Get an authorized representative
To communicate with the CRA on your behalf
What an authorized representative CAN do
✅ View your Notice of Assessment or Reassessment
✅ Access past tax returns
✅ Check benefits and credits information
✅ View account balances, RRSP/TFSA limits, and more
✅ Speak to CRA on your behalf
✅ File tax adjustments (T1-ADJ) if needed
✅ Upload documents requested by CRA
✅ Call the CRA to check the status of your tax return or refund
✅ File an objection if you received an incorrect Notice of Assessment
✅ Assist with audits or reviews
What an authorized representative CANNOT do
❌ Receive your refund directly
❌ Change your banking information (only you can)
❌ Change your contact information (only you can)
❌ View your personal information such as address, marital status, or telephone numbers
❌ Act without your consent
❌ Guarantee tax refunds or CRA decisions
Who can be your CRA representative?
- a tax preparer
- an accountant
- a bookkeeper
- your spouse or common-law partner
- another family member
- a friend
- a lawyer
- a customs broker
- an executor
- a power of attorney
How you can give authorization
By yourself online via your CRA Account
You must already be registered for a CRA account.
- Sign in to your CRA account
- On the “Welcome” page, select your Individual account to access My Account
- Select Profile from the left-side menu
- Select Add in the “Authorized representative(s)” section
- Read the “Before you begin” information and select Start
- Enter the representative’s:
- Name
- Rep ID that they gave you
Your representative requests authorization from you
Option 1: You must confirm them in your CRA Account
If a representative submits an authorization request, you must confirm or deny it within 10 business days in My Account or the request will be cancelled.
- Sign in to your CRA account
- On the “Welcome” page, select your Individual account to access My Account
- Select Profile from the left-side menu
- Select Confirm pending authorizations in the “Authorized representative(s)” section
- Under “Pending authorization requests,” select the representative’s name to proceed
- If there are no pending authorization requests, you will see “As of [the current date] you have no pending representatives”
To learn more about how you can easily and securely verify new authorization requests, go to Confirm my representative’s authorization request.
If you don't have a CRA Account (Your representative requests authorization)
Option 2: You provide tax information and sign a form
If you choose this option:
- you must provide the representative with information from a notice of assessment that was sent to you at least six months ago
- your representative must provide this information when they submit their initial authorization request
- you’ll need to sign the certification page before they can submit it to us
- your representative will submit the signed certification page to gain access to your CRA Account
Note: This option is available even if you have registered for a CRA account, or if your legal representative is acting on your behalf.
Even with this information provided, the CRA may still contact you (or your legal representative) to verify your representative’s authorization request. Your representative’s request for authorization will generally be processed instantly.
If you never filed a Canadian tax return
If you are unable to register for a CRA account or provide tax information, your representative may be prompted to obtain signed consent from you, which must be submitted as part of the authorization process in Represent a Client. Even with this information provided, the CRA may still contact you by phone to verify the request.
The slowest way: Submit a form to the CRA through regular mail
Fill in Form AUT-01, Authorize a Representative for Offline Access, to authorize the representative for offline access to your account information by phone, by mail, by fax, and in person. You must fill in and sign a separate authorization form for each representative.
Send the form to the appropriate CRA tax centre listed on the form within six months of the date it is signed. Note that this does not provide online access to your account information.
Links and quotes used from those websites:
After You Submit Your Tax Paperwork: Let Us Handle the CRA for You
For just a $20 add-on to your tax return service fee, we can act on your behalf with the CRA, handling phone inquiries and follow-ups throughout your tax return process.
