How TFSA room is estimated (2026)
The annual dollar limit for 2026 is $7,000, the same as 2024 and 2025. Room starts the year you turn 18 and are a Canadian resident, even if you never opened an account. Unused room carries forward. Amounts you withdrew in 2025 are added back on 1 January 2026 — not the day you take the money out.
If you paste the room from CRA My Account, leave withdrawals at 0 unless that figure is from before April (CRA often updates last year’s slips in the spring). Over-contributions can be taxed at 1% per month. Official limits: Canada.ca TFSA limits.
Worked example
If you turned 18 in 2009 or earlier, never contributed, and were a resident the whole time, 2026 lifetime room is $109,000 including the $7,000 annual limit for 2026. A $5,000 withdrawal in 2025 is added back on 1 January 2026, not the day you took it out.
Gains inside the TFSA do not use room. You cannot recontribute a 2026 withdrawal until 2027 unless you still have leftover room. Over-contributions can be taxed at 1% per month. Use CRA My Account when it disagrees with this estimate.
Common questions
Does investment growth use up room?
No. Gains and losses inside the TFSA do not change contribution room.
Can I recontribute a withdrawal this year?
Not until January 1 of the next year, unless you still have leftover room.
What if I became a resident after 2009?
Room only accumulates for years you were a resident and 18 or older. This page assumes residency from the year you turned 18.