Online mail – Helping you organize your Canada Revenue Agency mail

Online mail is a simple to use service that allows individuals to receive most of their mail, like their notice of assessment or benefit notices, from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) directly in My Account.

When you sign up for online mail, the CRA will send you an email letting you know when you have new mail to view in My Account. Once you are signed up for online mail, you will go paperless since your correspondence will no longer be printed and mailed. Don’t worry - if your bank or anyone else needs a paper copy, all you need to do is log in to My Account and print or download a copy.

How to register for online mail

Signing up is easy – here are four ways you can register to receive online mail from the CRA:

1. log in to My Account and select “Manage online mail”
2. use the MyCRA mobile app and select “Manage online mail”
3. enter your email address when you file your taxes by paper or online
4. provide your email address to your tax preparer when filling out the form T183 or when they are filing your tax return

When registering, you should provide the email address of an account you regularly use. The email address you provide is the one we will use to advise you that you have new mail available for viewing. It is recommended that you provide your personal email address to protect your privacy.

Correspondence that you can receive electronically

Some examples of correspondence currently available through online mail include:

• notices of assessment (NOA)
• notices of reassessment (NORA)
• benefit notices and slips
• T1 adjustment notices
• instalment reminders

The CRA continues to add more correspondence to our online mail service every year. Anything not currently eligible for online mail will continue to be printed and mailed.

After you register for online mail

Once you are registered, the CRA will send a registration confirmation email to the address you provided. Depending on the method you used to register, you should receive your confirmation email within the following timelines:

• immediately if you used the “Online mail” service in My Account or the MyCRA mobile app
• within 8 business days if you filed your return electronically (NETFILE/EFILE)
• within 4-6 weeks if you filed your return by paper

If you do not receive a registration confirmation email, log in to My Account or the MyCRA mobile app and review the email address in your profile. If the email address is incorrect, update it. If it is correct, check your junk mail folder for an email from the CRA.

How to know if the email notification is from the CRA

The CRA will never use aggressive language or tone, ask for prepaid credit cards, threaten arrest or to send police in any correspondence. A CRA email notification will only advise you that you have correspondence to view in My Account. It will never ask for you to confirm information or click on a link. If you’re unsure, log into My Account and see if you have new mail to read.

For more information, find out how to protect yourself against fraud.

Differences between the online and paper versions of the notice of assessment or reassessment

Both the online and paper versions of the notice include all of the assessment information and are official CRA-issued federal income tax notices. However, there are differences between the online and the paper versions:

• The online version in My Account includes information about registered retirement savings plans, the Home Buyers’ Plan, and the Lifelong Learning Plan in collapsible tabs. Links to additional information are provided at the bottom of the page.
• The online version does not include a remittance form, a cheque or payment information. Instead, you can use the “Request a remittance voucher” service in My Account or use the MyCRA mobile app to get a personalized paper remittance form, you can view your refund status within My Account or MyCRA, you can arrange a pre-authorized debit agreement in My Account, or you can use the “My Payment” service through the CRA website to make an online payment.
• The online version does not include the general information printed on the back page of the paper version. Instead, general information is offered on the CRA website, and services like Change my address, Change my return, and Register my formal dispute are available in My Account. If you choose to print the PDF version available within “View mail”, general information will be printed on the last page.

What to do if you need a paper copy of a notice

If your bank or anyone else needs a paper copy of a notice of assessment after you sign up for online mail, all you need to do is log in to My Account and print or download a copy. You can access and print copies of past notices of assessment (issued after February 9, 2015) anytime in My Account. Any notices issued to you after this date will be available as a print friendly PDF version within “View mail”.

How to update your email address for online mail

As with your mailing address, it is your responsibility to ensure we have your correct email address at all times.

There are four ways you can update your email address for online mail:

1. log in to My Account and select “Manage online mail”
2. use the MyCRA mobile app and select “Manage online mail”
3. enter your email address when you file your taxes by paper or online
4. provide your email address to your tax preparer when filling out the form T183 or when they are filing your EFILE tax return

Date modified:

2017-02-13