TFSA Contribution Room and Limits
The annual contribution limit began at $5000 per year, but was raised in 2013 to $5500 to account for inflation. This increase was done again in 2019, which had an annual limit of $6,000 and then in 2023, which raised the limit to $6500. In 2024, the limit was raised to $7,000 per year.
| TFSA Cumulative Limit |
| 2025 – $7000 |
| 2024 – $7000 |
| 2023 – $6500 |
| 2022 – $6000 |
| 2021 – $6000 |
| 2020 – $6000 |
| 2019 – $6000 |
| 2018 – $5500 |
| 2017 – $5500 |
| 2016 – $5500 |
| 2015 – $10,000 |
| 2014 – $5500 |
| 2013 – $5500 |
| 2012 – $5000 |
| 2011 – $5000 |
| 2010 – $5000 |
| 2009 – $5000 |
Total as of 2025: $102,000
This means that if you have never opened a TFSA but were eligible to open one as of 2009, you can deposit the full $102,000 into your TFSA!
If you haven’t contributed the full allowable amount in any given year, you can carry that amount forward as unused contribution room.
Increasing your contribution room
When you make withdrawals from your TFSA, your contribution room can actually increase! This is where it gets a bit tricky and where some confusion lies.
Example: In 2024, Monica’s TFSA is worth $200,000 as a result of some of her investments increasing in value. She decides to withdraw the full $200,000 to renovate her house. In 2025, she is allowed to deposit up to $207,000 into her TFSA ($200,000 + 2025’s $7,000 limit).
Do be careful!
In the example above, although Monica can withdraw money from her TFSA at any time, she cannot re-contribute at any time. Doing so could result in penalties.
Example: In March 2024, Monica withdraws $200,000 from her TFSA for her house renovation. In October 2024, she deposits $200,0000 back into her TFSA. She then receives a notice from Canada Revenue Agency that she has over-contributed for the year and will have to pay a penalty.
This is where it’s important to remember that a TFSA is not a bank account and should not be treated as one! Making deposits is easy; as long as you stay within your contribution limit for the year, there’s not much to worry about. However, when you make a withdrawal, and then want to make another deposit later on, ensure you’re doing so within the TFSA rules. In essence, if you want to make sure you don’t accidentally over-contribute in any given year, make sure you re-contribute in the next calendar year.
Example: Because Monica withdrew $200,000 from her TFSA in March 2024 for her house renovation, she should wait until at least January 2025 to re-contribute the full $200,000 (in fact she would actually have $207,000 of contribution room available by this date due to the additional $7,000 available for 2025). This way she will avoid getting a notice from CRA and paying a penalty.
Over-contributing
If you over-contribute to your TFSA (you exceed your allotment for the year), you can expect to pay a 1% penalty to CRA per month. This penalty applies even if you over-contribute for only a few days.
As well, if you feel you can “cheat the system” by purchasing investments that yield more than the 1% penalty, don’t be fooled! CRA can deem this as a case of deliberate over-contribution and as an “advantage”, and then charge you additional tax!
How to find out how much contribution room you have available
Not sure how much contribution room you have left? Contacting CRA directly is your best bet. Contact CRA online or call them at 1-800-267-6999.
Source:
https://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/tfsa-celi/cntrbtn-eng.html
4 Comments. Leave new
I am a new comer to Canada, Nova Scotia in 2024, i have put last year 2024 $4500 to TFSA, what amount can i contribute this year,
please let me know
Hi Jet,
Assuming you legally qualify to have a TFSA account, you can place $3500 ($7000 minus your $4500 contribution last year) plus $7000 (the 2025 TFSA contribution limit) into your account. This also assumes you have not made any withdrawals to date.
“Total as of 2021: $75,500”
To be clear, you are saying this is not the MAX contribution room?
IE: Hypothetically, saving for a down payment on a house, I contribute the $75,500 over 3 or 4 years but fund growth brings my TFSA to a total cash value of $100,000. IF I withdraw the whole $100K in Dec to buy a house, will I now be able to contribute $100K plus the new year’s amount starting in January?
Hello Dave,
That’s correct. Your individual contribution room will vary based on the growth of your capital in your TFSA account and any withdrawals you make.
In you example, if your TFSA is worth $100k and you withdraw the full amount in December of 2021, you can re-contribute the $100k + $6k (2022’s contribution room limit) starting January 1, 2022. The key point to remember about TFSA’s is to be careful amount making large withdrawals and re-contributions of the same amount in the same calendar year.