Shift to Online Correspondence for Business (Incorporated or Unincorporated)

Starting May 12, 2025, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will transition to online mail as the default method of delivering most business correspondence. This means you’ll start receiving most of your business notices and other correspondence through the My Business Account portal in your CRA account, instead of in the mail.

Phase 1: New business and program account registrations

Effective May 12, 2025, by default, new business and program account registrations will receive most of their business correspondence online in the My Business Account portal of their CRA account. This includes new corporations registered through the federal or provincial incorporating authorities.

  • New business number and CRA program account registrations

Phase 2: Existing businesses

Effective June 16, 2025, existing businesses that meet the conditions will be changed to CRA online mail as the default method of receiving most business correspondence.

  • Existing businesses already registered for My Business Account

  • Businesses who have given online access to a representative to view and/or modify information on their behalf via Represent a Client

Please Note: If you have submitted an RC681 Request to Activate Paper Mail for my Business during this transition period (between May 12 and June 16, 2025), you may still receive correspondence online in My Business Account until the CRA processes your request. As such, the CRA recommends that you monitor your CRA account for new online mail or register to receive email notifications from the CRA to be notified when you have new mail to view in My Business Account.



Starting May 12, 2025, paper mail can be requested in one of only two ways:

  • In My Business Account - in the profile

  • Fill out, sign, and mail form RC681 – Request to Activate Paper Mail for my Business to your Tax Centre

How to Select Online or Paper Mail:

OR Complete Form RC681

New business number and CRA program account registration:

Businesses registering for a new business number or a CRA program account will need to register for a CRA account and provide a valid email address if they haven’t already done so to receive notifications and access account updates and correspondence.

Non-Resident Directors’ or Officers’ Access To The CRA’s Portals:

Non-residents do not have the same access to My Business Account through a CRA account because of security and authentication requirements. If you are a non-resident director or officer and you do not have a Canadian social insurance number, you must inform the CRA of this during your BN or program account registration. This will allow the CRA to send your business correspondence using the appropriate delivery method.

For more information see:

Exceptions:

  • Existing businesses that do not have access to My Business Account.

  • Existing businesses that do not have access to My Business Account through a CRA account by the business owner and an authorized representative (via Represent a Client) will continue to receive their CRA correspondence by paper mail

  • Charities will continue to receive their CRA correspondence by paper mail unless they request to receive their CRA mail online.

  • Non-resident businesses that do not have an owner or director who is a Canadian resident or do not have access to My Business Account through a representative will not be transitioned to online mail and will continue to receive their correspondence by paper mail.

Requesting Paper Mail:

If you would like to receive your business correspondence by paper mail, you’ll need to make a request to activate paper mail.

The request can only be made by an individual with signing authority such as an owner or director or legal representative.

You must keep your mailing address up-to-date to ensure you receive all correspondence. Any undeliverable mail will result in a change back to online mail. To keep receiving paper mail you’ll need to make a request to activate paper mail every two years.

Note: If you receive paper mail for your existing business program accounts and you register for a new program account, you must make a new request to activate paper mail for your new account if you want to receive paper mail.

Starting May 12, 2025, paper mail can be requested in one of only two ways:·               

In My Business Account

  • Fill out, sign, and mail form RC681

  • Request to Activate Paper Mail for my Business to your Tax Centre

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