Taxes
Attention Existing Business Owners: CRA Will Now Communicate Through Online Mail
June 3, 2025
- Are you an existing business owner and have a My Business Account with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)?
- Are you connected with the CRA through a representative who operates your My Business Account on your behalf through Represent a Client?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, note that starting June 16, 2025, the CRA will send most business correspondence through Online Mail. Correspondence includes notices, letters, forms, statements, and other documents about your business tax account or returns.
If you are applying for a new business number or a CRA program account, you have already been transitioned to the default mode of Online Mail. The digital transition for new registrations began on May 12, 2025.
What is Online Mail and How to Access It?
Note that Online Mail is not your email. It is the mail that can be viewed in your My Business Account. It means you have to regularly check your My Business Account using the following steps:
Business Owners:
- Log in to My Business Account.
- Click the mail icon in the Business tile and view your mail items.
- You can also print or download your business correspondence.
Authorized Representatives:
- Log in to My Business Account.
- Select Representative account and click on Represent a Client.
- Enter your client’s business number (BN) and select Access BN.
- On the left, there is a navigation menu – go to Correspondence, click on Mail, and view all the business correspondence.
Email Notifications
It is recommended that you register for email notifications and get notified of any change, update, or receipt of online mail to your registered email address.
To register for email notifications:
- Log in to My Business Account.
- Go to notification preferences and enter your email address.
- If your email address is already updated, click Confirm.
To change your email address:
- Go to the navigation menu on the left, select Profile, go to the Notification preferences section, and select Manage notification preferences.
- Update the email address.
- You can also click on activate paper mail for your business.
Note: If you activate paper mail, the CRA will send your business correspondence by paper mail and email notification if the email is available in My Business Account.
The steps for email notification and email change are the same for authorized representatives after they go to the Represent a Client page, enter the client’s business number (BN), and select Access BN.
What Does the Transition to Online Mail Mean to Businesses?
Once Online Mail becomes the default option starting June 16, 2025, the CRA will consider the business correspondence date as the date it posted the correspondence to My Business Account.
The CRA will presume that the concerned person has read the electronic notice on the date it was published. If you fail to check your Online Mail, you might miss a crucial deadline given to respond to CRA’s notices or appeal a CRA assessment.
To request for paper mail 30 days in advance:
- Log in to My Business Account – activate paper mail as outlined above.
- Or you can submit a completed and signed form RC681 – Request to Activate Paper Mail for my Business to your Tax Centre.
Conditions for Paper Mail
Who can apply: Only individuals with signing authority – such as an owner, director, or legal representative – can request to activate paper mail.
Check if the request is accepted: Even if you submitted form RC681 between May 12 and June 16, 2025, you may still receive Online Mail in your My Business Account until the CRA processes your request. It is suggested you keep checking Online Mail until you receive paper mail.
Mail undeliverable: Ensure your physical mailing address is current, as the CRA will switch you back to online mail if the paper mail is undeliverable. It means that you will have to keep checking your online mail until you receive any form of physical mail from the CRA.
Renew request: Businesses using paper mail must send the request to activate paper mail every two years to keep receiving physical copies.
Registering for a new program: If your business is receiving paper mail for your existing CRA program accounts, and you register for a new program account that you want to receive paper mail for, you will have to submit a request to activate paper mail for your new program account.
Is Your Business Exempted from Online Mail?
The CRA has made Online Mail a default option for all businesses with a My Business Account.
Your business is exempt if:
- You do not have access to a My Business Account through a CRA account or Represent a Client account.
- You are a charity, Charities can request to activate Online Mail.
- The owner or director is a Non-resident and has no access to My Business Account through a CRA account or Represent a Client account.
About Non-Resident Businesses
Non-resident owners and directors who do not have a Canadian social insurance number must inform the CRA about the same at the time of registering a new business number or a new program account. The CRA will send you business correspondence using the delivery method they have for non-residents.
The June 16 deadline is just around the corner. Ensure your business is ready for Online Mail and all notifications are set. Consider incorporating checking Online Mail regularly in your business process so that you never miss out on important, time-sensitive correspondence.
Contact DNTW Toronto LLP to Help Your Business Prepare for CRA’s Changes
A professional accountant or tax expert can help your business stay prepared for any changes CRA introduces and be compliant with tax laws. At DNTW Toronto LLP, our accountants and tax experts can provide services such as timely tax filing and planning for tax changes. To learn more about how DNTW Toronto LLP can provide you with the best accounting and tax expertise, reach out to us here.
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