Many Canadians who opened FHSAs in 2023–2025 are now uncertain about their home-buying timeline. Here's what your options actually look like — and a calculator to show the real numbers.
Enter your current FHSA balance, how many years until you'd retire or roll it over, your assumed annual growth rate, and your marginal tax rate. The calculator shows you how much more you keep by rolling to an RRSP instead of just cashing out.
| Step | Transfer to RRSP | Withdraw Today |
|---|
Your FHSA doesn't disappear — it just loses its home-buyer purpose. The CRA gives you real options, and most of them are better than panicking.
You can transfer your entire FHSA balance to an RRSP or RRIF completely tax-free. You don't need to have RRSP contribution room — this transfer doesn't use any. The money just moves to your RRSP and keeps growing sheltered.
You can close the account and take the money out — but this is treated like an RRSP withdrawal. The full amount is added to your income for the year and taxed at your marginal rate. The original tax deduction you claimed gets clawed back.
Your FHSA can stay open for up to 15 years from the year you first opened it, or until December 31 of the year you turn 71 — whichever comes first. If you opened in 2023, you have until at least 2038 to use it for a home purchase.
The TFSA is not an eligible destination for an FHSA rollover. You cannot move funds from an FHSA directly into a TFSA. This is a hard CRA rule, not a quirk of your institution.
If your FHSA reaches the end of its life (15 years or age 71, whichever is first), you must either roll it to an RRSP/RRIF or withdraw it as income. There's no third option at that point. You can't just leave it sitting there.
Lifetime FHSA limit is $40,000 ($8,000/year). Unused room from one year carries forward (once you've opened the account). If you opened in 2023 and contributed nothing until 2026, you have $32,000 of available room.
The big unlock: The RRSP rollover skips the normal RRSP contribution room requirement entirely. If you've already maxed your RRSP contributions for the year, you can still transfer your FHSA balance to RRSP on top of that. This is one of the few times you can add to an RRSP without burning contribution room.
Assumes $24,000 FHSA balance (3 years of $8,000 contributions), 6% annual growth, 33% marginal tax rate. All amounts in CAD.
| Scenario | Years to grow | Pre-tax value | Tax paid | You keep | vs. rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll to RRSP, withdraw at retirement | 20 | $76,988 | $25,406 (at 33%) | $51,582 | Baseline ✓ |
| Withdraw today, invest in taxable account | 20 (in taxable) | $51,523* | $7,920 (tax on growth only) | $43,603 | −$7,979 |
| Withdraw today, park in TFSA (if room) | 20 | $51,523* | $0 (TFSA shelter) | $51,523 | −$59 (roughly equal) |
| Roll to RRSP, withdraw at retirement | 30 | $137,952 | $45,524 (at 33%) | $92,428 | Baseline ✓ |
| Withdraw today, invest in taxable account | 30 (in taxable) | $86,780* | $18,484 | $68,296 | −$24,132 |
*After paying 33% tax on $24,000 withdrawal = $16,080 after tax today, invested at 6%. Taxable account assumes annual tax drag (dividends/interest taxed annually). TFSA scenario: no TFSA transfer allowed directly, but if you have TFSA room available you can withdraw FHSA, pay tax, and contribute the after-tax amount to TFSA.
The TFSA near-tie is misleading. Yes, if you have TFSA room sitting idle, using it to shelter the after-tax withdrawal gets you close to parity. But: (a) you have to actually have the room, (b) you pay tax on the withdrawal in the current year at your current marginal rate rather than a potentially lower retirement rate, and (c) you lose the option to delay the tax hit. The RRSP rollover is better for most people who don't have surplus TFSA room sitting unused.
The FHSA launched in April 2023. That means the first cohort is now three years in — and a lot has changed about the Canadian housing market since then.
Many Canadians opened FHSAs in 2023 with the genuine intention of buying in 2–3 years. Since then, prices in major markets have stayed stubbornly high despite rate changes, and a lot of those original account holders are now asking: "What if I'm not actually buying?"
This page is for you if:
Should you keep contributing even if you're uncertain? Probably yes — here's why. Contributions are still tax-deductible the year you make them, the growth is still sheltered, and if you do end up buying a qualifying home within the 15-year window, you get the full first-home buyer benefit. If you don't, you roll it to RRSP with no penalty beyond losing the home-buyer angle. The only downside of contributing is RRSP room consumed — and that doesn't apply here because the transfer doesn't use RRSP room.
Don't panic-close your FHSA. We've seen people close their FHSAs and take the cash because they felt guilty about "wasting" the account. That triggers immediate taxation on the full withdrawal. You had literally nothing to lose by leaving it open — the account doesn't cost you anything, and you have years before any decision is forced.
The mechanics are straightforward. This is done as a direct transfer — not a withdrawal and re-contribution.
Timing matters: You can only close an FHSA (and trigger the rollover or withdrawal) after the account has been open for a minimum period — there's no "minimum holding period" per CRA rules, but your institution may have administrative procedures. The transfer can happen any time you decide you're done with the account, up to the deadline.
No. This is clearly prohibited under the Income Tax Act. TFSA is not an eligible registered plan for FHSA rollover transfers. If you want money in your TFSA, you would have to withdraw from the FHSA (paying full income tax on the amount), then contribute the after-tax proceeds to your TFSA — assuming you have contribution room.
Yes, generally. As long as you haven't previously owned a qualifying home, you remain eligible for the first home buyer benefit. The FHSA can stay open for 15 years from the year of first opening (or until the year you turn 71). If you opened in 2023, you have until at least the end of 2038. There's no cost to keeping it open — just make sure you're not over-contributing.
No — and this is the key advantage. A direct FHSA-to-RRSP transfer under subsection 146.6(7) of the Income Tax Act does not consume RRSP contribution room. Even if you've already maxed your RRSP for the year, you can still transfer your FHSA balance on top of that. You do not get a new deduction for the transfer (the deduction was taken when you contributed to the FHSA), but the money moves into the RRSP tax-sheltered.
You keep it. That deduction was earned when you contributed to the FHSA, and it stands regardless of whether you use the account for a home purchase or roll it to an RRSP. You only lose it if you withdraw the money as income — at which point you pay tax on the withdrawal, effectively returning the deduction benefit.
CRA rules allow partial transfers, but in practice many institutions process FHSA-to-RRSP transfers as full account closures. Check with your specific institution. You cannot keep contributing to an FHSA after a partial transfer while the account is still open in some cases — get confirmation from your institution before proceeding.
The FHSA must be closed by December 31 of the year you turn 71 — the same deadline as RRSP accounts. At that point you must transfer to an RRIF (since you can no longer hold an RRSP after 71) or withdraw as income. If you're approaching 71 and still have an FHSA, this needs to be on your radar.
No. All growth inside the FHSA is completely tax-sheltered until withdrawal, exactly like an RRSP. Interest, dividends, and capital gains inside the account don't generate any annual tax slip. The tax hit only comes when money eventually leaves a registered account — either at RRSP/RRIF withdrawal time, or if you close the FHSA and take it as income.
Whether you end up buying or rolling to RRSP, the choices you make inside the account — what you invest in — matter just as much as the account structure.
Full FHSA Guide Best FHSA InvestmentsThis page is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. FHSA rules are based on CRA guidance as of 2026. Tax rates used in the calculator are illustrative — your actual marginal rates will vary by province and income level. Consult a qualified financial advisor or accountant before making decisions about your registered accounts.