How to Authorize a Tax Preparer Through CRA My Account in Canada

You can add a tax preparer directly in CRA My Account or approve a request they submit through Represent a Client.
Since July 15, 2025, tax preparers can no longer request authorization for individual clients through EFILE; individual requests now use Represent a Client.
Choose the narrowest access level you need, check the representative’s details carefully, and cancel the authorization when you no longer need the service.

What changed with CRA tax preparer authorization?

Canadian individuals can authorize an accountant, tax preparer, bookkeeper, family member, or another representative through CRA My Account. The fastest route is online, and the process lets you choose who can access your tax information and what they’re allowed to do.

There are two common situations. You can add the representative yourself in My Account, or your preparer can submit a request through the CRA’s Represent a Client portal for you to review and confirm.

Since July 15, 2025, tax preparers have no longer been able to request authorization for individual clients through EFILE. Individual authorization requests must now be submitted through Represent a Client. That doesn’t mean EFILE has disappeared for filing returns; it means the representative-authorization part of the process has moved.

How to Authorize a Tax Preparer Through CRA My Account in Canada2

Before you start

You’ll need an active CRA account with access to My Account if you want to complete the process online. Your representative should also give you identifying information, such as their RepID, GroupID, or business number, depending on how they’re registered with the CRA.

Before approving anything, confirm:

the representative’s name or firm is correct
the tax account and tax years covered by the request are appropriate
the requested authorization level matches the work you want them to perform
you understand whether the representative is an individual, a firm, or a group

You remain responsible for providing your tax information to the representative. CRA says representatives may need details such as your name, address, date of birth, Social Insurance Number, notice of assessment, tax return, or other tax documents to handle your tax affairs.

Option 1: Add your tax preparer directly in CRA My Account

This is usually the clearest option when you already have your preparer’s CRA identifier and want to control the authorization yourself.

Sign in to your CRA account.
On the Welcome page, select your Individual account to open My Account.
Select Profile from the left-side menu.
Find the Authorized representative(s) section and select Add.
Read the “Before you begin” information and select Start.
Enter and confirm the representative’s required information.
Select the access level, accounts, tax years, and expiry details requested by the service.
Review the information carefully and submit the authorization.

Use the representative’s RepID, GroupID, or business number exactly as provided. If the identifier does not match the preparer or firm you intended to authorize, stop and ask them to confirm it before submitting.

Option 2: Approve a pending authorization request

Your tax preparer may submit the request first through Represent a Client and select the option that lets you confirm it in My Account. In that case, you don’t add the request from scratch. You review the pending request and either confirm or deny it.

Confirm or deny a pending authorization request

Submit a representative authorization request

Review the official CRA representative authorization process

In My Account:

Sign in to your CRA account.
Select your Individual account from the Welcome page.
Select Profile.
Under Authorized representative(s), select Confirm pending authorizations.
Under Pending representative authorizations, select the representative’s name.
Review the representative, access level, scope, and other request details.
Select the option to confirm or deny the request and complete the on-screen confirmation.

CRA says a pending request must be confirmed or denied within 10 business days. If you let that period expire, the request is cancelled and your preparer must submit a new one.

If no request is waiting, My Account will show a message stating that you have no pending representatives as of the current date. That usually means the request has not been submitted, has already been processed, or has expired.

Which CRA access level should you choose?

The right access level depends on what your preparer needs to do, not simply on whether they’re preparing your return.

Access level	What it generally allows	When it may be appropriate
Level 1	View tax information and account details	When the representative only needs to review information
Level 2	View information and take permitted actions or submit documents	When the representative needs to manage tax matters or send information to the CRA

For example, a preparer who only needs to review notices, slips, balances, and prior tax information may not need more access than necessary for that work. A representative handling CRA correspondence, submitting documents, or making permitted requests may need Level 2.

Available services can differ by authorization level. CRA’s representative-services information shows that representatives may be able to view notices of assessment, tax information slips, account balances, and other information, while certain requests and document-submission functions require Level 2.

Don’t select broader access just because it sounds more convenient. A narrower authorization is easier to understand and reduces the amount of information and control shared with a third party.

What if your preparer uses your notice of assessment?

If you can’t use My Account, CRA provides an alternative process based on information from a notice of assessment or reassessment sent at least six months ago.

Under that process, you give the representative information from the notice, the representative includes it in the authorization request, and you sign the certification page before the representative submits it through Represent a Client. CRA may still contact you to verify the request.

This is different from giving your CRA sign-in credentials to a preparer. Never share your CRA username, password, banking sign-in, security code, or multi-factor authentication code. Your representative should access your information through their own Represent a Client account after CRA authorization is complete.

How to check that authorization worked

After you submit or confirm the authorization, return to the Authorized representative(s) section of My Account and review the representative listed there. Check the name, access level, scope, and expiry information where available.

Your preparer should also be able to see the client relationship through Represent a Client once the authorization is active. If they still can’t access the account, ask them to confirm that they’re signing in through their representative account rather than trying to use your personal My Account credentials.

If you’re preparing a return or responding to a CRA letter, authorization alone doesn’t guarantee that every service will be available. Some services depend on the authorization level, account type, tax year, or the representative’s registration.

How to cancel a CRA representative authorization

You can remove a representative when the tax work is finished, when you switch preparers, or whenever you no longer want that person or firm to have access.

Review the representative list in My Account and use the available cancellation option for the authorization you want to remove. If the online option isn’t available or you need a paper process, CRA provides Form AUT-01X, Cancel Authorization for a Representative.

Download the CRA cancellation form

Be specific when cancelling. If you authorized a firm or group rather than one individual, make sure you understand whether the cancellation removes access for everyone covered by that authorization.

Common problems and safer next steps

There’s no pending request

Ask the preparer whether they submitted the request through Represent a Client and whether they selected the My Account confirmation method. Check that you’re looking under your Individual account, not a business or representative account.

The request details look wrong

Don’t approve it. Deny the request and contact the preparer using a phone number or email address you already trust. A surprise authorization request can be a sign of an error or an attempted scam.

You can’t access My Account

You may need to register for a CRA account or complete identity verification. CRA offers document verification and other registration methods, but the exact options depend on your situation.

You need help after authorization

Use CRA’s representative-authorization information or contact the CRA if the authorization is missing, the wrong person is listed, or you suspect unauthorized access. The safest next action is to verify the request inside your own CRA account and authorize only the representative and access level you actually need.

Helpful Links

CRA representative authorization instructions – Review the official ways to authorize a representative, including direct My Account authorization and pending-request confirmation.
CRA account sign-in – Sign in or register to access CRA My Account and related CRA online services.
Confirm a representative authorization request – Check the official confirmation steps, the 10-business-day deadline, and the alternative notice-of-assessment process.
Cancel Authorization for a Representative form AUT-01X – Download the official CRA form when you need to cancel a representative authorization.
CRA information for tax preparers – See the CRA’s current information about Represent a Client and the end of individual authorization requests through EFILE.
CRA account help – Representatives: Request authorization – Official page referenced in the article.
Register for a CRA account – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can my tax preparer authorize themselves on my CRA account?

A. No. The preparer can submit a request through Represent a Client, but you must confirm it in My Account when that method is used. You can also add the representative yourself in My Account.

Q. How long do I have to approve a CRA authorization request?

A. You have 10 business days to confirm or deny a pending request in My Account. After that, the request is cancelled and the representative must submit a new request.

Q. Should I give my tax preparer my CRA password?

A. No. Your preparer should use their own CRA account and Represent a Client access after you authorize them. Do not share your CRA password, security code, banking credentials, or multi-factor authentication code.

Q. Can I authorize a family member instead of a professional tax preparer?

A. Yes. CRA representatives can include family members, friends, bookkeepers, lawyers, financial planners, and professional tax firms, provided the required authorization process is completed.

Q. What should I do if I authorized the wrong representative?

A. Remove or cancel the authorization through the representative section of My Account as soon as possible. If you can’t complete the cancellation online, use CRA Form AUT-01X or contact the CRA for assistance.

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