How to make the most of your TFSA contribution limit (2024)

FAQs

How to make the most of your TFSA contribution limit? ›

GICs in a TFSA

GICs or Guaranteed Investment Certificates allow you to do exactly that. They can be the ideal investment vehicle if you have a fixed-term savings goal like saving for a down payment. Plus, they generally offer a rate of return that's higher than most high-interest savings accounts.

GICs in a TFSA

GICs or Guaranteed Investment Certificates allow you to do exactly that. They can be the ideal investment vehicle if you have a fixed-term savings goal like saving for a down payment. Plus, they generally offer a rate of return that's higher than most high-interest savings accounts.

Your TFSA lifetime contribution limit is $95,000. Your ongoing contribution amount. There is new contribution room every year. For 2024, you can contribute up to $7000 plus any unused contribution room from previous years.

At any time in the year, if you contribute more than your available TFSA contribution room you will have to pay a tax equal to 1% of the highest excess TFSA amount in the month, for each month that the excess amount stays in your account.

The average TFSA balance is $41,510

This flexibility suggests the TFSA should be an investment vehicle of choice for most investors. The maximum cumulative TFSA contribution room rose to $95,000 in 2024.

The first four months of the year have been referred to as a 'danger zone' for those relying on TFSA contribution room data posted on their CRA account. If you've based your TFSA contributions on “My Account” information, be aware that it may not be accurate.

You can – and probably should – have both. Both a TFSA and a savings account have their purposes. Having both in your financial portfolio is a pretty good idea. One gives you savings freedom in the short term, the other gives you more potential for savings growth in the long term.

What happens if you put too much in TFSA? ›

The tax of 1% on an excess TFSA amount applies from the first $1 of excess contributions. This tax of 1% per month is based on the highest excess TFSA amount in your account for each month in which an excess remains.

Depending on the type of investment held in your TFSA, you can generally withdraw any amount from the TFSA at any time. Withdrawing funds from your TFSA does not reduce the total amount of contributions you have already made for the year.

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit has increased to $7,000 in 2024 from $6,500 in 2023. Every year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) declares the annual TFSA contribution limit, which is indexed to inflation and then rounded to the nearest $500.

No tax deductions: The biggest drawback of a TFSA, is that your contributions are made with after-tax dollars and are not tax deductible, unlike the FHSA and RRSP. Contribution limits: Though there is no lifetime maximum contribution limit, there is an annual contribution limit, stipulated by the Government of Canada.

Yes, you can lose money on a TFSA, but it is easy to avoid losing your money. Typically, people who lose their money on a Tax-Free Savings Account are people who are using it for more volatile investments or people who are over-contributing.

What if you've never contributed to a TFSA before? If you have lived in Canada your entire life and you were 18 or older when the Government of Canada first introduced TFSAs (in 2009) and you've never put money into a TFSA, then your contribution room could be as much as $95,000 (in 2024).

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit has increased to $7,000 in 2024 from $6,500 in 2023. Every year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) declares the annual TFSA contribution limit, which is indexed to inflation and then rounded to the nearest $500.

The government will charge you 1% monthly on your entire overcontribution. It's important to note that unused room carries forward with TFSAs, too. In practice this means you could set up your first TFSA in 2024 with up to $95,000.