FAQs

February 19, 2024 – This is the first day you can start filing your 2023 tax return online. If you file on paper, you should receive your income tax package in the mail by this date.

April 30, 2024 – This is the deadline for most Canadians to file a tax return. By filing your tax return on time, you’ll avoid delays to any refund, benefit, or credit payments you may be entitled to. If you owe money to the CRA, this is also the payment deadline. You’ll avoid late-filing penalties and interest by filing and paying on time. 

June 15, 2024 – If you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed, this is the deadline to file your tax returns. As this date falls on a Saturday, your return will be considered filed on time if the CRA receives it or it is postmarked on or before June 17, 2024. If you owe money to the CRA, you'll still need to pay by April 30, 2024, to avoid interest.

The FHSA is a new registered plan to help qualified individuals to save to buy or build a qualifying home. Starting April 1, 2023, contributions to an FHSA are generally deductible and qualifying withdrawals made from an FHSA to buy or build a qualifying home are tax-free. Notices of assessment will also include a table similar to the RRSP table for the FHSA balances where applicable.

The temporary flat rate method used to claim a deduction for home office expenses does not apply to 2023. Therefore, eligible employees looking to claim a deduction for home office expenses for 2023 will be required to use the detailed method and get a completed Form T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment, signed by their employer.

Starting January 1, 2023, any gain from the disposition of a housing unit (including a rental property) located in Canada, or a right to acquire a housing unit located in Canada, that you owned or held for less than 365 consecutive days before its disposition is deemed to be business income and not a capital gain, unless the property was already considered inventory of the taxpayer or the disposition occurred due to, or in anticipation of, certain life events.

The MHRTC is a new refundable tax credit that allows an eligible individual to claim certain renovation costs to create a secondary unit within an eligible dwelling so that a qualifying individual (a senior or an adult who is eligible for the disability tax credit) can reside with their qualifying relation. If eligible, you can claim up to $50,000 in qualifying expenditures for each qualifying renovation completed, up to a maximum credit of $7,500 for each claim you are eligible to make.

The fastest way to get your refund is by combining online filing with direct deposit. You could get your refund in as little as eight business days. Direct deposit is fast, convenient, and secure. You can also register for CRA direct deposit through your financial institution.

You can check the status of your return through My Account. To find the date we target to complete processing your return, you can go to Check CRA processing times. Our service standard is to issue your notice of assessment (NOA) within two weeks of receiving your digital return. If you are eligible to use the Express NOA service, you will be able to view your NOA right after the return has been received and processed by the CRA. Canadians who file electronically and who are signed up for direct deposit may get their refund in as little as eight business days. It may take 10 to 12 weeks for us to process paper returns. The CRA processes them in the order it receives them.

Although owing income tax can be a normal occurrence, it is important to address it without delay. Income tax debt can accrue interest. If you owe money to the CRA but cannot pay your balance when it's due, we still encourage you to file your income tax and benefit return on time. We encourage you to contact us if you cannot pay the full amount owed on time. We understand that a tax debt payment could present a significant financial hardship. We can help you find a payment option that will allow you to pay your balance owing over time. The CRA charges interest on what you owe until your balance is paid. To discuss a payment arrangement, call us at 1-888-863-8657.In some circumstances, you may ask for relief from penalties and interest, and reduce the amount you owe. Go to Cancel or waive penalties and interest for more information.

You can pay your tax in different ways:

through your financial institution’s online or telephone banking service

through the new “Proceed to Pay” buttons in My Account. The information you need to make a payment will show after you select a payment method:

My Payment – Using your Visa® Debit, Debit MasterCard®, or Interac® Online debit card from a participating financial institution

Pre-authorized debit from your Canadian chequing account

By cash or debit at any Canada Post outlet, using the RV code on a remittance voucher or a QR code, which you generate from the CRA web pages

using the My Payment service in My Account

by credit card, PayPal, or Interac e-Transfer through a third-party service provider

by setting up a pre-authorized debit agreement to pay from your Canadian chequing account

The best way to ensure that your payment is received on time and avoid arrears interest is to use one of our electronic payment options.

If you still want to make a payment in person, you can pay:

at any Canada Post outlet, using cash or a debit card. To do so, you will need a QR code. You can create a QR code using My Account or MyCRA. A Canada Post clerk will scan the QR code so that we can credit your account. The service fee is based on the amount of your payment. If you create a QR code from our web pages, the fee will display with your code.

at a Canadian financial institution with a remittance voucher. You can order personalized remittance vouchers and in some cases print your own. See Order remittance vouchers or payment forms.

If you have a balance owing for the year and do not file your income tax and benefit return on time, you will be charged a late-filing penalty. The penalty is 5% of your balance owing that remained unpaid when the return was required to be filed, plus an additional 1% for each full month your return is late (up to a maximum of 12 months).

If you were charged a late-filing penalty on any of your returns for 2019 to 2021 and you have been sent a demand to file a tax return for 2022, your late-filing penalty for 2022 may be higher. The penalty is 10% of your balance owing that remained unpaid when the return was required to be filed, plus an additional 2% for each full month your return is late (to a maximum of 20 months).