Improvements to the CRA Authorization Request Service in Represent a Client
As part of the Canada Revenue Agency's ongoing efforts to improve service delivery by making it faster, easier, and more secure for taxpayers and their representatives, the Canada Revenue Agency has enhanced the Alternative process for individuals' Authorization Request service in "Represent a Client" by removing the 5-day processing time. With this new improvement, representatives will now be given instant access to their clients' accounts.
To gain instant access to a Canadian taxpayer's account, using the Alternative process for individuals, a tax representative must:
- Use the Authorization Request Service in "Represent a Client"; and
- Obtain information from an individual's notice of assessment that was sent at least 6 months ago.
To use the Authorization Request Service in "Represent a Client," the person submitting the authorization request must be the same person seeking to be authorized or a person already associated with a GroupID or a business number (BN) registered in Represent a Client. Authorization cannot be submitted on behalf of other representatives; however, administrators of GroupIDs or BNs registered in Represent a Client can still manage authorization requests for a group, office or organization.
Upcoming changes to EFILE's Authorize a Representative service for individuals
Starting July 15, 2025, in alignment with the above improvement, the current Authorize a Representative service in EFILE software will no longer be available for individuals. As a result, Canadian tax professionals will need to use Represent a Client to obtain access. However, it is important to note that this change will not impact authorization requests submitted through EFILE for Business Clients.
All Canadian tax representatives play important roles in protecting information and mitigating risks by staying up to date and vigilant on security best practices. This change, coupled with the measures that Canadian tax professionals have in place to validate the identity of their clients, raises the level of confidence that taxpayer information is fully protected.
To prepare for the change, the CRA recommends that Canadian tax lawyers and accountants work with their clients to ensure the necessary documentation is available for authorizing access through Represent a Client.
Individual clients can give their Canadian tax representatives instant access to their account if they:
- Have access to My Account to add you as a representative or to confirm an authorization request; or
- Provide the representative with previously assessed tax information to provide when submitting an initial authorization request in Represent a Client. For more information, go to " Alternative process for individuals."
If a Canadian tax professional or an individual taxpayer does not have a Canada Revenue Agency account, go to Register for a CRA account. To obtain full and final immediate access to a Canada Revenue Agency account, you can use the document verification service to verify your identity without waiting for a Canada Revenue Agency security code. For more information, go to the Document verification service.
Pro Tax Tip
If a Canadian tax professional submits an authorization request, the taxpayer must confirm or deny it within 10 business days in My Account or the request will be cancelled. If the taxpayer still wants to authorize a tax representative after this time period, he or she must ask the representative to submit a new request.
To confirm or deny an authorization request from a Canadian tax representative, complete the following steps:
Step 1: Sign in to your CRA Account
Step 2: Select your Individual account to access My Account
Step 3: From the navigation menu on the left, select Profile
Step 4: In the "authorized representative(s) section, select Confirm Pending Authorizations
Step 5: Select the pending request
Step 6: Select Confirm authorization or Deny Authorization, then select Submit to finalize the request
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a document verification service?
A Canadian Taxpayer can use the document verification service to verify his or her identity without waiting for a Canada Revenue Agency's security code, providing full and immediate access to the Canada Revenue Agency account.
Use a mobile device to take a real-time picture of yourself and an accepted government-issued photo identification document, such as (1) Canadian Passport, (2) Canadian Driver's License, or (3) Provincial or Territorial Photo ID card.
In order to be eligible to use this service, a Canadian Taxpayer must meet all the following criteria:
- Be 16 years of age or older
- Have an accepted government-issued photo identification
- Have a mobile device with a working camera
If you are not able to use the document verification service, you can still verify your identity with a CRA Security Code, and the code will be mailed to you.