Go digital and make taxes easier

CRA SOURCE ARTICLE

This tax season, the best way for you to avoid delays and get the tax information you need is to try our easy-to-use digital services. No need to wait on the phone, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has many online tools to help you!

COVID-19 benefits

If you received benefits issued by the CRA in 2021, such as the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), or Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), you should have received a T4A information slip in the mail by the end of February. Residents of Quebec will receive a T4A information slip and an RL-1 slip.

T4A information slips from the Government of Canada for COVID-19-related benefits will also be provided online if you’re registered for My Account and have full access. To have full access to My Account, you need to enter the CRA security code we issued to you after completing the first step of the registration process.

Information from your T4A information slips, including COVID-19-related benefits, is available when you use the Auto-fill my return service in certified tax filing software. This service automatically fills in parts of an income tax and benefit return with information that the CRA has on file. To use the service, you must be registered for My Account and have full access.

When COVID-19 benefits were paid, some tax was withheld at source. If you end up owing more tax on top of that, we understand that payment could present significant financial difficulties. In that case, our expanded payment arrangements could work for you. This will give you more time and flexibility to repay based on your financial situation. Also, taxpayer relief is available if you can’t meet your tax obligations because of circumstances beyond your control. The CRA may cancel or waive penalties or interest under certain conditions.

There may be other effects to filing your return that are specific to a COVID-19 benefit you received or if you’re a resident of Quebec.

Update or check your personal information

You can easily update or check your personal information using My Account or the MyCRA mobile web app. If you move or need to change your marital status, let us know. The information you provide will help us recalculate your benefits and credits so they are accurate according to your situation. 

Make sure your tax information is up to date to protect yourself from fraud and scams. For added security, you should always use a unique password.

Besides updating your information, you can also view:

• what you owe to the CRA

• your limit for a tax-free savings account or a registered retirement savings plan

• your benefit and credit information

• the status of your income tax and benefit return

• your notices of assessment (NOA) or reassessment

Choose a convenient option to file your return with the CRA

You can file online this year through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or through NETFILE-certified software. You can also file online through the services of an electronic filer certified to use our EFILE service. If you choose to file online using NETFILE, a variety of software products exist to meet your needs, including options that are free. 

To use information from your tax return to authenticate when you call the CRA, you’ll need your eight-character alphanumeric NETFILE access code before filing. You can find this unique code to the right, beneath the notice details box on the first page of your previous NOA. Your access code will let you use information from your 2021 tax return when confirming your identity with the CRA. Your access code isn’t mandatory when filing your 2021 tax return, but without it you cannot use information from your tax return to authenticate when you call the CRA. You’ll have to rely on other information for authentication purposes. 

Our service standard is to issue your NOA within two weeks of receiving your return online. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the CRA may take 10 to 12 weeks to process paper returns. The CRA will process them in the order they are received. Canadians who file online and who are signed up for direct deposit may get their refund in as little as eight business days.

Access your notice of assessment instantly

You can view your NOA in your certified tax software with Express NOA, right after the CRA receives and processes your return. To use Express NOA, you must be registered for My Account. You can also view your Express NOA in My Account right after the CRA receives and processes your return. 

Automatically fill in parts of your return to avoid mistakes 

Use Auto-fill my return to quickly fill in parts of your return with the information the CRA has on file. To use the service, you must be registered for My Account and use NETFILE. If you’re fully registered for My Account, you can use Auto-fill my return with all of the certified software options.

Learn about your taxes

This year, we’ve launched a new online learning tool to help you learn about taxes and empower you to do your taxes on your own. The free online learning tool provides you with lessons that help you understand what taxes are, why we pay them, how to read your pay stubs and income tax slips, and finally, how to do your taxes. Following each lesson, you can test yourself with exercises and quizzes. For more information, go to Learn about your taxes.

Quickly see if you have any uncashed CRA cheques

Select “Uncashed cheques” on the My Account “Overview” page. If you have an uncashed cheque, fill out form 535 online to request your duplicate payment. You can submit the filled out form through My Account.

Easily send documents to the CRA

You or your representative can easily submit documents online to the CRA through My Account. You can keep your originals. We’ll send you a confirmation and reference number to use when communicating with us.

Pay any balance owing

If you have a balance owing, the process to pay it off is easy. Use the “Proceed to pay” buttons found throughout My Account to choose the payment method that works for you. We’ll automatically associate the amount to the balance you want to pay.

Change a current or past year’s return

If you filed online and need to change your return, you can use ReFILE. It lets you send us adjustments for returns for the current and three prior tax years. ReFILE will use the same software you used to file. Before using ReFILE, wait for your NOA. You can also change your return by using the newly improved and simplified “Change my return” option found in My Account.

Register a formal dispute or objection

After you receive your notice of assessment or reassessment, you can file an objection in either of the following situations:

• you think the CRA misinterpreted the facts of your tax situation

• you think the CRA did not apply the law correctly

For requests submitted after February 7, 2022, users can now use the Progress Tracker service in My Account to view the status of their objection submitted to the CRA.

Protect yourself from scams with CRA email notifications

Email notifications help you keep track of your account. They also help prevent fraud by sending you an email when:

• you have mail from the CRA

• your address, direct deposit or other information has been changed

• any paper mail from the CRA that was addressed to you is returned

To better protect you and your personal information, as of February 2022, we require that you provide your email address to use My Account. You will receive an email notification if important information such as your address or direct deposit information has been changed on CRA records. These notifications act as an early warning about potential fraudulent activity. If you have not yet signed up for “Email notifications”, we encourage you to do so.

For more information, visit our E-services page and our questions and answers about filing your taxes page.

You can learn more about tax filing by visiting the links above or by scheduling a free consultation with us.