RRSP · first year
The year you arrive, RRSP room is usually zero.
For 2026, new RRSP room is the lesser of 18% of 2025 earned income and $33,810.00, then reduced by a pension adjustment. The 18% rule is on CRA's deduction-limit page. Someone who had no earned income in 2025, and no unused room, has nothing new to deduct in 2026.
Income you earn in Canada during 2026 is what creates room for 2027. The same limits table already lists the 2027 dollar limit as $35,390.00. The calculator below uses that cap. It does not add unused room from before 2026, a pension adjustment reversal, or a net past service pension adjustment.
The same arithmetic for 2026 room, using 2025 income and the $33,810.00 cap, is on the FHSA and RRSP page.
2027 room from 2026 earned income
The $0 is the usual first year. Replace it with Canadian earned income from 2026. Nothing you type is saved or sent. This does not guess a contribution deadline.
This is the income that creates new room for 2027.
Educational only, not financial or tax advice. Not affiliated with CRA.
Estimated new room for 2027
$0.00
- 18% of 2026 earned income
- $0.00How contributions affect your RRSP deduction limit. 2026 · Canada Revenue Agency
- 2027 dollar limit
- $35,390.00MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP, ALDA, TFSA limits, YMPE and YAMPE. 2027 · Canada Revenue Agency
- Pension adjustment you entered
- $0.00
With no 2026 earned income, new RRSP room for 2027 is $0. Income you earn in Canada during 2026 is what shows up as room the following year, up to the dollar limit. A pension adjustment reversal and a net past service pension adjustment are not included. Unused room from an earlier year, if you have any, is also not added here.
Questions
Why is my RRSP room zero in the year I arrive?
New room for a year comes from earned income in the previous year. If you become a resident in 2026 and had no Canadian earned income in 2025, and you have no unused room carried in, new room for 2026 is $0. The $33,810 figure is the ceiling for 2026, not an amount you receive on arrival.
When does room appear?
Earned income in 2026 creates new room for 2027. That new room is 18% of the 2026 earned income, and it cannot exceed the 2027 dollar limit of $35,390 published on the CRA limits table. A pension adjustment reduces it. Your notice of assessment is the record that matters once you have filed.
What is the deadline to contribute for 2026?
CRA's deduction-limit page was still describing the deadline for the 2025 return when these figures were checked. This page does not guess a deadline for 2026 contributions. The dates page currently lists March 2, 2026 as the RRSP deadline tied to 2025 taxes, which is not a 2026-year deadline.