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A Notice of Assessment (NOA) is the Canada Revenue Agency’s summary of a filed tax return, showing reported income and any balance owing, and it is one of the standard documents Canadian lenders request to verify a borrower’s qualifying income.
A pay stub or offer letter shows what an employer says a borrower earns; the NOA shows what the borrower actually reported to the CRA and whether the CRA agreed with it. For self-employed borrowers and anyone with variable or commission income, lenders typically want two or more years of NOAs alongside T1 Generals to establish a reliable average.
Lenders also check the NOA for a balance owing. An outstanding tax debt can affect approval because it represents an undisclosed liability and, in some cases, a potential lien position ahead of the mortgage. Borrowers who file late or amend a return should expect lenders to ask for the most current NOA available.
Self-employed files: brokers commonly request two to three years of NOAs plus T1 Generals to document income that isn’t a fixed salary.
Paired with employment documents: salaried borrowers are typically asked for an NOA alongside a letter of employment or recent pay stubs, not one or the other.
Available through CRA My Account: borrowers can retrieve current and prior-year NOAs directly from the CRA rather than relying only on a mailed copy.
Privacy handling: NOAs contain sensitive personal and financial information, so brokers and lenders handle and store them under PIPEDA obligations.
Definitions reflect Canadian federal and provincial rules as of the “Updated” date above. Not advice for any specific file.
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