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TAX TIP Avoid last minute delays at tax time by setting up My Account

Friday, 11 February 2022 12:00.PM

If you're looking to avoid last-minute delays and waiting on the phone at tax time, then try our easy-to-use digital services! Through our digital services, you will be able to view your tax and benefit information, and update your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) information ahead of time. By planning ahead, you will save time during tax season.

Filing and payment deadline

The deadline for most Canadians to file their income tax and benefit return is April 30, 2022. Filing your return on time helps make sure you receive any refund, benefits or credits you may be entitled to.

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

- we receive it on or before May 2, 2022
- it's postmarked on or before May 2, 2022

If you owe money to the CRA, your payment will be considered paid on time if we receive it, or it is processed at a Canadian financial institution, 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. However, your payment is still due on April 30, 2022. 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.

Here's how to get a head start

You can start planning by visiting our Get ready to do your taxes page which will guide you every step of the way! You'll learn about what's new for this year, and the CRA services to help you through the tax-filing season.

You'll learn about what income you have to report on your tax return. For example, did you receive any tips, gratuities or earnings from casual employment? Did you receive social assistance payments, Canada Emergency or Recovery Benefits, or rental income? Find out what you need to report as income and how to enter these amounts on your tax return. By doing this early, it will give you more time to gather all your information and be ready to file your taxes on time.

You'll also find out about what you should deduct and claim. For example, you might want to learn about tax deductions, credits and expenses you can claim. This will help you know if your medical or child care expenses are eligible to help you maximize your tax refund, if applicable. This web page provides you with the latest tax information, including changes to benefits and credits. Looking into your questions early on will give you more time to gather the necessary information and help you avoid delays near the filing deadline.

Signing in to My Account

When you sign in to My Account, you may find that:

- Your CRA user ID and password have been revoked: You may receive a notification that the user ID and password you use to access CRA sign-in services have been revoked. We have taken this precautionary measure to protect your personal information. Visit CRA user ID and password have been revoked for more information.
- Multi-factor authentication has been added to your account: We have added multi-factor authentication for all users to help make our CRA sign-in services more secure! To ensure everyone can use it, we've introduced a new passcode grid option. Learn more at Multi-factor authentication to access CRA sign-in services.
- Your email address is required: To better protect you and your personal information, we now 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 to avoid any delays. You now have the option to receive your CRA mail by paper, or to receive an email notification when you have new mail to view in My Account.

Conveniently access or update your information

If you registered for My Account or the MyCRA mobile web app, you can change your address, phone number, or other personal information that the CRA has on file. You can also enroll for direct deposit or make sure that your information is up-to-date before you file your return. This will allow you to continue to receive the benefits or refunds you may be entitled to.

We make every effort to accurately process information and payments submitted by taxpayers. To make sure payments are deposited into the correct account, keep your personal information on file with the CRA, including your direct deposit information, up-to-date.

We encourage you to sign in to My Account early, before the tax-filing season begins. This will allow you to confirm that we have the right address and direct deposit information on file.

Easily fill in parts of your return and send us documents

You'll gain other advantages by getting a head start and getting fully registered for My Account early. For example, you can use Auto-fill my return in all of the certified software options when you file online. Auto-fill my return quickly fills in parts of your return with the information the CRA has on file. Also, 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 in the future.

Signing up for My Account will also let you use Express NOA. Express NOA is a secure service that allows individuals and authorized representatives to view the notice of assessment in their software, right after the return has been received and processed by the CRA.

You can file online as early as February 21, 2022 with NETFILE. If you chose to file online using NETFILE, you'll need an eight-character alphanumeric access code before filing. This unique code can be found to the right, beneath the Notice details box on the first page of your notice of assessment. Your access code will let you use information from your 2020 tax return when confirming your identity with the CRA. Your access code isn't mandatory but, without it, you'll have to rely on other information for authentication purposes.

How to get more information

If you need a quick answer to a question, you can use Charlie, our friendly chatbot. Charlie will help you find the information you need to file your income tax and benefit return! You can find Charlie on the CRA homepage and many of our other web pages on Canada.ca.

SOURCE: Canada Revenue Agency

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