Your T1 General tax return (for personal income tax) is stored in CRA’s digital system.
If you use CRA My Account, you can view, download, or reference your T1 for current and past years.
This guide will show you exactly how to get into My Account and locate your T1 General.
What is CRA My Account and why use it?
CRA’s My Account is an online portal that allows individuals to view and manage their personal income tax and benefit information.
Read More On CRA Filing & Accounts
Through My Account, you can:
- View notices of assessment or reassessment
- Change your address, marital status, and contact info
- View your Proof of Income / T1 return documents
- Access tax slips, benefit and credit information
- Submit documents, track files, manage electronic correspondence, etc.
To use My Account, you must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and a previously filed and assessed income tax return (current or earlier) for identity verification.
Step 1: Sign in or register to My Account
- Go to the CRA “Sign in to your CRA account” page.
- You’ll see options to sign in by CRA user ID & password or using a Sign-In Partner (your online banking credentials, if your bank participates).
- If you don’t yet have a My Account, click “Register for a CRA account”. You will need to verify your identity, which may involve receiving a security code by mail or completing document verification.
Once registered and signed in, you’ll have either limited access or full access. Full access requires completing identity validation (e.g., entering a security code).
Step 2: Go to the T1 / Tax Returns section
Once inside My Account:
- Locate the menu or dashboard section labelled “Tax returns” or “Tax returns and documents”. Wealthsimple notes you can find the T1 under “Tax returns view” in My Account.
- In that section, you should see a list of tax years for which you have filed (usually up to the past 11 years) and options to view or download your T1 General return.
- If you don’t see your full T1, you may see a Proof of Income statement or summary of your return instead. The CRA often displays a summarized version if full documents are no longer available.
Some users report that their full T1 isn’t always visible, but they can access related versions like “Proof of income.”
Step 3: Download or view your T1 General
After locating the correct year:
- Click View or Download to open a PDF or formatted version of your T1 return.
- Save or print the document for your records. Many tax disclosure processes, lenders, or service providers may request a copy.
- Note: The version you see may include supporting schedules and attachments depending on what was submitted.
If the full return is not available, the Proof of Income statement can serve as partial evidence for income and tax amounts.
Troubleshooting and tips for access
- Security code issues: If you can’t get the one-time passcode or your phone number has changed, you may need to contact CRA for help.
- Locked account: If your account is locked, you’ll need to verify your identity with CRA (possibly by phone) to regain access.
- Missing tax year: If a particular year’s T1 is not in the list, it may be too old or archived. You can request a copy via CRA’s “Contact Us” options.
- Authorized access for others: To let someone (e.g. tax preparer) view your return, use Represent a Client and authorize them. You cannot simply share My Account login.
- Browser compatibility: Use a modern browser. Some CRA pages may not display fully in older browsers.