The 2021 New Year offers another opportunity for you to utilize your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and protect your investment income from taxation.
If you’re 18 years old and a resident of Canada, you are eligible to start accumulating TFSA contribution room. You can choose to save or invest funds tax-free up to the maximum of your contribution room.
Table of Contents
2021 TFSA Contribution Limit
The annual TFSA dollar limit had been pegged at $5,500 for the past 5 years, excluding 2015 when the conservative government briefly increased it to $10,000. For 2021, the annual TFSA limit remains at $6,000 (was also $6,000 in 2020).
If you have been eligible to contribute to the TFSA since its inception in 2009, it means that in 2020, you had a total contribution room of $69,500, and for 2021, your contribution room increased to $75,500.
Essentially, you can invest up to $75,500 upfront and not have to pay taxes on the income earned on your investment.
The table below shows the annual TFSA contribution limits since 2009:
| Year | Contribution Limit | Cumulative Contribution Room |
| 2009 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| 2010 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| 2011 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| 2012 | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| 2013 | $5,500 | $25,500 |
| 2014 | $5,500 | $31,000 |
| 2015 | $10,000 | $41,000 |
| 2016 | $5,500 | $46,500 |
| 2017 | $5,500 | $52,000 |
| 2018 | $5,500 | $57,500 |
| 2019 | $6,000 | $63,500 |
| 2020 | $6,000 | $69,500 |
| 2021 | $6,000 | $75,500 |
Related: TFSA Over-Contribution Penalties
How the TFSA Annual Limit is Calculated
The TFSA annual dollar limit is calculated by indexing it to inflation and rounding it off to the nearest $500. The government determines the indexation factor for each year from the percentage change in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the previous year.
For example, to compute the limit for 2009, we multiply $5,000 by the indexation factor of 0.6% (1.006) in use that year: $5,000 x 1.006 = $5,030. This result was then rounded off to $5,000.
For the 2019 TFSA limit, the indexation factor is 2.2%. As such, when we calculate the indexed TFSA limit for 2019 (i.e. $5,721 x 2.2%), we have $5,847 which is rounded off to $6,000.
For the 2020 TFSA limit, the indexation factor is 1.90%. When you compute the indexed TFSA limit for 2020 (i.e. $5,847 x 1.9%), you get $5,958 which explains why the TFSA annual limit remains at $6,000.
For the 2021 TFSA limit, the indexation factor is 1.0%. As such, when we calculate the indexed TFSA limit for 2021 (i.e. $5,958 x 1.0%), we have $6,017.58 which is rounded down to $6,000.
| Year | TFSA Indexation Factor | Indexed TFSA Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 0.60% | $5,030 |
| 2010 | 1.40% | $5,100 |
| 2011 | 2.80% | $5,243 |
| 2012 | 2.00% | $5,348 |
| 2013 | 0.90% | $5,396 |
| 2014 | 1.70% | $5,488 |
| 2015* | 1.30% | $5,559 |
| 2016 | 1.40% | $5,637 |
| 2017 | 1.50% | $5,721 |
| 2018 | 2.20% | $5,847 |
| 2019 | 1.90% | $5,958 |
| 2020 | 1.00% | $6,017 |
*Inflation-adjustment was cancelled for 2015 and the annual limit was pegged at $10,000.
From the table above, it’s obvious that persistently low inflation means that the TFSA limit will not increase for a while.
Related: How To Transfer Your TFSA and RRSP Between Banks
2021 TFSA Unused Contribution Room
If you’ve not been contributing the maximum limit every year, it will accumulate and you’ll have ‘unused’ TFSA contribution room. Unused contribution room can be carried forward indefinitely.
Also, if you choose to withdraw funds from your TFSA in any particular year, the amount withdrawn can be re-contributed in the following year.
To calculate your total contribution for 2021:
- TFSA limit for 2021 ($6,000), plus
- Unused contribution room for 2020, plus
- Withdrawals made in 2020.
TFSA Contribution Room Example
Let’s say Jane became eligible for TFSA’s in 2019, however, she was unable to make any contributions until the following year in January 2020, when she contributed $8,000. In September 2020, she withdrew $3,000 from her TFSA for an emergency. What is her total contribution room for 2021?
Answer:
- contribution limit for 2019 = $6,000
- + contribution limit for 2020 = $6,000
- – contribution made in 2020 = $8,000
- + withdrawal made in 2020 = $3,000
- + contribution limit for 2021 = $6,000
- Total TFSA Room for 2021 = $13,000
For 2021, Jane has a total contribution room of $13,000.
If you’re confused about what your unused TFSA contribution room is, you can also find it on your Notice of Assessment or via My CRA Account.
TFSA Investment Options
A variety of investments can be held in a TFSA account including stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, GICs, bonds, cash, etc. You can learn more about your options in the resources listed below:
- Best TFSA Investments
- Best TFSA Savings Accounts
- How To Buy Stocks in Canada
- Best TFSA GIC Rates in Canada
If you prefer a hands-off approach to investing your TFSA funds and at a much lower fee than the average mutual fund, take a look at Canada’s Robo-Advisors. Robo-advisors use low-cost ETFs to build your portfolio and charge a small management fee.
Our top pick for robo-advisor in Canada is Wealthsimple. You get a $75 cash bonus when you sign-up using this link.
Related Posts:
- What Happens To TFSA, RRSP, and RRIF After Death?
- Everything You Need To Know About The RRSP
- When To Choose a TFSA Over an RRSP
- Your Complete Pre-Retirement Checklist
- Wealthsimple TFSA Case Study
TFSA Penalties
There are penalties for running afoul of CRA rules relating to your account. Some non-compliances that result in penalties include:
- Over-contributing to your TFSA
- Investing in non-qualified or prohibited investments inside your TFSA
- Contributing to a TFSA while you’re deemed a non-resident of Canada
The most common offense is when people over-contribute to their TFSA either deliberately or because they’ve misunderstood the withdrawal and re-contribution rules.
Over-contribution results in “Excess” TFSA contribution which is levied a 1% penalty tax per calendar month, until it’s removed.
@Steve. Exactly- And your points on how TFSA’s can be beneficial to prevent OAS clawbacks and minimize taxes in retirement are spot on!
Hi Enoch!
This was a fun read. You did a great job at explaining the TFSA!
I love love love the TFSA! It’s one of the best saving and investing tools that Canadians can take advantage of.
The only thing is that it’s too flexible and I know my friends who would just treat it like a checking account — just take the money out to spend on random things but never put it back (even though they swear that they would) haha!
Otherwise it’s awesome for those who are disciplined. ?
@Finsavvy – Yes, the TFSA is very flexible and that definitely has its pros and cons. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for sharing this info. it’s really nice.
Hmmm, not that I’m a space cadet or anything but I have no idea how much I’ve contrib used over the years… is there any way to find out?
Yes, you can create a myCRA account and they have a tracker there:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/mycra.html
Is the government considering a lifetime limit for contributions or will the present 2020 limit increase yearly by inflation?
@Iverson: As far as we know, the TFSA annual limit will continue to increase with inflation…rounded off to the nearest $500. This may change in the future though when we start having a ton of people with $1 million dollar TFSA accounts!
Thank you for this information. What is the maximum amount allowable within the TSFA based on investment gains?
@Maureen: There is no limit to the gains you can have on your TFSA account as long as you are not using it to carry out the “business” of day trading.
https://www.advisor.ca/tax/tax-news/clients-day-trading-in-their-tfsas-theyre-ultimately-liable-for-the-tax/