Personal CRA Authorization

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83

Even on the new Authorization signature page from CRA RAC?

84

Yes, in the new authorization signature page introduced July 2025, I include only one executor

85

The above was an e-mail from CRA.

86

was not on-topic for authorizations though…

87

I was wondering if someone could explain this process to me as if I was a dolt?

I held off as long as possible, and swore I would never do this, but it seems I need to obtain CRA authorization for a new individual client who does not have a CRA My Account. They are the parent of a business client.

I have tried to read and understand this “new-ish process” until my eyes started to bleed. I am just not getting something. I had the client sign the “Authrep” form in TaxCycle, although I’m not even sure if that is even recognized as being a valid form at this point.

I logged into my Represent a Client, Clicked on “Authorization Request”, selected my BN (not RepID) as representative identifier, Add Authorization Request (Individual). Entered client’s SIN, first and last name, then Level 2 and “does not expire”. Then I hit next and end up stuck at a point (Validation Enhancement) where the only option is for the client to confirm in “My Account”.

I do not see any of the other options discussed in this topic; such as using information from last year’s old Notice of Assessment or the option to print a manual authorization form.

What is the “Manual Signed form Method submitted via RAC”?

I keep getting stuck at item number 3. The only option I seem to get is to have the client confirm in "My Account. If the client had a CRA My Account they could simply just authorize me and I wouldn’t need to go through this ridiculous process.

Here is a screenshot of the only place I can get to;

Surely I must me doing something completely wrong. I feel like I’m in authorization purgatory.

Authorization Request
Authorization Request1187×779 86.7 KB

88

You should be getting this screen. No idea why you are not…

image
image538×565 21.5 KB

1 Like
89

Also, the authorization form in Taxcycle has been superceded, not sure why it is still there. After you provide the tax information, CRA will prompt you to print a form which the client signs, just like it used to be for Business Authorization…

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90

I suspect you do not get the option to provide line 15000 from a previous tax return because the taxpayer has not filed recent returns, may be the last 10 are not filed? or there is some kind of CRA flag on their account; they will need to contact CRA directly

1 Like
91

Thanks to both @BertMulderCGA and @anni for your responses. Although I am perplexed as to why I don’t see the “Representative to Provide Tax Information” option as Bert has shown, at least I know that I am not completely losing my mind. I actually thought that I was out to lunch on the correct procedure on how to do this.

I will go back to the drawing board. I was provided the client’s 2024 Notice of Assessment and hoped that I would have been able to use that. The only thing that I know is the client told me his income tax account is ‘really messed up’ and was wondering if I could help him figure out what is going on. No good deed goes unpunished I guess.

Thanks again.

92

If you have the 2024 NOA, but do not get the option to enter past tax info, it is possible there are many NORA for many years since it was issued and that is why CRA will not allow that option; may need to file 2025 with what you have, get the 2025 NOA and then wait 6 months and hope no additional NORA are issued in between.

1 Like
93

Snowplow,
If you want a personal authorization for a taxpayer, I think you should have selected your RepID rather than your BN?
Mike

94

Both are possible. All mine are associated with my BN.

95

I have around 650 individual authorizations and maybe 120 business authorizations. All are associated with my BN. I have no authorizations associated with my RepID.

96

@snoplowguy What is the purpose of the RepId if not for authorizations? All of my authorizations are based on the RepId, which is of course connected with my BN.

97

I don’t think I even had a RepID until 2020 or 2021 when they required us to get them to communicate in any way with the CRA. I think this change came about in an attempt to help deal with their hemorrhaging data breaches. Prior to that all of our clients were authorized using our BN only, as I had no RepID.

I think if you are a sole proprietor the RepID is likely the best way for client authorizations. For tax preparation businesses that have more than one employee accessing client CRA data it’s best to have the clients authorize your business (using the BN). Otherwise your staff would need to use your RepID to access CRA data on behalf of a client, which seems to defeat the security protocols.

98

When we ask clients if they have access to their CRA online, we give them our business number to add us as an authorized representative; but when I sign in to CRA, I sign in under my Rep ID and access all my clients via RAC that way.

99

Thanks @snowplow. I think I got my RepId in about 2006 when I started doing more taxes.

100

That is exactly how I do it.

101

The RepID serves two purposes as far as I can tell…when calling CRA (obviously) as an identifier because they also ask for your firm name. AND, if you are with a firm, but not the owner, you are associated with the firm by RepID (or that’s what I understand).

When logging in to RAC, you can only log in using your RepID account…but after logging in you will also see ANY accounts associated (personal and corp being the two usual additions).

If you log in from MyAccount, while you use the same credentials, you will (are supposed to!) see only your personal account. Similarly if you log in using your regular creds to MyBA.

As I understand it - and I’ve never tested - using a MyAccount only login with RAC (ie when you don’t have a RepID and aren’t auth’d for others) does not work.