TFSA contribution room by birth year: how much room you have in 2026
"How much TFSA room do I have?" is really two questions: how much room the government has given you since you turned 18, and what you have done with it since. The first part is pure arithmetic based on your birth year or arrival year. This page does that part for you, with a table and a calculator, then shows how to finish the math with your own records.
On this page
TFSA room calculator
Your total TFSA room in 2026
Uses the CRA annual dollar limits for 2009 to 2026. Room starts in the later of the year you turn 18 and the year you became a resident of Canada. "Total withdrawn before 2026" means withdrawals made in 2025 or earlier, which the CRA adds back on January 1 of the following year; withdrawals made in 2026 come back on January 1, 2027. It ignores years spent fully as a non-resident after you first arrived and qualifying transfers between your own TFSAs, which do not use room. Check the result against your CRA account and your statements.
TFSA room by birth year table (2026)
This is the total of the annual dollar limits from the year you turned 18 to 2026, for someone who has been a resident of Canada the whole time. It is the room you would have if you had never contributed.
| Born in | Turned 18 in | Total room by 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 or earlier | 2009 | $109,000 |
| 1992 | 2010 | $104,000 |
| 1993 | 2011 | $99,000 |
| 1994 | 2012 | $94,000 |
| 1995 | 2013 | $89,000 |
| 1996 | 2014 | $83,500 |
| 1997 | 2015 | $78,000 |
| 1998 | 2016 | $68,000 |
| 1999 | 2017 | $62,500 |
| 2000 | 2018 | $57,000 |
| 2001 | 2019 | $51,500 |
| 2002 | 2020 | $45,500 |
| 2003 | 2021 | $39,500 |
| 2004 | 2022 | $33,500 |
| 2005 | 2023 | $27,500 |
| 2006 | 2024 | $21,000 |
| 2007 | 2025 | $14,000 |
| 2008 | 2026 | $7,000 |
Born in 2009? You turn 18 in 2027, so your first $7,000 of room, or whatever the 2027 limit is, arrives on January 1 of that year. The CRA has not announced the 2027 limit yet, so we have left it out.
The yearly limits behind the table
The CRA sets a TFSA dollar limit every year and adds it to your room on January 1. It is indexed to inflation and rounded to the nearest $500, which is why it moves in steps.
| Years | Limit each year | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 to 2012 | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| 2013 and 2014 | $5,500 | $11,000 |
| 2015 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 2016 to 2018 | $5,500 | $16,500 |
| 2019 to 2022 | $6,000 | $24,000 |
| 2023 | $6,500 | $6,500 |
| 2024 to 2026 | $7,000 | $21,000 |
| Total 2009 to 2026 | $109,000 |
The 2015 jump to $10,000 is why the table drops by $10,000 between people born in 1997 and 1998. For more on this year's number, see our TFSA contribution limit 2026 guide.
Newcomers and returning residents
The CRA is clear that room only builds while you are a resident of Canada and 18 or older. If you arrive as an adult, your room starts in the year you became a resident, not in 2009 and not in the year you turned 18.
- Arrived in 2019 as an adult: 4 × $6,000 + $6,500 + 3 × $7,000 = $51,500 by 2026.
- Arrived in 2022 as an adult: $6,000 + $6,500 + 3 × $7,000 = $33,500.
- Arrived in 2026: $7,000, the 2026 limit.
The CRA's own example is David, who became a resident in 2024 at age 40 and put $95,000 into a new TFSA thinking he had room going back to 2009. He had $7,000. The $88,000 excess was taxed at 1% a month until he removed it. If you are new to Canada, our bank account checklist covers the first steps, and the over-contribution guide shows how the 1% tax adds up.
If you leave Canada later, the CRA says you must not contribute while you are a non-resident. Any contribution made then is taxed at 1% a month.
Worked examples
Priya, born 1998, always lived in Canada. She turned 18 in 2016. Her limits from 2016 to 2026: 3 × $5,500 + 4 × $6,000 + $6,500 + 3 × $7,000 = $16,500 + $24,000 + $6,500 + $21,000 = $68,000. She has contributed $20,000 over the years and withdrew $5,000 in 2024. Her room in 2026 is $68,000 − $20,000 + $5,000 = $53,000.
Marco, born 1985, moved to Canada in 2021. His birth year would point to $109,000, but his room starts in 2021, the year he became a resident: $6,000 + $6,000 + $6,500 + 3 × $7,000 = $39,500. Using the birth year table instead would overstate his room by $69,500.
Jas, born 2007. Jas turned 18 in 2025, so the room is $7,000 for 2025 plus $7,000 for 2026 = $14,000, even if the TFSA was opened only this year. Unused room carries forward, so opening late does not lose anything.
Finish the math with your own records
The CRA's formula for your available room is the current year's dollar limit, plus unused room from earlier years, plus withdrawals from the previous year, minus contributions already made this year. In practice:
- Start with the table or the calculator for the limits you have earned.
- Subtract every contribution you have ever made to every TFSA you hold. Room is shared across all your TFSAs.
- Add back withdrawals made in earlier years. A withdrawal made this year comes back on January 1 of next year, not right away. Our withdrawal and re-contribution guide walks through the timing.
- Ignore growth and losses. The CRA says changes in the value of your investments do not change your room in either direction. Fees do not affect your room either.
- Direct transfers between your own TFSAs are qualifying transfers and do not use room. Withdrawing and re-depositing yourself is not the same thing.
Your CRA account shows a room figure, but the CRA warns it is updated once a year after issuers report, so it can miss this year's activity. Its example is Moira, who trusted the January number, contributed $11,000, and ended up with a $4,000 excess. Compare the CRA figure with your own statements, or use Form RC343, the CRA worksheet.
Where people keep TFSA money
A TFSA is a wrapper, not an investment. The CRA lists cash, GICs, bonds, mutual funds and listed securities among the qualified investments. People compare:
| Option inside a TFSA | What it offers | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| TFSA savings deposit | Easy access, interest is tax-free | Rates can change; compare the base rate, not a promo |
| TFSA GIC | A fixed rate for a fixed term | Money may be locked in until maturity |
| Investments | Growth potential | Values go up and down; fees vary |
These are options to understand, not recommendations. If you are comparing a TFSA with a plain savings account, our TFSA vs HISA guide lays out the differences, and the tools page has more calculators.
How to work out your TFSA room by birth year
- Find the later of the year you turned 18 and the year you became a resident of Canada.
- Add up the CRA annual dollar limits from that year to 2026, or read your row in the birth year table.
- Subtract every contribution you have made to all of your TFSAs.
- Add back withdrawals you made in earlier calendar years.
- Ignore investment growth, losses, fees and direct transfers between your own TFSAs.
- Compare the result with your CRA account and your statements before you contribute.
Questions people ask
How much TFSA room do I have if I was born in 1991 or earlier?
If you have been a resident of Canada since 2009, the annual limits add up to $109,000 in 2026. Subtract your contributions and add back withdrawals from earlier years to get your available room.
What is the TFSA room for someone born in 2000?
Someone born in 2000 turned 18 in 2018. If they have been a resident since then, the limits from 2018 to 2026 add up to $57,000.
When does TFSA room start to build?
The CRA says room starts to accumulate in the year you turn 18, as long as you are a resident of Canada. You get the full annual limit for that year no matter which month your birthday is in.
I moved to Canada as an adult. Do I get room back to 2009?
No. For new residents who are 18 or older, room starts in the year you become a resident. Someone who arrived in 2022 has $33,500 of total room by 2026.
Does investment growth use up my TFSA room?
No. The CRA says increases or decreases in the value of your TFSA investments do not affect your contribution room, and fees do not affect it either.
Is the room shown in my CRA account always right?
Not always for the current year. The CRA updates TFSA information once a year after issuers report the previous year, so recent contributions and withdrawals may be missing. Check against your own records.
What happens if I put in more than my room?
The excess is taxed at 1% for each month it stays in the account. Remove it as soon as you notice.
Looni's calculators add up your limits by year and track contributions and withdrawals across accounts, so January surprises stay out of your inbox. Read-only, no advice.
Sources
Canada Revenue Agency, Before you contribute to a TFSA (annual dollar limits 2009 to 2026, room starts at 18 for residents, new residents start the year they arrive, the David example, growth and fees do not affect room, non-resident contributions taxed at 1% a month) and Calculate your TFSA contribution room (2026 limit of $7,000, the room formula, withdrawals added back the following January 1, CRA account updated once a year, the Moira example, Form RC343). Table totals are our arithmetic from the CRA limits.