Definition
The Notice of Assessment (NOA) is the official document the Canada Revenue Agency sends after processing your T1 tax return. It confirms your declared net total income, tax paid or owed, available RRSP and FHSA contribution room, and any carry-forward.
In the mortgage context, the NOA is the income document most widely accepted by all Canadian lenders, especially for non-salaried profiles: self-employed, fee-based professionals, retirees, business owners. A lenders generally request the last 2-3 years of NOAs.
For salaried employees, lenders combine the NOA, T4 (annual employment slip), and a recent employment letter specifying status, base compensation, and tenure. In Québec, the provincial equivalent is the Revenu Québec NOA, complementary but not systematically required by all lenders.