If you’ve ever tried to contact the CRA by phone and received a busy signal, or sat on hold interminably waiting for a service rep, as I did recently trying to change my address, you’ll be happy to know about CRA My Account for Individuals.

Online services offered by the banks and other financial institutions have made it easier to manage our financial affairs online and now the CRA My Account portal is no exception. This online account is the gateway to information and activity on your CRA tax account.

Registering for CRA My Account

There are two ways to register:

1. With a sign-in partner. Use the sign in information you use for online banking, or other acceptable online service.
2. CRA login. After registering you will receive a CRA user ID and password in the mail.

To get access, you will need the following information:

• Social Insurance Number
• Date of birth
• Your current postal code
• Your two most recent income tax returns. (An amount you entered on your return will be requested as a security feature, and will always vary.)

CRA My Account: What can you do?

Once you’ve registered and logged in to CRA My Account, you’ll be able to access a great deal of information.

Here’s where you can find out how much contribution room you have available in your RRSP and TFSA. It also keeps track of prior withdrawals.

Find details of your Home Buyers’ Plan and Life Long Learning Plan. You can also apply for child benefits.

Once you file your taxes, you can go here to check the status of your refund, view or change your return and check your benefit and credit payments.

If you are asked to submit an information slip such as a medical receipt, it can be scanned and uploaded into your CRA My Account.

You can change your address and set up or modify your direct deposit information.

You can also access:

• Your detailed Notice of Assessment
• Carry forward amounts, including capital gains and losses.
• Benefits and credits
• Instalment payments

and so on.

You can also make payments and register disputes.

Finally, you can toggle over to your My Service Canada Account to view and update your information on EI, CPP (Statement of Contribution), and OAS without having to log-in again.

Becoming a representative for another person

A representative is an individual who is involved the tax affairs of another person, such as a friend or family member, executor, Power of Attorney, or legal guardian.

Form T1013 (available to download online) must be completed to authorize a representative, and is sent in to the tax centre. The representative will then be able to access information with a RepID.

Conclusion

CRA My Account is intended to allow individuals to access and manage their own personal income tax and benefits information. It’s not only convenient and easy to use, transactions are processed immediately and the most up-to-date information is displayed so, for example, you will see the details of your Notice of Assessment before you receive it in the mail.

If you still want to talk to a real person, try the main CRA inquiry number at 1-800-959-8281.