How much can CRA legally take from my bank account under a requirement to pay?

CRA generally has broad authority under the Income Tax Act to require payment of amounts owed to, or held for, a tax debtor, but there isn't a single simple percentage or dollar cap that applies to every requirement to pay in every situation. The scope of what CRA can require an institution to redirect depends on the specifics of the debt, the account, and the circumstances involved, which makes this a genuinely nuanced area rather than one with a clean, universal formula.

Because of that nuance, and because a requirement to pay can have a real and immediate effect on your finances, the exact practical limits that might apply in your specific situation are worth confirming with a tax lawyer rather than relying on a general rule of thumb found online. What's important to understand upfront is that this authority is broad by design - it's part of what makes CRA's collection powers meaningfully different from those of an ordinary private creditor - so assuming there's a modest, fixed cap that protects most of your account balance isn't a safe assumption to work from. If you're facing an active or threatened requirement to pay, getting specific advice about your situation is the right next step.