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CRA Digital-Only Notices of Assessment: What Newcomers Must Do for the 2026 Tax Season

Llandora·Updated 2026-10-14
⚠️ Disclaimer: For general information only — not tax, financial, legal, or medical advice. Figures may be outdated or incorrect; tax rules change frequently. Verify important decisions with the CRA/IRS or a qualified professional (for health topics, a licensed healthcare provider). You use this information at your own risk.
The short answer

Starting with the 2026 tax-filing season, the Canada Revenue Agency no longer hands you your Notice of Assessment (NOA) through your tax software. Your NOA — and any notice of reassessment — is now viewable only as a digital document inside CRA My Account after the CRA receives and processes your return. If you are a newcomer filing your first Canadian tax return, this changes the practical steps you need to take, and the biggest mistake is waiting until April to set up online access.

What changed in February 2026

Three related changes took effect for the 2026 filing season:

  1. Digital NOA only in My Account. After the CRA receives and processes your return, your notice of assessment and any reassessment appear in CRA My Account. You can no longer view the NOA inside your tax preparation software the way you could in prior years.
  2. Express NOA retired. The CRA decommissioned the "Express NOA" feature that let EFILE tax software display an instant assessment. Your accountant or tax preparer can no longer print your NOA on the spot — it arrives through My Account or by mail after processing.
  3. Easier NETFILE access code. Starting in February 2026, your 8-character NETFILE access code (letters and numbers) is easier to find: sign in to CRA My Account, go to tax returns, and the code is displayed there. You need this code when you file electronically with tax software.

The EFILE system itself was down for annual maintenance from January 30, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) until February 23, 2026 (8:30 AM ET), so the first electronic filings of the season went in after that window.

What a Notice of Assessment is and why you need it

The NOA is the CRA's official statement of how it assessed your tax return: your total income, deductions, credits, taxes payable or refund, and contribution room figures. Newcomers encounter it constantly in the first years:

  • Mortgage and loan applications — lenders ask for your NOA as proof of income.
  • Benefit renewals — the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and other income-tested benefits are renewed against the income on your NOA.
  • Immigration paperwork — some provincial nominee streams (for example, Ontario's earnings-history factor) verify income through the NOA.
  • Objections — if you disagree with the assessment, the deadline to object runs from the date printed on the NOA (one year from the normal filing due date, or 90 days after the NOA date, whichever is later).

Losing track of your NOA therefore means losing track of deadlines that affect money and status.

The newcomer's problem: My Account registration takes time

Here is the practical trap. To see your digital NOA, you need CRA My Account. Registering for My Account as a newcomer involves identity verification, and the CRA mails a security code to your address — which takes days to arrive. If you file your return in April and only then try to register, you may be waiting on the code while your NOA is already sitting in an account you cannot open.

Do this instead:

  1. Register for CRA My Account early — ideally in January or February, before you file. Use the CRA's online registration; have your social insurance number (SIN), date of birth, postal code, and an assessed tax return or benefit statement ready for identity verification.
  2. Keep your address current with the CRA. Mailed codes and any paper correspondence go to the address on file. Update it in My Account or by phone when you move.
  3. Find your NETFILE access code in My Account before you sit down with tax software.
  4. After filing, check My Account for the NOA rather than waiting for your preparer or the mail.

If you use a representative (accountant), they can access your NOA through Represent a Client — but you should still have your own My Account access rather than depending entirely on a third party.

Paper is not fully gone — but don't count on it

Taxpayers who file a paper return are still mailed a paper NOA. And you can request a mailed copy by phone. But the direction of travel is clear: phone requests for paper copies of tax slips (T4, T4A, T5) have already been discontinued — you now get those from the slip issuer or online. Build your routine around My Account, not the mailbox.

Frequently asked questions

I filed through an accountant. Will they still get my NOA?

Your representative can view your NOA through the CRA's Represent a Client service if you authorized them. But the instant in-software Express NOA is gone — neither you nor your preparer sees the assessment inside the tax software anymore. Get your own My Account access.

I just arrived in Canada and have never filed taxes. Can I register for My Account?

Registration requires identity information the CRA can verify, which is easiest once you have a SIN and have filed at least one return. If online registration does not work for you yet, call the CRA to discuss alternatives — and register as soon as you are able, well before the next filing season.

How long after filing does the digital NOA appear?

It depends on how you filed and CRA processing volumes. Electronic returns are generally assessed faster than paper. Check the CRA's published processing timelines on canada.ca rather than relying on last year's experience.

What if I never check My Account and miss something?

That is exactly the risk the CRA's own advisories flag: missed correspondence can mean missed objection deadlines and compliance problems. Make checking My Account after filing — and keeping your email and address current — part of your annual routine.

Does this affect businesses too?

Separately, the CRA moved business correspondence to online-by-default (May–June 2025 for My Business Account users). This article covers individual returns; if you are self-employed with a business number, expect the same digital-first treatment there.

Sources

  • CRA 2026 tax-filing season tips (digital NOA, NETFILE code, paper slip changes): https://mx.advfn.com/bolsa-de-valores/noticias/97695589/tax-tip-what-you-need-to-know-for-the-2026-tax-f
  • Jamie Golombek on NOA objection deadlines and digital NOA viewing: https://y.gogonow.de/ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/disagree-cra-notice-assessment-sure-153757480.html
  • EFILE Association IMPACT newsletter, January 2026 (EFILE maintenance window, software block): https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/95377249-5e36-4e7f-a280-acd501a60711/EAC%20IMPACT%20Newsletter%20January%202026.pdf
  • How to get a Notice of Assessment (My Account, app, phone, mail): https://divorcethesmartway.ca/avada-faq/how-to-get-a-notice-of-assessment/

This article is general information about Canadian tax administration, not tax advice. CRA procedures change — check canada.ca for current instructions, and consult a licensed Canadian tax professional for your situation.

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