CRA Submit documents file size limit and PDF requirements
Short answer
Two official CRA pages disagree: an older page caps the total at 150MB (with a possible limit of ten files), while a page modified in 2026 allows 500MB in total for most programs and 1GB for compliance programs.
Official sources disagree. We show each value with its source and check against the stricter one.
Source: Submit documents (My Account), Submit documents online
Source checked: October 21, 2026
Requirements
Every rule CRA Submit documents publishes that affects your PDF, with its source.
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum total sizeRequired | 150MB total or 500MB total (most programs; 1GB for compliance)Official sources disagree. | Source [1][2] |
| Maximum files per submissionRecommended | ten filesThe older page says a limit of ten files "may apply"; the 2026 page states no maximum. | Source [1] |
| Accepted formatsRequired | PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, RTF, TXT, JPG, JPEG, TIF, TIFF, XPSCompliance (audit) requests accept more formats. The 2026 page lists .tiff but not .tif. | Source [1] |
| Passwords and securityRequired | Not allowedFiles may be zipped but must not be password encrypted, so the CRA can scan them for viruses. | Source [1] |
| File namesRequired | Each file name must be unique | Source [2] |
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Common rejection reasons
- Password-encrypted files, which the CRA cannot virus-scan. [1]
Also worth knowing
- The 2026 page is newer and may reflect the current system, but both pages are still published. We check against the stricter 150MB total and warn between 150MB and 500MB.
Sources
- [1]Submit documents (My Account)
Canada Revenue Agency
Read on October 21, 2026. Page date: Date modified: 2016-11-17.
- [2]Submit documents online
Canada Revenue Agency
Read on October 21, 2026. Page date: Date modified: 2026-09-18.
Get an email if these rules change
We re-read every source at least once a week. One email when a source for CRA Submit documents changes, nothing else.
Changelog
Re-checked both pages; they still disagree (150MB vs 500MB/1GB).
Other Canada portals
| Portal | Size limit | Page limit | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) electronic filingFederal, tribunalVerified | 100 MBper file | Verified | |
| Federal Court of Appeal (Canada) e-filingFederal, courtVerified | 100MBper file | Verified | |
| Federal Court of Canada e-filingFederal, courtVerified | 100 MBper file | Verified | |
| IRCC online accounts document uploadFederal, agencyVerified | 4 MBper file | Verified | |
| Case Center (Ontario courts)Ontario, courtVerified | 2 GBper file | Verified | |
| Court of Appeal for Ontario Public PortalOntario, courtVerified | 512MiBper file | Verified |