--- title: "CRA Direct Deposit & Online Mail for Business | EverStone" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/direct-deposit-and-cra-online-mail-business description: "CRA business mail now arrives online by default. Here is how to set up direct deposit, add email notifications, and request paper mail if you need it." type: guide updated: 2026-10-06 summary: "CRA business correspondence is delivered online by default, so notices arrive in My Business Account rather than by post and are considered received the day they are posted. Direct deposit is set up either inside your CRA account or through your Canadian bank, using a 15-digit program account number." faq_count: 6 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc., a Chartered Professional Accountant firm registered with CPA British Columbia and CPA Alberta service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba language: en-CA contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Blog](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog) CRA Direct Deposit and Online Mail for Business CRA accounts # Direct deposit and CRA online mail: *setting both up for your corporation* By EverStone CPA · Updated August 2026 · 7 min read **Quick answer:** CRA business correspondence is delivered online by default, so notices arrive in My Business Account rather than by post and are considered received the day they are posted. Direct deposit is set up either inside your CRA account or through your Canadian bank, using a 15-digit program account number. Online mail counts as received the day it is posted. **Rather have a CPA handle this?** A CPA at EverStone replies with a straight answer and a fixed fee for your situation. [Get My Fixed Quote →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Key takeaways - Since May 2025 the CRA delivers most business correspondence online by default, through My Business Account. - Correspondence is considered received on the date it is posted to My Business Account, not the date you read it. - Adding an email address to each program account registers you for notifications when new mail arrives. - Direct deposit can be set up in your CRA account or through many Canadian banks and credit unions. - Paper mail is available on request but must be renewed every two years, and requested separately for each new program account. Two small administrative settings determine whether your corporation finds out about a CRA problem in three days or three months, and whether refunds arrive in a week or a month. Both take a few minutes and neither is done for you. ## Online mail is now the default Since May 2025, the CRA delivers most business correspondence by online mail in My Business Account rather than by post. New business number and program account registrations moved from **12 May 2025**, existing eligible businesses from **16 June 2025**. Related: [CRA program account numbers explained](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/business-number-program-accounts-canada). This applies to businesses already registered for My Business Account, to new registrations, including new corporations registered through federal or provincial incorporating authorities, and to businesses that have given online access to an authorized representative through Represent a Client. **The date that matters.** With online mail, correspondence is considered **received on the date it is posted to My Business Account**. Objection deadlines, response windows and assessment timelines run from that date, whether or not anyone signed in. This is the single most important consequence of the change, and it is why the email notification setting is not optional in practice. **Want a CPA to handle this for you?** Tell us about your business and get a fixed fee in writing within one business day. See [our published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing), or [get a fixed quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online). [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Set up email notifications first With nothing in your letterbox, the notification is your only prompt. Adding an email address to a program account in My Business Account registers you for CRA email notifications whenever new mail arrives. Each program account takes up to three addresses, so the owner, bookkeeper and accountant can all be included. Add the address for every program account you hold — corporate income tax (RC), payroll (RP), GST/HST (RT), not just one. If you have not yet set the account up at all, start with our [CRA My Business Account setup guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/cra-my-business-account-setup-guide). ## How to read your mail In your CRA account, open your Business account to reach My Business Account, then select **Mail** under Correspondence to view, print or download. Representatives use Represent a Client, enter the business number and select Access BN. ## Setting up direct deposit Direct deposit gets refunds and credits into the corporate bank account faster and removes the risk of a cheque going astray. To sign up you need: - The proper authority to make requests for the business — usually an owner, partner, director or an individual with delegated authority. - Your banking information. If the business does not use cheques, you can pull it from online banking or ask the branch for a printed copy of the account details. - A 15-digit CRA program account number for an eligible account, such as RC (corporation income tax), RP (payroll deductions) or RT (GST/HST). Two routes. Online: sign in, open your Business account, go to **Profile**, then Direct deposit, Manage direct deposit. Or many Canadian banks, credit unions and trust companies submit it for you; once you consent through them, CRA updates it the next business day. **Do not close the old account yet.** The CRA’s own guidance is to leave the previous bank account open until the first payment has landed in the new one. A deposit sent to a closed account is a slow problem to unwind. ## If you would rather have paper Paper mail is available, but you must opt in. Only someone with signing authority — an owner, director, legal representative or level 3 delegated authority — can request it, not a level 2 representative, in My Business Account or by mailing Form RC681, Request to Activate Paper Mail for my Business. Three conditions apply: renew every two years; file a new request for each new program account, even if others get paper; and if mail returns undelivered, the account reverts to online mail. So keep the mailing address current. Not sure how this applies to you? Every corporation is different. Send an enquiry for a straight answer and a fixed quote. [Send an Enquiry →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) [See fixed fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing) ## Exceptions The transition skips existing businesses with neither owner access to My Business Account nor an online authorized representative, and non-resident businesses with no Canadian-resident owner or director holding access and no representative. Both keep paper; charities do too unless they request online mail. ## Why this matters at year end Instalment reminders, payroll notices, PIER results and assessment notices now arrive this way. Without email alerts, the first sign of trouble is often months of interest. Pair the mail settings with payments, see [corporate tax instalments](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/corporate-tax-installments-canada), and with the [payroll year-end checklist](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/payroll-year-end-checklist-canada). ## The bottom line Add an email address to every program account, confirm who receives the notifications, and set direct deposit up once. Fifteen minutes of setup replaces the postal system with something you can actually rely on. Sources - [Canada Revenue Agency — Online mail for business](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/digital-services-businesses/business-account/about-business-account/online-mail-for-business.html) - [Canada Revenue Agency — Direct deposit for businesses](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/direct-deposit/business.html) - [Canada Revenue Agency — My Business Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/cra-login-services.html) This article is general information for Canadian business owners and is current as of July 2026. It is not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it does not create a client relationship. Tax rules change and your situation is unique, so please [speak with a CPA](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) before acting on anything here. About this article **EverStone CPA** Prepared and reviewed by a CPA at EverStone CPA, serving businesses in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. [About the firm →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ### Keep reading [CRA My Business Account setup →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/cra-my-business-account-setup-guide) [Payroll year-end checklist →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/payroll-year-end-checklist-canada) [Corporate tax instalments →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/corporate-tax-installments-canada)[One question, answered by a CPA →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question)[Authorising your accountant with the CRA →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cra-my-business-account) FAQ ## Frequently asked questions **Does the CRA still mail paper notices to businesses?** Not by default. Since May 2025 the CRA delivers most business correspondence online, in My Business Account. Paper can be requested, and some items are still posted when online delivery is not possible. **When is CRA online mail considered received?** On the date it is posted to My Business Account. That is the date response windows and deadlines run from, regardless of when someone signs in and reads it, which is why email notifications matter. **How do I get notified when new CRA mail arrives?** Add an email address to your program account in My Business Account. Doing so automatically registers you for CRA email notifications. You can add up to three email addresses for each program account, so the owner, bookkeeper and accountant can all be alerted. **What do I need to set up direct deposit for my business?** You need proper authority to make requests for the business, your banking information, and a 15-digit CRA program account number for an eligible account such as RC for corporation income tax, RP for payroll or RT for GST/HST. **Can my bank set up CRA direct deposit for me?** Yes. Many Canadian banks, credit unions and trust companies can submit it, and CRA updates it the next business day after you consent. Keep the old account open until the first payment arrives. **How do I switch back to paper mail?** An individual with signing authority can request it inside My Business Account or by filing Form RC681. The request must be renewed every two years, a separate request is needed for each new program account, and if mail is returned undelivered the account automatically reverts to online mail. ## Want your CRA accounts set up properly once? EverStone configures notifications, representative access and direct deposit so CRA correspondence never sits unread. Send an enquiry. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Book a Paid Advice Call](https://www.everstonecpa.com/advice-call) ## Have a question about this? Ask free through [the quick-question form](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question); a CPA replies within one business day. Need more? A 45-minute **Advice Call** is $225 plus GST, credited to your first invoice if you become a client within 60 days. Want us to take it on? [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online). [Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) [Book a Paid Advice Call](https://www.everstonecpa.com/advice-call) Email info@everstonecpa.com ★★★★★ “…He is very knowledgeable and has saved me tons in taxes by restructuring my group of companies — the best accountant I've worked with in the last 10 years, after switching from three different firms.” Matt Hildebrandt · Google review Working with a CPA online is ordinary now: see [working with us from Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-vancouver). **Run your own numbers with the free calculators:** [check your GST/HST math](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-calculator) · [run the incorporate-or-not numbers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/incorporation-calculator) · [Payroll deduction calculator](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-deduction-calculator) [← Digital record keeping: what the CRA actually accepts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/digital-record-keeping-cra-requirements) [Dissolving a corporation in Canada: the tax steps to close it down cleanly →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/dissolving-a-corporation-canada) --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/direct-deposit-and-cra-online-mail-business Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online