OTTAWA, ON, February 24, 2022 /CNW/ – This tax season, there’s a new way to confirm authorized representatives using My Account or My Business Account. Whether you’re an individual or a business, this simple two-step digital process will help protect your tax information and make authorizing new representatives more efficient and secure.
Who is a representative?
Representatives are people you authorize to help you or your business manage your tax information. Your representative can be an accountant or a lawyer, or a family member or friend. An authorized representative may be able to view, obtain information from, and update some or all of your tax information.
It is important to know who your representatives are and what information they have access to. Be proactive and make sure the representatives you have registered with the CRA are up to date. You can remove outdated representatives using My Account or My Company Account.
How to confirm a new representative using My Account or My Business Account
Follow these steps to confirm a new authorized representative or to accept changes to an existing representative’s authorization level using the new “Confirm my representative” service.
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The first step is to make sure you have either My Account or My Business Account. If you have never used these services before, you will need to create an account. You can check out the videos below for step-by-step instructions on how to register. |
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How to register for My Account |
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How to register for My Business Account |
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Keep in mind that registration can take several days. If you plan to authorize a new representative, be sure to register in advance for My Account or My Business Account. |
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Once registered, we recommend that you enable email notifications to ensure you are notified when you receive a new authorization request. Email notifications let you know when you have emails to view in your account and when important changes have been made to your account. Learn how to enable email notifications as an individual or business. |
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The next step involves your representative. They will need to log in to Represent a Client to submit a new authorization request. When submitting this application, they will need to include a certification page signed by you or your delegated authority to complete the application. |
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Once they submit a request, and if you have email notifications enabled, you will be notified by email that someone has requested access to your account. You must then log in to My Account or My Business Account, where you can view your pending authorization request in the Authorized Representatives section of your account. You can then confirm or decline the request by clicking a button. |
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You must confirm or decline the authorization request within ten business days, otherwise the request will be canceled and your representative will have to submit a new one. |
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Other options for individuals
If you are an individual and not a company, you can choose to authorize a representative without logging into My Account and using the “Confirm my representative” service. Instead, you will need to provide your representative with information from a notice of assessment issued to you at least six months earlier. When your representative submits his request for authorization, he must provide this information. If you choose this option, you may be contacted by telephone by the CRA to verify the claim.
Other business options
Delegated Authorities (Level 3 Representatives) can also confirm or deny permission requests in My Business Account on behalf of business owners.
If you are the owner or director of a business that is too busy or does not deal with routine tax matters, another officer of the company (tax, finance) may be designated as delegated authority by the owner/director .
To do this, the business owner/manager will still need to log in to My Business Account at least once in order to authorize the delegated authority. This delegate will have nearly the same level of access as the owner/manager to view and make changes to information in My Business Account, including confirming or denying new authorization requests for other representatives.
Information for representatives
The “Confirm my representative” service only applies to new authorization requests submitted via Represent a client. Representatives who use EFILE and certified tax software to submit client returns, including authorization requests, will not be affected.
Stay connected
SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency
For further information: Media Relations, Canada Revenue Agency, 613-948-8366, [email protected]
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