TFSA Accounts: What They Are and How They Work

You have probably heard about the tax-free savings account (TFSA) from your friends or family, or have seen an ad for it on TV. A TFSA is a government-registered account designed to help Canadians grow their money. A tax-free alternative to a traditional investment account, it is more flexible than a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). As the name implies, earnings in the account grow tax free, including interest, dividends and capital gains.

How does a TFSA work?

The money you deposit into a TFSA is after-tax dollars, and it grows tax-free. This means you keep 100 percent of your investment earnings, whether for short-term needs or long-term retirement planning. 

Generally, TFSAs can accumulate funds by holding investments like stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), bonds, options and cash. As a bonus, they offer exceptional flexibility. You can withdraw funds at any time, for any reason, without penalty or taxes.* The amount that you withdraw during any year is added back to your available contribution room in the following year, meaning you can recontribute when you’re ready.  

These TFSA rules and contribution limits offer more information on how TFSAs work.

What are the benefits of a TFSA?

TFSAs have a variety of features that can benefit most Canadians, depending on their financial situation. Here are the main benefits:

Tax-free growth. Generally, you don’t have to pay any taxes on earnings you make in a TFSA, regardless of what investment you’re using. This means you get to keep all the returns you earn. However, some investments may be considered “non-qualified” by CRA, as detailed further below. Non-Canadian investments could also be subject to withholding taxes in the country of origin, such as U.S. stocks.  And CRA could also consider that someone who is trading often is using it for business purposes and therefore would no longer qualify for the tax exemption.

Flexibility. You can use a TFSA for short- and long-term goals. Withdraw from your TFSA at any time, for any reason, without penalties or taxes.* You can use the funds for whatever you want — to cover an emergency, buy a home, fund a vacation or supplement your retirement.

No mandatory withdrawals. RRSPs will eventually require you to withdraw from the account in your retirement, but TFSAs do not — there’s no age limit or mandatory withdrawal requirement, even in your later years. 

Contribution independence. Contribution room is unrelated to your income. Everybody gets the same contribution room limits every year. 

Wide range of investments. TFSAs can hold most investments, allowing you to customize what you invest in based on your financial goals and risk tolerance. 

Who is eligible for a TFSA? 

Most Canadians qualify to use a TFSA — but not everyone. Here’s a breakdown of eligibility: 

Canadian residents

If you’re a Canadian resident with a Social Insurance Number (SIN) who is at least 18 (or the age of majority in your province of residence), you can qualify to open a TFSA account. Note: If you must wait until age 19 to open a TFSA, your accumulation of contribution room still starts at 18. (This applies to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut.)

Non-residents

This is where it gets a little tricky if you’re a digital nomad or moving abroad. Non-residents of Canada are allowed to keep their existing TFSA accounts if they opened them while they were residents. However, non-residents can’t make new contributions, and there’s a huge penalty if they do: 1% tax per month on the contributed amount. If you’re a non-resident, you also don’t accumulate new contribution room for those years you are a non-resident. 

Accumulating contribution room

Contribution room starts from the year you turn 18, or the year you become a Canadian resident. If you become a Canadian resident at age 25, that’s the year you gain TFSA contribution room. 

How do I open a TFSA?

Opening a TFSA is a straightforward process. Once you decide how you wish to invest, you can determine where to open the TFSA. First, you need to choose an institution that offers TFSAs and open an account (if you don’t have one already) through the bank’s online platform or mobile app, or in person at a branch. It’s usually quicker if you already have an account with the institution, but most of the time you can also open a brand new account without issue. 

How do I invest in a TFSA?

There are several ways you can invest inside of your TFSA account and grow your wealth tax-free, and most investments are eligible. That means your TFSA can match your financial goals and risk tolerance quite easily, depending on what you want to do.

Investment options

Investment options vary between financial institutions, but here are the common investment options you can hold in a TFSA: 

• Stocks

• Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)

• Mutual funds

• Guaranteed investment certificates (GICs)

• Bonds

• Options

• Cash  

Goal-based strategies

The way you invest in your TFSA often depends on your goals. 

• Short-term goals: For savings you may need within a few years, it’s probably better to use low-risk options like cash or GICs to protect your principal.

• Long-term goals: For retirement, higher-growth potential investments like mutual funds or equity mutual funds may be more appropriate, so that they compound the interest or grow more over time. 

Risk tolerance

When you invest, your risk tolerance will be one of the primary factors when determining  what you should buy inside of your TFSA. Risk-adverse investors tend to stick to investments like GICs or fixed income mutual funds, and those who want to take on a little more risk favour equity-focused mutual funds. 

Tailored advice

While TFSAs are flexible, a financial advisor can guide you in deciding how you want to invest. Advisors can help evaluate what your goals are, how long your investing time frame should be, and the right risk tolerance and investment mix for your TFSA.  

How much can I contribute to a TFSA?

The contribution limit for a TFSA is updated annually by the Canadian government, as it’s indexed to inflation. For example, when the TFSA debuted in 2009, the available contribution room was $5,000. By 2024, to adjust for inflation, the annual contribution limit had increased to $7,000. The cumulative contribution room since 2009 is now $102,000 for individuals. 

Unused contribution room

Any unused contribution room rolls over indefinitely. For example, if you missed contributing your $7,000 limit in 2024, you can add it to your 2025 contribution room automatically. You can catch up at any time.  

Impact of withdrawals

You can make withdrawals from your TFSA at any time for any reason without incurring taxes.* Furthermore, any amount you withdraw during the year is added back to your contribution room the following year in January.  

Over-contribution penalties

Pay attention to your available contribution room: If you over-contribute, you’ll incur a penalty tax of 1% per month on the excess amount until it is withdrawn. For detailed information on the 2024 TFSA contribution limit, check out RBC’s TFSA Contribution Limits.

How much can I save with a TFSA?

This will depend on the growth you’re able to achieve over time. The contribution limits are set, but let’s take a look at a hypothetical example to show you the true power of tax-free growth. If you contribute $7,000 annually to your TFSA starting in 2024, earning 5% annually, your account will grow to over $150,000 in 15 years. That means you contributed $105,000 total ($7,000 X 15 years), and the account grew to earn $45,000 in profit. That $45,000 is yours — tax-free. It will all depend on what you invest in.  

Try RBC’s TFSA calculator to estimate your potential earnings based on contributions and investment returns.   

How do I withdraw from a TFSA? 

Depending on the type of investment held, generally withdrawing money from your TFSA is straightforward. You may be able to withdraw using online banking, contacting the bank by phone or in person, but the process should be relatively quick.

Generally, penalties do not apply, but before you withdraw from your TFSA, it’s a good idea to check in with your financial institution first to confirm it. And, because withdrawals are not considered taxable income, they don’t impact any income-tested government benefits like the Old Age Security (OAS) or the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). 

Tax payable on a TFSA

Two scenarios, one related to contribution limits and the other to investing, could trigger penalties: 

Penalties for over-contributions

If you go over your TFSA contribution limit, the CRA will impose a penalty tax of 1% per month on the excess amount. Be sure to monitor your contribution room; CRA won’t issue any warnings when you’re making contributions. You can confirm your contribution limit for the year by visiting My Account on the CRA website and checking your current available limit

Non-qualified investments and day trading

There are non-qualified investments (usually private or foreign investments) that you can’t hold in your TFSA. Check with your financial advisor or financial institution if you’re unsure. In addition, day trading is not allowed within your TFSA. If the CRA determines that you are day trading, your account could be classified as a business instead of a savings account, subjecting any earnings to income tax.

What is the difference between a TFSA and an RRSP?

Both RRSP and TFSA can be very useful in their own way, so it’s important to know what the biggest differences are. 

Purpose

A TFSA is used for flexible savings but can be used for longer-term investments as well. An RRSP is designed to build retirement income (with some exceptions, like the Home Buyers Plan withdrawal). 

Tax treatment

Contributions to an RRSP are made with before-tax dollars. If you contribute to one, you receive a tax deduction. In contrast, TFSA contributions are made with after-tax dollars, so you don’t get that powerful tax deduction up front. 

Withdrawal rules

TFSAs allow withdrawals without tax penalties, and withdrawn sums can be added back to your contribution room the following year. RRSP withdrawals are taxable income, meaning any dollar you take out is counted as income for that year. When you turn 71, you’re required to convert the account to an income account like a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) to start making mandatory withdrawals in the year you turn 72 (which are counted as income for that year as well). 

Impact on benefits

RRSP withdrawals are taxable income and can affect income-tested government benefits like the OAS. TFSA withdrawals are not counted as income, so they have no affect on your benefits. RBC covers this further in TFSA vs. RRSP.   

What happens to my TFSA after I pass away?

A valid concern when you invest money in any way is what happens to the account after you die. Funds in your TFSA account will not lose their tax-free status, but the account is treated differently depending on whether you’ve designated a successor holder or a beneficiary. 

Successor holder

This is the easiest thing to do. Designating your spouse or common-law partner as the successor holder will let them take over the TFSA without affecting their own contribution room. The account will still have its tax-free status, and any funds inside of the TFSA will continue to grow tax-free. After your death, the account does not accumulate any extra contribution room, even if your assets are in the estate finalization process. 

Beneficiaries

Anyone can be named a beneficiary, even a spouse. If you want to designate a beneficiary other than your spouse — such as your children, siblings or friends — they can receive the funds in your account. But after your death, the TFSA no longer exists. Any future growth in the account becomes taxable. Beneficiaries can put the inherited funds into their own TFSA only if they have available contribution room. 

Exempt contributions

You can name your spouse as a beneficiary rather than a successor holder, though it is generally not recommended. Spouses can still transfer the value of the account (up to the date of death) into their own TFSA without impacting their contribution room, but the process is a bit trickier than simply naming them as a successor holder. To do the transfer, they need to file an exempt contribution form (CRA Form RC240) within 30 days of making the transfer into their own account. 

To make sure you’ve maximized the benefits you can receive from your TFSA, both now and in the future for your loved ones, talk with an advisor.