Last Month, using My Account or My Business Account, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) added a new feature to confirm authorized representatives. The new two-step digital approach will help you protect your tax information and make authorizing new representatives more efficient and secure, whether you are an individual or a business.
Representatives are people you appoint to assist you or your organization in managing your tax information. An accountant or lawyer, as well as a family member or friend, could serve as your representative. Some or all of your tax information may be able to be viewed, retrieved, and updated by an authorized representative.
It is crucial to understand who your representatives are and what data they have access to. Make sure the representatives you have on file with the CRA are up to date by being proactive. Using My Account or My Business Account, you can delete any representatives who are no longer active.
How to confirm a new representative using My Account or My Business Account
Using the new “Confirm my Representative” service, follow these steps to confirm a new authorized representative or accept modifications to an existing representative’s authorization level.
- The first step is to make sure you have either My Account or My Business Account. If you have not used these services before, you will need to register for an account. You can check out the videos below for step-by-step instructions on how to register.
- Keep in mind that registration may take several days. If you are planning to authorize a new representative, make sure to register for My Account or My Business Account in advance.
- Once registered, we recommend you enable email notifications to make sure you are notified when you receive a new authorization request. Email notifications let you know when you have mail to view in your account, and when important changes have been made to your account. Find out more about how to enable email notifications as an individual or a business.
- The next step involves your representative. They will need to sign in to Represent a Client to submit a new authorization request. When submitting this request, they will need to include a certification page signed by you or your delegated authority to complete the request.
- Once they have submitted a request, and if you have enabled email notifications, you will be notified by email that someone has requested access to your account. You must then sign in to My Account or My Business Account, where you can review your pending authorization request in the Authorized Representatives section of your account. You can then confirm or deny the request with the click of a button.
- You must confirm or deny the authorization request within ten business days, or the request will be canceled and your representative will need to submit a new one.
Other options for individuals
You can designate a representative without signing in to My Account and using the new “Confirm my Representative” function if you are an individual rather than a business. Instead, you will need to give information from your notice of assessment or a tax return that was processed at least six months ago to your representative. This information will be required when your representative submits their authorization request. If you select this option, the CRA may call you by phone to verify your request.
Information for representatives
Only new authorization requests filed through Represent a Client are eligible for the “Confirm my Representative” function. Representatives who submit client returns, including authorization requests, using EFILE and certified tax software will be unaffected. Other authorization requests will be verified by representatives with assigned authority using the new “Confirm my Representative” function.
Stay tuned to IDM Professional Corporation CPA to keep yourself up to date on similar news.
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