General information only — not financial advice for your situation.
This is a learning tool. Always check CRA My Account records and talk to a qualified professional for your own numbers.
Plain English
A regular investment account with no special tax sheltering. You pay tax on interest, dividends, and gains every year as you earn them.
Technical definition
A non-registered account is an open investment vehicle with no contribution limits or tax sheltering. All investment yield — interest, dividends, and realized capital gains — is taxable annually at the investor's marginal rate. There are no restrictions on deposits or withdrawals, making it fully flexible but fully taxable.
Examples
- • You earn $2,000 in interest in a non-registered savings account. The full $2,000 is added to your taxable income at your marginal rate.
- • After maxing out your TFSA ($109,000) and RRSP, additional savings go into a non-registered account where a $5,000 capital gain adds $2,500 to taxable income (50% inclusion).
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About this site
Every number on this site is sourced from CRA publications, the Income Tax Act, or provincial fiscal releases. We show the math, cite the sources, and never tell you what to do with your money.