Q and A: How do I take advantage of the Government of Canada online tools and resources?

Question:

I know there are many Government of Canada resources & tools available online, but I’m not quite sure where to start to take advantage of any of them. How should I get started?

Answer:

A good place to start would be to register to access your information with the Canada  Revenue Agency (CRA) online. This will give you access to your current RRSP & TFSA contribution room, allow you to see your tax returns and notices of assessment for prior years, and track your income tax payments/ installments. You can start by going to: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/.

You will need to refer to information from your most recent income tax return as part of the identity verification process.

A second Government of Canada site that can be particularly useful is the Service
Canada website. From here you can access information about your Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and Employment Insurance (EI) contributions and/or payments. You can even apply for any of these programs using this site. You can start by going to: http://www.esdc.gc.ca and clicking on “My Service Canada Account”.