Crypto-assets are digital assets that exist on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger. There are many types of crypto-assets, the most common being cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether. Transactions related to crypto-assets often have tax implications and must be reported on your income tax return.

If you’re a crypto-asset user, knowing whether your transactions resulted in a capital gain (or loss) or in business income (or loss) is important because it may affect your taxes.

Crypto-assets are digital assets that exist on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger. There are many types of crypto-assets, the most common being cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether. Transactions related to crypto-assets often have tax implications and must be reported on your income tax return.

Whether the earnings you make from online platforms is your main source of income, or a small part of it, you are considered to be a platform economy participant. When it’s time to file your taxes, you must report all sources of your income, including gifts and donations.

Each area of the platform economy is unique, and participants can have different tax obligations.

For example, in general, if you provide goods or services and earn more than $30,000 over four calendar quarters, then you must collect and send the related goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). However, if you earn income from ridesharing, you must collect and send the GST/HST to the CRA regardless of the amount you earn.

The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentive program provides over $3.7 billion annually in tax incentives to businesses who conduct research and development in Canada. The program is available to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors, including biomedical technologies, clean technologies, electrical engineering, and more. For information on what work is eligible for SR&ED, visit What work is eligible.

As we celebrate Small Business Week from October 20 to 26, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is here to support Canada’s small business community. This week is dedicated to helping you connect, learn, and grow your business knowledge. We’re excited to share tax resources, tools, and services to help you tackle the challenges of running a business and keeping your tax affairs in check.

Hi, I’m Charlie! Charlie the chatbot. You can find me on the Canada.ca/CRA webpage where I can answer questions about your business and other tax-related matters. From January to June 2024, I was asked just over 1,100,000 questions in English and 160,000 questions in French. As we head into Small Business Week 2024, I am here to give you some information about business taxes based on questions that I’ve received from others. 

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) would like to highlight new information about the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses, a refundable tax credit designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada. This initiative aims to return a portion of the federal fuel charge proceeds directly to eligible Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs).

Note that businesses do not need to apply for this rebate. Those who are eligible will automatically receive the payment.

This Small Business Week, October 15 to 21, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is celebrating the passion and impact of Canada’s entrepreneurs, cornerstones of our neighbourhoods and communities. As you take this time to connect, learn and grow your business smarts, we are excited to share some tax information and resources that can help your business thrive. In the midst of challenges such as weather events, supply chain issues and worker shortages, we’re here to help make managing your business taxes as quick and easy as possible.

June 15, 2022, is the deadline for self-employed individuals to file their 2021 income tax and benefit return. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wants to remind businesses that we are here to support you and your business in meeting your tax obligations.

The Liaison Officer Service

The CRA offers free Liaison Officer services to owners of small businesses and self-employed individuals to help them understand their tax obligations. A visit from a Liaison Officer is 100% confidential: the information you choose to discuss with them will not be shared with other areas of the CRA, or anyone else.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is here to support you and your business in meeting your tax obligations.

If you are a self-employed individual, or if your spouse or common-law partner is self-employed, you have until June 15, 2022, to file your 2021 income tax and benefit return.

What are my tax obligations as a self-employed individual?

If you earned self-employment income from a business that you operate yourself or with a partner, you have to report that income by filing a tax return.

When you're self-employed and you operate your business, you must pay the following:

• personal income tax

• Canada Pension Plan contributions

• Employment Insurance premiums if you are eligible and have registered to participate

Reporting your income also means that the CRA will have the most accurate information on file to determine if you are eligible for provincial and territorial tax credits and benefits, the GST/HST credit and the Canada child benefit.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is committed to helping small and medium businesses by ensuring they have the information and guidance they need to stay organized and to better understand and meet their tax obligations.

Here’s what you can do to make sure you’re doing everything right:

• File and pay on time

• Organize your records and documents

• Resources for you – the CRA is here to help

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has observed a recent increase in Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) claims containing false and/or fraudulent information. While the vast majority of claims filed for SR&ED tax incentives are compliant with filing requirements, the CRA is reminding you to make sure the information provided in your claim, including information submitted on your behalf by a representative, is valid.

What is SR&ED?

The SR&ED Tax Incentive Program is the largest Government of Canada program supporting research and development in Canada, providing more than $3 billion in tax incentives to over 16,000 businesses annually.

High call volumes to the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) Business Enquiries Line can result in long wait times to reach a client service representative.

Here are some quick and easy alternatives to finding the information you need (instead of calling).

Check Canada.ca: We're improving the information on our web pages to make it easier for Canadians to find what they need online. This includes services and information for:

• business number registration;

• business income tax;

• payroll;

• GST/HST for business; and much more.

As a resident of Canada, you must report your income from all sources on your income tax return. This includes any income you earn inside and outside of Canada, whether it is income from temporary, freelance work, short-term contracts or from other revenue sources.

If you paid foreign income tax, you could be eligible for a tax credit.

You can also claim eligible business expenses relating to income you earned through the gig economy.

Employees of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are working hard to answer questions you may have about your tax affairs. We want to help you file your income tax and benefit return and ensure you receive the benefits and credits you’re entitled to.

To help you, these are answers to the top questions we’re asked at tax time. You can also check out our questions and answers about filing your taxes page for more answers to common questions.

Getting ready to file your income tax and benefit return? We have a few tips that could help you prepare, save time and ensure you receive all the benefits and credits that you are entitled to:

1. File your return on time

2. File your return online

3. Claim all your benefits, credits, and deductions

4. Enter all your income and COVID-19 benefit payment amounts

5. Make the right claims

6. Simplify your life with My Account

7. Pay on time

8. Keep receipts and documents

A peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction involves the selling of goods from one person or party directly to another. You may be taking part in P2P selling if you are connecting with buyers through digital platforms like websites, online marketplaces or mobile applications (such as Etsy, eBay or Amazon).

As a resident of Canada, you must report your income from all sources on your income tax return. This includes any income you earn inside and outside of Canada, whether through P2P or other transactions. If you paid foreign income tax, you could be eligible for a tax credit.

The tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022

Since April 30, 2022, falls on a Saturday, your return will be considered filed on time in either of the following situations:

• we receive it on or before May 2, 2022

• it is postmarked on or before May 2, 2022

You have until June 15, 2022, to file your tax return if you or your spouse or common law-partner are self-employed.

Most taxpayers comply with the tax laws in Canada, but some don’t. That’s why audits are an important part of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) range of activities that are in place to make the tax system fair for everyone.

The CRA recognizes the economic challenges that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect that the audit process can have on businesses. For this reason, we continue to proceed carefully to protect businesses and the broader economy that remains vulnerable due to the pandemic.

The CRA has information to help answer your questions about the audit process. The information below also applies to audits of COVID-19 subsidies.