CLIENT UPDATE April 16, 2020 How to Apply for CRA’s Online Accounts

We are contacting you today to provide information about how you can apply for an online account with the Canada Revenue Agency. One of the methods to apply for both the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) will be by way of CRA’s online accounts. As such you may wish to create a personal account and, if applicable, an account for your business. Charities can also use the business account service.

In addition to applying for the new benefits, access to this service allows you to do many things without going through the often lengthy and frustrating experience of phoning the CRA directly. The services available include managing your contact information, checking remittance balances, seeing return and filing status’, and reviewing correspondence sent to your business or charity.

To obtain a business account you require a personal account as well.  If you wish to apply for these services, you will need:

1. Your CRA user ID and password, or apply for one;
2. Your CRA security code;
3. The Business Number (BN) of a business you wish to access and are on file as the owner with CRA.

If you are applying for a new user ID, you will need the information on your most recent personal tax return. You may have already been sent a CRA security code with your last Notice of Assessment.  If not, one will be sent to you at the address CRA has on file for you.  You can also call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 to obtain a security code. It may difficult to get through to CRA and if you do, the wait time may be very lengthy.

CRA has prepared a video of the entire process for obtaining an online business account, including obtaining a user ID, which can be found HERE.  Charities should review THIS SITE.

The registration for the individual My Account is HERE and the business registration is HERE.  You may be restricted access depending on your birth month as shown below:

We are happy to discuss any questions you may have about these matters. To review any of our previous updates on COVID-19 please see our website.

This summary deals proposed matters that are complex and may not apply to particular facts and circumstances. As well, the material and the references contained therein reflect laws and practices which are subject to change. For these reasons, this material should not be relied upon as a substitute for specialized professional advice in connection with any particular matter.

Although this communication has been carefully prepared, Wilkinson & Company LLP does not accept any legal responsibility for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.  No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (photocopying, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise).