Updated: 04/27/2013
Deadline for Filing Your Canadian Income Taxes:
The deadline for filing your Canadian income taxes is midnight April 30.
If you owe income tax and file your income tax return after the deadline, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will charge a penalty and interest on the unpaid amount.
Who Has to File a Canadian Income Tax Return:
Most Canadian residents have to file a Canadian income tax return for the previous year
- to pay the accurate amount of income tax owed
- to pay back overpayment of benefits such as Employment Insurance
- to claim certain benefits, such as the GST/HST Credit or the Guaranteed Income Supplement under the Old Age Security Program.
Some international and non-resident individuals must also file a Canadian income tax return.
Before You Prepare Your Income Tax Return:
Before you tackle your income tax return, make sure you have the following information:
- social insurance number
- tax information slips - information slips sent by employers, banks and businesses to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency how much income you received and the amount of income tax that was deducted.
- information on other income, including self-employment income
- receipts for tax deductions
- personal income tax information you might need from the Quick Access and My Account services, such as your RRSP contribution limit.
Collect Your Income Tax Package, Forms and Information Guides:
To file your taxes, you need an income tax package for the province in which you lived on December 31 of the previous year. The package includes a return (form), federal tax worksheet, schedules (more forms), a provincial or territory tax worksheet and an information guide.
In 2013, in order to reduce waste, the CRA stopped automatically mailing income tax packages to everyone who had filed an income tax return the year before. Here's Where to Get a Canadian Income Tax Package.
Choose the Best Way to File Your Income Taxes:
The Canada Revenue Agency is encouraging Canadians to file their income taxes online, and has discontinued the option of filing by phone. You can still file your taxes by mail or by hiring someone to do it for you. Here are Ways to File Your Canadian Income Taxes. Select the one that's most appropriate for you and your income tax situation.
Find Detailed Information and Help:
There are a variety of sources available to answer your specific tax questions. Here are some good places to find help with your Canadian income taxes.
Pay Your Taxes:
You can pay your Canadian income taxes by mailing a cheque to the CRA, using your regular online or telephone banking, using the CRA's My Payment Service or paying at a Canadian financial institution. If you have to pay by instalments, you can also set up a pre-authorized debit plan. Find out more in Ways to Pay Your Personal Canadian Income Taxes.
Check on Your Income Tax Refund:
For many, the hardest part of doing their income taxes is waiting for their refund. There are several ways to check on your income tax refund.
Change Your Canadian Income Tax Return:
You can make some changes to your income tax return online; others you have to make by mail. If you need them, you can get the income tax packages for past years online.
Keep Your Address Current With the CRA:
Be sure the CRA has your current address. That way you'll receive refunds and benefit payments, as well as important notices, without interruption. Here's how to change your address with the CRA.
