CRA Direct Deposit with online banking

It's easy to sign up for direct deposit from the CRA through online banking or the Affinity Mobile app.

Our members can quickly designate what account they want their Government of Canada payments to go to within a couple minutes from the online banking platform they're already familiar with.

Refunds and payments for this feature include:

Income tax refunds
Good and services tax/Harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit
Canada child benefit
Canada workers benefit
Climate action incentive payment

You may need additional account information when applying for certain government programs, such as Employment Insurance (EI). If this applies to you, please access your direct deposit and pre-authorized debit form from online banking by clicking Direct Deposit and Pre-Authorized Debit Form from the left-hand menu. This form can be downloaded for your convenience and contains your transit number, institution number and account number.

How do I sign up?

Online banking

The process is fast and simple. On the left-side navigation within our online banking platform, select CRA Direct Deposit Registration. This feature is only available for personal memberships.

Read through the information provided and click Continue. You only need to register your account once. Any Government of Canada payments will now be deposited automatically into your chosen account.

Acknowledge the consent and privacy statements by clicking on the checkbox and then click Accept. If you choose to decline the consent and privacy statements, you will be returned to the Account Summary page of online banking.

Select which account you want your CRA funds to be deposited into.

Confirm your personal information, including account, name, date of birth and social insurance number. If your personal information is correct, click Complete to continue and complete the application process.

If any of this information is incorrect, please call our Contact Centre at 1.866.863.6237 to have this corrected.

You’ll receive confirmation to indicate that the enrolment process is now complete. Your account number and account type will display on the confirmation screen.

Should you wish to change your banking information with CRA in the future, you’ll need to contact them directly at 1.800.959.8281.

Affinity Mobile app

After you log in to your account, go to the Menu located on the bottom navigation bar. Next, scroll to select CRA Direct Deposit.

Read through the information provided and click Continue. You’ll then need to select the account you want your CRA funds to be deposited into. Finally, confirm your personal information, including account, name, date of birth and social insurance number.

If your personal information is correct, click Complete to finish the application process. If any of your information is incorrect, please call 1.866.863.6237 to update it.

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What is a direct deposit payment?

Direct deposit is a secure electronic transfer of funds deposited directly into your bank account at a financial institution of your choice. Direct deposit replaces the need to issue payments by paper cheque.
Why should I sign up for direct deposit?

Direct deposit allows you to access your money faster and is more convenient as your payment will not be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather. It is reliable and your payment will always be deposited on time in the bank account that you supply at the time of your enrolment in direct deposit.
Will I still receive cheques if I sign up for direct deposit?

Once you are signed up for direct deposit, you will receive Government of Canada payments such as benefits, credits, and refunds directly to your bank account, and will no longer receive cheques for those payments.
How soon should I expect my payments to arrive by direct deposit?

If your payment method is direct deposit, you can expect to receive payments within five business days of the scheduled payment date. If your payment method is cheque, you can expect the cheque in the mail within 10 business days. Please allow this time before contacting the CRA about your payment.
Is it safe to sign up for direct deposit?

The Government of Canada considers privacy and security of utmost importance in the issuance of payments. Any information you provide to the Government of Canada when you enrol for direct deposit is protected under the Government of Canada Privacy Act and as described in Receiver General Payments (Personal Information Bank PWGSC PCU 712).

The Receiver General will use and disclose personal information for direct deposit purposes only to the federal institutions from which you are receiving payments and to your financial institution in order to issue direct deposit payments. Personal information such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN) will not be disclosed to your financial institution.

Access to your bank account is governed by your account agreement with your financial institution. Please consult with your financial institution for more information regarding their privacy and security measures.
Can the Canada Revenue Agency use different account information for different payments?

Yes. The Canada Revenue Agency will use all the account information that is on file for you. Please log into My Account to tell us which account you want us to use for payments to which you may become entitled.
How long will it take to process my direct deposit enrolment or update through my financial situation?

The CRA aims to process your direct deposit enrolment or information updates in one or two business days. Given the current environment, you may experience longer than usual processing times once your financial institution has sent your information to the CRA.
What information do I have to provide to my financial institution to sign up?

Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) will be needed by your financial institution to sign up for direct deposit with the CRA.
How will I know that my direct deposit information has been updated?

If you are fully registered for CRA’s My Account, you can verify your direct deposit information through this online self-service portal.
How do I know that I have received my direct deposit payment from the CRA?

You can verify that the payment has been received by checking your banking statement on the account you used to sign up for direct deposit. Your payment amount will be deposited directly into the account.
You can also confirm that the payment was sent by the CRA by logging into CRA’s My Account.
The CRA will never send you an email, text or Interac e-transfer to a link asking for your personal information to receive your benefit payment or refund. These are scams and taxpayers should never respond to these fraudulent communications or click on any of the links provided.
What happens if I submit multiple requests to update my direct deposit information through my financial institution?

You only need to enrol once. If you submit multiple requests to update your direct deposit information, the most recent enrolment you complete will become the account on file with the CRA. Direct deposits will only be made into one account, at one financial institution.