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TAX TIP Before you call: Find the answers you need for the 2022 tax-filing season

Tuesday, 15 March 2022 12:00.PM

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 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.

The payment deadline is April 30, 2022

If you have a balance owing, your payment is due on April 30, 2022.

If you or your spouse or common law-partner are self-employed, your payment is still due on April 30, 2022.

Since April 30, 2022, falls on a Saturday, in both of the above situations, 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.

If you filed your 2020 income tax and benefit return and qualified for interest relief, you have until April 30, 2022, to pay any outstanding income tax debt for the 2020 tax year to avoid future interest charges. This applies to the tax owing for the 2020 tax year only, and not for previous tax years.

We encourage you to file your taxes before the deadline. Doing so will ensure your benefit and credit payments are not interrupted. Even if you owe tax, don't risk having your benefit and credit payments interrupted by not filing. If you cannot pay your balance owing, we can work with you on a payment arrangement.

Before you call the CRA

To save time, take these steps before calling the CRA:

1. Check Canada.ca – The Personal income tax section of Canada.ca is now easier to use. It also offers detailed information on how COVID-19 benefits affect your taxes and how to report the amounts on your tax return.
2. Check benefit payment dates online – You can view benefit payment dates on Canada.ca. If you are signed up for CRA https://www.canada.ca/en/..., you should receive your benefit payment on the dates listed online. If you aren't signed up for direct deposit, you should receive your benefit payments within 5 to 10 business days of the scheduled payment date. Please allow this time before contacting the CRA about a payment.
3. Try Charlie the chatbot – We're trying technology to help you get the information you need, when you need it. If you need a quick answer to a question, Charlie is at your service. Charlie helps taxpayers find the information they need to file their income tax and benefit return! Keep in mind that Charlie is still learning about the CRA. This means that the questions you ask will help it become more knowledgeable and interactive. Look for Charlie on the CRA homepage and on many other of our web pages on Canada.ca.
4. Take advantage of our digital services – We encourage you to use the CRA's digital services. Sign up for My Account and direct deposit. With My Account and direct deposit, tax-filing information and getting payments from the CRA can be managed easily. You can also track your refund, view or change your return, view your notice of assessment, receive email notifications, and more.
5. Check CRA processing times – To find out how long we take to handle a request, use the check CRA processing times tool on Canada.ca. This tool gives you a target completion date. It can calculate completion times for various CRA services. Often this provides the same information that a CRA call centre agent can access for callers who ask about the status of their file.
6. Check telephone wait times – We offer estimated wait times on the contact information page. We can also provide them over the phone. This will help you decide when the best time to call is.
7. Create a personal identification number (PIN) – You can create a PIN to authenticate yourself on the phone. A PIN is a fast and secure way for you to identify yourself when calling the CRA. You can set this up in My Account before calling the CRA, or a call centre agent can set one up for you.
8. Find answers using our frequently asked questions – You can check out our questions and answers about filing your taxes page. We update it regularly during tax season to incorporate changes that may affect you.
9. Make the most of our tax tips – You can find helpful information in our tax tips, which provide specific information about a variety of topics.

Even with these measures, we receive a large volume of calls. Unfortunately, this means callers may experience long wait times to speak with an agent. Please know we are working hard to process calls as fast as possible. We have taken steps to deliver the services that Canadians expect from the CRA over the phone, including:

• Automated callback service – This service lets you ask for a callback instead of waiting on hold. The service is available only at certain times of the day and when wait times reach a certain length. It applies to these phone lines: individual tax enquiries, benefits enquiries, and business enquiries.
• Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) – Free tax clinics will be offered virtually for the 2022 tax season, and some organizations will host in-person clinics following local public health guidelines. Virtual options include videoconference, phone, or document drop-off. If you cannot file online, we encourage you to seek a CVITP clinic. You can find one through our national directory. Go to our Free tax clinics page for information.

SOURCE: Canada Revenue Agency

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