The Canada Revenue Agency would like to remind you that it resumed its activities aimed at offsetting taxpayers' debt last October. Offsetting involves proactively applying tax refunds and benefit payments (such as the GST/HST credit) to tax and other government debts.

The CRA want to help you get the benefits and credits you are entitled to. To make sure you continue getting your benefit and credit payments, you, and your spouse or common-law partner, need to file your taxes. This is true even if your income is tax exempt under section 87 of the Indian Act or you had no income at all. Here are a few tips to help you.

What is the sharing economy?

In the sharing economy, individuals and businesses share their assets with others for a price. Arrangements are generally made using online platforms through a third party, or using a website or an application (app).

The sharing economy can take a variety of forms, such as:

• Transportation: ridesharing, rentals of bikes, boats, other motor equipment

• Accommodation sharing: renting out your home, rooms, cottage and more

• Space rentals: industrial kitchens, gardens, parking spots, workspaces, or laboratories

The first of the Government of Canada’s new financial support measures will take effect this Friday, November 4, 2022 with the additional one-time goods and services tax credit (GST credit) payment.

This additional one-time payment will double the GST credit for six months for those who receive it, to help make life more affordable.

GST credit recipients do not need to apply for the additional payment. It will be sent automatically by direct deposit or mailed to eligible individuals. The payment amount is calculated based on an individual’s family situation in October 2022 and on their 2021 tax and benefit return.

Every tax season, thousands of people call us each week. They are looking for answers to their questions, trying to find information and wanting to solve any problems they have in doing their taxes.

We get it! We’re here to help you, and we want to offer you the best service possible, whether online or over the phone. We track the questions people ask us each year and use that information to design new services and improve our processes so you have better access to the tax and benefit information you’re asking for.

The 2021 tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022

Since April 30, 2022 falls on a Saturday, your tax return will be considered filed on time if:

• we receive it on or before May 2, 2022; or

• it's 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. Please visit our Are you self-employed? The Canada Revenue Agency can help you understand your tax obligations tax tip for helpful information.

If you owe taxes to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), your payment will also be considered paid on time if we receive it, or it is processed at a Canadian financial institution, on or before May 2, 2022.

If you're self-employed, we understand that navigating your tax obligations may seem complicated. But don't worry! The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is focused on supporting you. To get ready for tax-filing season, we've put together helpful tips and information for self-employed individuals.

The 2021 tax-filing deadline for self-employed individuals is June 15, 2022. You have until June 15, 2022 to file your 2021 tax return if you or your spouse or common law-partner are self-employed.

The 2021 payment deadline is April 30, 2022. Although your 2021 tax-filing deadline is June 15, 2022, your payment is still due on April 30, 2022.

If you’re struggling to pay your tax debt, we understand and are here to help regardless of your tax situation. If you ignore your tax debt, it will grow with interest charges and penalties. Instead, let’s work together to figure out what your options are based on your financial situation.

Please note that penalties only apply if you file late or pay by instalments and your instalment payments are late or less than the required amount. Debts associated with COVID-19 Individual Emergency Benefits overpayments will not have penalties or interest assessed against the amount owing.

If you lived in one or more prescribed zones for a continuous period of at least six consecutive months beginning or ending in the tax year, you may be eligible to claim the northern residents deductions on your income tax and benefit return. The northern residents deductions consist of a residency deduction and a travel deduction. If you are eligible, these deductions reduce the amount of income you pay tax on, so they will reduce your overall income tax debt.

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

For Uber and Lyft drivers, you must report all income earned from driving your vehicle for ridesharing purposes, including tips, on your income tax and benefit return. You must also complete Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities, and file it with your income tax return.

You must collect and pay the GST/HST to the CRA on all ridesharing fares.

For Airbnb and accommodation sharing, you must pay income tax on all income you receive from accommodation sharing. Also, your income from accommodation sharing may be considered rental income from a property or a business. The income you receive from renting a property or from accommodation sharing must be reported on your income tax and benefit return.

For GST/HST purposes, accommodation sharing falls under short-term accommodation: renting for a period of continuous occupancy of less than one month. Short-term accommodation is not exempt from GST/HST like rentals of residential premises for periods of continuous occupancy of one month or more.

New to doing your taxes? Don’t worry, we’re here to guide you through the process and answer your questions. We’ve put together tips and information to help you this tax season.

You can also watch our video series for newcomers. It’s available in 12 different languages: Arabic, Cantonese, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Russian, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Urdu.

The first thing to know is that you have to complete and file an income tax and benefit return every year to:

• receive certain benefits and credits you may be entitled

• to receive a tax refund you are owed

Filing your income tax and benefit return before the deadline is important to make sure your benefit and credit payments aren’t interrupted. Aren’t sure where to start? You could be eligible for free help. If you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, a volunteer from the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program may be able to complete and file your income tax and benefit return for you – for free!

If you are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis, you are subject to the same tax rules as any other resident in Canada unless your income is considered tax exempt under section 87 of the Indian Act. To continue getting your benefit and credit payments, you need to do your taxes, even if your income is tax exempt or you had no income at all. Here are a few tips to help you get the benefits and credits to which you are entitled.

It is important to keep proper financial records of all your activities relating to your cryptocurrency. You should keep records when you purchase, dispose, or mine cryptocurrency to ensure you have accurate information of your activities. This information is important for your own records and for filing your tax returns.

When you trade, sell or mine cryptocurrency, you have to report any income or capital gains from those activities on your tax return. However, you may also be able to report your expenses and losses. If you exchange taxable goods or services for cryptocurrency, you may have to report goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax (GST/HST).

If you earned income by posting pictures, videos and more on your social media channels that involves product placement or product promotion, you may be undertaking a business activity. You can earn income from your social media activities in many ways, both monetary and non-monetary (barter transactions).

If you are carrying on a business through your social media channels, you must report the income (both monetary and non-monetary) that you earn through these activities on your income tax return. When reporting non-monetary income, you must use the fair market value of the item received. The CRA will generally consider your social media activities to be business activities where there is an element of profit to your activities.

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!

This tax season, there's a new way to confirm authorized representatives using My Account or My Business Account. Whether you're an individual or a business, this easy, two-step digital process will help you protect your tax information and make authorizing new representatives more efficient and secure.