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Self-Directed Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)†

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) lets your savings grow tax-free (with certain exceptions). You’re not taxed on any income you earn within the account, making them a great way to save for short-term needs like a down-payment or vacation and long-term goals like retirement.

With a self-directed TFSA through TD Direct Investing, you’ll get to make all the decisions. You can buy and sell a wide range of qualified investments including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs and GICs, and hold multiple asset types within the same account.

  • Grow your investments
    tax-free

    Canadian tax will not be applicable on any capital gains, dividends or interest earned on your investments.1  

  • Trade across markets in Canada and the U.S.

    With a TD self-directed TFSA, you can invest in qualified assets offered by designated exchanges in Canada and the U.S.

  • Catch up on unused contribution room

    You can carry unused contribution room forward into future years.

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Investing with a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)

Canadians use TFSA, because of the flexibility it offers. Learn how you can use this plan to grow your funds tax-free (with certain exceptions), build towards your investing goals, and more.

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TFSA eligibility

To open a TD Direct Investing TFSA, you must:

  • A Canadian resident
  • Of the age of majority in your province
  • Have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)

TFSA contribution limit and timelines for 2025

Comparing TFSA to RRSP at TD Direct Investing

Whether you're saving for retirement, homeownership or education, both RRSPs and TFSAs can be an option.

TFSA

RRSP
Primary purpose
Invest for any goal – short-term or long-term
Generally, for retirement, but funds can also be borrowed for Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) or Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP)
Annual contribution limit
$7,0002 PLUS unused contribution room from previous years
The RRSP annual contribution limit for 2025 is $32,490 or 18% of previous year’s earned income, whichever is less, (maximum limits apply), minus pension adjustments.3
Contributions
Not tax-deductible
Generally, tax-deductible
Unused contribution room
Carried forward
Carried forward
Growth
Tax-free1
Tax-deferred
Withdrawals
You’re not taxed on withdrawals with the exception of a 15% withholding tax on U.S. dividends.
Funds that are withdrawn are charged a prescribed withholding tax at the time of withdrawal but will be ultimately taxed as income at your marginal rate. This may affect government benefits such as old age security
Withdrawn amounts
Added to contribution room in future years4
Contribution room is lost for amounts you withdraw

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Got questions? We have answers.

To make a contribution to a TFSA, you will need to open a TFSA account with a bank or financial institution that offers it. Contributions can be made in cash or by transferring investments from other accounts.

You can’t contribute directly to your spouse’s TFSA as you can with a spousal RRSP. However, you can give your spouse money, which they can then contribute to their own TFSA. Any income your spouse earns on the money in their TFSA is theirs and will not be attributed back to you.

Most TFSA holders do not have to pay taxes related to their TFSA investments, and no TFSA tax return needs to be filed.

An individual is permitted to hold more than one TFSA plan. Regardless of the number of TFSA plans held, the individual is subject to their total annual contribution limit.

Please note: A TFSA cannot be registered jointly or as a spousal plan/account.

In an TFSA, you can hold a variety of investments similar to those allowed in other registered accounts. These include eligible:

  • Stocks
  • Mutual funds
  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
  • Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs)
  • Bonds
  • Options

If you want to transfer funds from one TFSA to another or from one issuer to another, there will be no tax consequences if your issuer completes a direct transfer on your behalf.

You can withdraw from your TD Direct Investing Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) in cash or securities in-kind.

In Cash

You can withdraw cash in any of the following ways:

  • Using the Transfer function on WebBroker or TD app
  • Call TD Direct Investing at 1-800-465-5463 between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET Monday to Friday.

Securities In-kind

You can withdraw securities in-kind from a TFSA to a non-registered account.

In-kind withdrawals cannot be submitted online through WebBroker. To submit your security in-kind withdrawal request, please log into the TD app and choose Contact Us or contact TD Direct Investing at 1-800-465-5463 to speak to an Investment Representative.

Please note: Any amount withdrawn from your TFSA is added back to your TFSA contribution room at the start of the next calendar year. Re-contribution to a TFSA of any withdrawn amount in the same calendar year on a tax-free basis can only be done if unused TFSA contribution room is available. There is no tax applied to TFSA withdrawals.

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