Canadian TFSA evidence guide · sources checked August 14, 2026
Day trading has no magic “safe” number.
CRA says whether a TFSA carries on a securities-trading business is a question of fact. Build a record of what actually happened before assuming the account keeps its ordinary tax treatment.
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What the rule actually says
Qualified investments and business activity are different questions.
A listed security can be a qualified TFSA investment while the account's overall activity may still be examined as carrying on a business. CRA states that a TFSA trust is generally taxable under Part I on income it earns from carrying on a business.
The facts work together; selecting or not selecting one factor is not a CRA opinion, legal advice, an audit result or a guarantee.
The useful move is documentation: trade statements, holding periods, research records, time spent, financing records and the purpose behind the activity.
Current official references
- CRA: taxes involving a TFSA businessExplains that the TFSA trust can be taxable on business income and gains.
- CRA registered-plan folioParagraphs 1.86–1.90 cover carrying on a business and registered plans.
- CRA audit manual: securities transactionsLists factual indicators such as frequency, ownership period, knowledge, time, financing and course of conduct.
Browser-private evidence record
Mark the facts you need to document.
These are prompts drawn from CRA's published securities-transaction factors. They are not a scoring system. Leave an item unchecked if it does not apply or you do not know.
After the evidence record
Choose the account job before choosing a provider.
If the real question is whether new savings belong in a TFSA, RRSP, FHSA or accessible cash, use Bremo's private account-order navigator. It keeps account-room and access answers in your tab and places any provider review after the account decision.
Build my RRSP-vs-TFSA order →Opening an owned guide is not an account opening, funding event, referral conversion, tax result or revenue.