OTTAWA, ON, April 15, 2026 /CNW/ – As of April 12, 2026, more than 16.1 million income tax and benefit returns have already been filed! If you haven’t filed yet, don’t worry. We’ve got tips to help you file before the deadline, so that you can get any refund and benefit and credit payments you’re eligible for. More than 9.9 million refunds have been issued so far, resulting in a total amount of $22.2 billion.
Important dates and deadlines
- April 30, 2026: This is the deadline for most individuals to file their 2025 tax return and pay any taxes owed. By filing and paying on time, you will avoid late-filing penalties and interest.
- June 15, 2026: This is the deadline for self-employed individuals to file their 2025 tax return. If you are not self-employed, but your spouse or common-law partner is, you have the same deadline. If you owe money, you will still need to pay by April 30, 2026, to avoid paying interest.
Ways to file and how to get free tax help
- Online with tax software: More than 15.4 million tax returns have been filed online with certified tax software this tax season. Online filing is the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to file your tax return. It also provides quicker confirmation, faster refunds, fewer errors, and immediate access to your notice of assessment (NOA). You can find tax software online to complete a tax return and send it using NETFILE – some options are even free! You can also find a tax professional to file your taxes for a fee using EFILE.
- SimpleFile: You may be able to use SimpleFile services (digital or by phone) to file your taxes. If you didn’t receive an invitation, you may still be able to access SimpleFile Digital. Check out our new eligibility questionnaire. More than 55,000 tax returns have been filed with SimpleFIle this year.
- Free tax clinics: If you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, you may be able to get your taxes done by a volunteer at a free tax clinic.
- Paper: You can also file your tax return using the income tax package and send it by mail. However, it takes about 12 weeks to process your NOA and any refund you’re owed. If you file online, it only takes about two weeks!
Tip: If you file online and are registered for a CRA account, you can use Auto-fill My Return. This service automatically fills in parts of your tax return with information the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has on file at the time of the request. This helps reduce errors, saves time, and ensures the information you report matches the CRA’s records.
Tip: When you sign up for direct deposit and file your tax return online, you can receive any refund you’re owed in as little as eight business days. More than 8.4 million refunds have already been issued by direct deposit.
Find answers to common questions
If you have questions during the tax-filing process, we have resources to help you:
- Skip the Line – Get faster help from the CRA: Find answers without calling the CRA.
- Personal income tax: We’ve simplified this page and added information to help you before, during, and after the tax-filing process.
- GenAI chatbot: The chatbot can now answer a wider range of questions, including more complex ones for businesses, such as eligibility for tax credits and compliance information.
- Taxology podcast: Get the tax information you need by listening to the CRA’s podcast.
What to do if you owe the CRA money
Staying up to date with your tax obligations can help you avoid interest and stress. You can make a payment to the CRA in many ways, including online options. This allows you to choose the method that works best for you. If you can’t pay a debt right away, we offer flexible options to pay over time.
The Manage balance service within My Account is also available. It offers individual taxpayers with personal income tax or COVID-19 benefit debts of $1,000 or more the ability to set up payment arrangements without needing to contact a collections officer.
If you are having difficulty paying your outstanding taxes or other government debt, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible. The CRA is committed to working with you to find a suitable option based on your situation.
How to change a tax return you already filed
You can request changes to a tax return if you need to correct amounts or forgot to include information. You’ll receive significantly faster service by submitting your change request online instead of by paper. It only takes about two weeks to process an online change request. Due to a higher-than-normal paper inventory, paper requests can take up to 12 weeks. Please note that in some cases, it can take up to 45 weeks to process a change request.
Once you receive your NOA, you can request a change online through your CRA account or certified tax software. You can find more information on our Changing a tax return web page.
Other helpful tax tips
We have a variety of other tax tips that may be helpful depending on your tax situation:
- What you need to know for the 2026 tax-filing season
- Tax season starts on February 23! Here’s what you need to start filing
- The level of service you can expect from the CRA this tax season
- Tax tip: Taxes made simple for newcomers to Canada
- Putting the “simple” in tax filing
- Did you experience one of these milestone life events? Learn about impactful tax implications
- Important changes to the 2025 income tax package: What you need to know
- CRA account users are encouraged to add a backup multi-factor authentication option
Contacts
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
[email protected]
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- Listen to our Taxology podcast
SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency
