Your TFSA contribution room accumulates every year whether or not you use it, and withdrawals add room back — but only on January 1 of the following year. Knowing exactly where you stand takes a few minutes of checking.
If you are still piecing together the number, use this alongside our explainer on how much TFSA room you actually have, when TFSA room resets, the TFSA penalty calculator, the TFSA withdrawal rules, and the beginner account-choice guide on TFSA vs RRSP.
Your cumulative TFSA room at a glance
If you have been a Canadian resident and 18+ since 2009, your total room grew as follows:
| Year | Annual Limit | Running Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| 2010 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| 2011 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| 2012 | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| 2013 | $5,500 | $25,500 |
| 2014 | $5,500 | $31,000 |
| 2015 | $10,000 | $41,000 |
| 2016 | $5,500 | $46,500 |
| 2017 | $5,500 | $52,000 |
| 2018 | $5,500 | $57,500 |
| 2019 | $6,000 | $63,500 |
| 2020 | $6,000 | $69,500 |
| 2021 | $6,000 | $75,500 |
| 2022 | $6,000 | $81,500 |
| 2023 | $6,500 | $88,000 |
| 2024 | $7,000 | $95,000 |
| 2025 | $7,000 | $102,000 |
| 2026 | $7,000 | $109,000 |
If you turned 18 after 2009, your cumulative room starts in the year you turned 18. For example, someone who turned 18 in 2015 has $95,000 of total room as of January 1, 2026 (starting from 2015’s $10,000).
How to check your exact available room
Step 1: Check CRA My Account
- Go to canada.ca/my-cra-account and sign in
- Select “TFSA” from the left menu
- Click “Contribution room”
CRA shows your available room as of January 1 of the current year. This figure already accounts for:
- All contributions reported by your financial institutions in prior years
- All withdrawals made in prior years (which restored room on January 1)
Step 2: Adjust for the current calendar year
CRA’s figure does NOT account for anything that happened after January 1 this year. You need to adjust manually:
Your current room = CRA’s figure − contributions made in 2026 + withdrawals made in 2025
| Adjustment | Direction |
|---|---|
| 2026 contributions you have made | Subtract |
| 2025 withdrawals (opened room Jan 1, 2026) | Already in CRA’s number — do not add again |
| 2026 withdrawals you have made this year | Add back Jan 1, 2027 (not now) |
| New 2026 annual limit ($7,000) | Already in CRA’s number |
Step 3: Check your financial institution statements
Log into each institution holding a TFSA and review your contribution history for the current year. Most bank and brokerage platforms show year-to-date TFSA contributions in the account details page.
Why CRA’s number may be wrong (or out of date)
CRA relies on financial institution reporting, which has a known lag:
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Delayed reporting | Institutions report TFSA activity by June 30 of the following year; CRA may not reflect recent data |
| Transfer reported as withdrawal/deposit | An in-kind transfer done incorrectly can appear as a contribution |
| Multiple TFSAs | CRA aggregates all institutions, but newer accounts may not yet be reflected |
| Deceased account holder TFSA continued | Room calculations can show errors in estate situations |
If CRA’s number looks wrong, call 1-800-959-8281 and ask for a TFSA room review. Provide your T1028 (TFSA annual information return) if your institution gave you one.
Signs you may have over-contributed
- You received a letter from CRA about TFSA excess amounts (usually a T1OVPS assessment)
- Your TFSA room in My Account shows as $0 or a negative number
- You contributed without accounting for same-year re-contributions after a withdrawal
What to do if you over-contributed
- Withdraw the excess immediately — the penalty is 1% per month on the excess amount
- Do not re-contribute the withdrawn amount until you have confirmed room
- File Form RC243 (TFSA Return) if CRA has not automatically assessed you — or wait for CRA to send the T1OVPS
- Write to CRA requesting penalty cancellation if this is your first offence and you acted quickly; include a letter of explanation
TFSA room by age (born 2000–2008)
| Birth year | First year of room | Total room as of Jan 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2018 | $57,500 |
| 2001 | 2019 | $51,500 |
| 2002 | 2020 | $45,500 |
| 2003 | 2021 | $39,500 |
| 2004 | 2022 | $33,500 |
| 2005 | 2023 | $27,000 |
| 2006 | 2024 | $20,500 |
| 2007 | 2025 | $13,500 |
| 2008 | 2026 | $7,000 |
How to check your TFSA room right now
Method 1 — CRA My Account (most accurate)
- Log in at canada.ca/my-cra-account
- Under “RRSP and related plans,” click “TFSA”
- CRA will show your current TFSA contribution room as of January 1 of the current year
- Subtract any contributions you have made so far this year (CRA’’s figure is only updated as institutions report)
Method 2 — CRA MyCRA mobile app Same information as the website, available on iOS and Android.
Method 3 — Calculate manually Add up all annual limits since you turned 18 and became a Canadian resident (minimum age: 18, first year available: 2009). Subtract all net contributions (contributions minus withdrawals and any re-contributions of prior-year withdrawals). See the annual limit table below.
TFSA annual limits (2009–2026)
| Year | Annual Limit |
|---|---|
| 2009–2012 | $5,000/year |
| 2013–2014 | $5,500/year |
| 2015 | $10,000 |
| 2016–2018 | $5,500/year |
| 2019–2022 | $6,000/year |
| 2023 | $6,500 |
| 2024 | $7,000 |
| 2025 | $7,000 |
| 2026 | $7,000 |
An individual who was 18 or older in 2009 and has never contributed has approximately $102,000 in cumulative room as of 2026.