and security procedures can change. Confirm the current process through Canada.ca before submitting personal, banking or tax information.