Home -> Filing Your Return -> Income Tax Software and Forms
How to File Your Personal Tax Return
Using Tax Return Software to NETFILE Your Return
Use Tax Software to Print and Mail Your Return
Auto-Fill of Tax Return - Must Be Checked!
Professional Tax Return Preparation
SimpleFile by Phone Automated Phone Service (formerly File My Return)
Supporting Documents When Mailing Your Tax Return
Check Your Tax Return Against Our Detailed Tax Calculator
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Resources - includes Federal Income Tax Guide
Using Tax Return Software to NETFILE Your Return
If you are doing your own tax return, we strongly recommend using tax software rather than pre-printed forms to prepare your return, because this can help to avoid errors and missed tax credits. Many credits, such as the Canada Employment amount, are calculated automatically by tax return software. However, if your return is complicated, it may be best to have your return professionally prepared.
You can use NETFILE to submit your tax return from your home computer. You may either purchase tax calculation software at a retail store, download software over the internet, or file your tax using an online tax return. It is not always necessary to spend money to file your tax return using income tax software. Some of the software packages are free for everyone, and some are free if you have low net income and a simple return. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides a list of tax software packages approved for NETFILE, and the list indicates whether the package includes a free option.
Note that T3 slips will likely not be received until April, so if you have mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a non-registered account, you won't be able to file your return until April.
 | When you use NETFILE to file your return, you do not mail a printed return or information slips, and if you are expecting a refund it usually arrives within 2 weeks. |
| Not all tax returns qualify for NETFILE - see the CRA information on NetFile Restrictions. |
| Your NETFILE Access Code can be found on last year's Notice of Assessment (NOA), near the top right. The Access Code is not mandatory, but if it is not entered, you won't be able to use information from your 2022 tax return when confirming your identity with CRA. This code does not apply for first-time filers. |
| Availability: The NETFILE system is available from Monday, February 19, 2024 until Friday, January 24, 2025, for filing personal tax returns for the 2017 to 2023 tax years and filing amended returns, using ReFILE, for 2020 to 2023 - the immediately past tax year and 3 previous tax years (returns for other tax years must be done on paper). This means that returns can be NETFILED even after the tax return due date, but late filing penalties may be applicable. NETFILE is normally available 21 hours a day, 7 days per week, from 6 am to 3 am eastern time. |
| For more information, visit the Canada Revenue Agency web page for NETFILE. |
| Amendments to your tax return can be filed using ReFILE. |
Tax Tips:
Make sure you have ALL your tax slips before filing your tax return!
If a friend or relative files your return for you, make sure they give you a copy of your NetFile confirmation and your tax return!
Restrictions on Using NetFile
There are certain types of tax returns that can't be sent by NETFILE to the CRA. See their NETFILE Eligibility page for more information.
Use a Software Package to Print and Mail Your Return
You can print your return from your home computer using income tax preparation software, and sending the printed return to CRA. See the CRA list of tax software packages approved for NETFILE.
When mailing your tax return, you will have to also include many supporting documents.
Although our Tax Calculators are intended as planning tools, and do not include every available tax credit, they can be used to check most tax returns.
Auto-Fill of Tax Return - Must Be Checked!
A feature provided by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), first available for the 2015 taxation year, is "Auto-fill my return". This allows individuals and authorized representatives who are using certified tax software that provides this service to automatically fill in parts of their current-year income tax return, based on information slips that have been filed with CRA. Most information slips will be received by CRA by early March. However, T3 slips, which are issued for mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, are often not available until the end of March.
If you use the Auto-fill feature, make sure you reconcile the amounts on your tax return to the T-slips you have received, as we have heard of some problems with this. Each year there are usually reports of tax slips missing. See Relying on CRA's Auto-fill can be costly as tax case over missing income shows, by Jamie Golombek, FCPA, FCA, CFP, CLU, TEP.
Auto-Fill of investment transactions from the T5008 will always be incorrect:
| The proceeds will not be net of commissions. Commission is shown separately on the T5008 for each transaction, but is not imported into your tax software. |
| Dispositions in US$ will not be converted to Cdn$, will not be net of commission, and will NEVER have the correct adjusted cost base. You must report the Cdn$ amount of these transactions, using the exchange rate at the transaction date. |
For more information, see the CRA information on auto-fill my return.
Tax Tip: Don't use Auto-Fill for investment dispositions! If you use it for other slips, double-check the amounts!
Professional Tax Return Preparation
You can have an accounting or tax preparation firm prepare and file your tax return. These firms usually file your return electronically, using EFILE, so your refund would probably arrive quite quickly, as it does with NETFILE . See our Directory for links to accounting, bookkeeping and financial planning organizations in Canada. EFILE and ReFILE services are available from Monday, February 19, 2024 until Friday, January 24, 2025 for electronic filing of personal income tax returns for the 2017 to 2023 tax years and filing amended returns for the 2020 to 2023 tax years. Tax returns for earlier tax years cannot be submitted with EFILE. See EFILE for electronic filers, and EFILE dates and hours of operation on the Canada.ca website.
If you wish to confirm that a business is registered for EFiling, or to find an EFiler in your area, you can use the CRA EFiler Postal Code Search, which allows you to search for an EFiler by postal code or by business name.
EFILE is available to any individual, firm, or organization wishing to electronically file personal or corporate tax returns for members of the public, clients, or employees. Those wishing to use E-file must register with CRA, and must use EFILE certified software. Before applicants are permitted to EFILE returns on behalf of their clients, they are screened for suitability. For details, see suitability screening on the CRA website.
Make sure that the person who prepares your tax return is trained in the preparation of tax returns. In the end, if they do something wrong and CRA determines that you have underpaid your taxes due to negligence, penalties will be payable. Even if someone else prepares your tax return, you are responsible for ensuring that the correct information is reported, so make sure you provide them with complete, organized information. A box full of unorganized receipts is not helpful! If a person charges you a fee for preparing your tax return, they must sign as the preparer on the last page of the return. If they are not prepared to sign as the preparer, do not use them! Use a reputable firm that will stand behind their work, and will also have errors and omissions insurance. After all, even professionals make mistakes sometimes.
Tax Tips:
Get your well-organized tax information to a tax professional long before the tax return due date!
Make sure you retain a COMPLETE copy of your tax return and the confirmation that it has been filed, as well as your Notice of Assessment once you receive it.
SimpleFile by Phone Automated Phone Service
(formerly called File my Return and Telefile)
CRA's SimpleFile by Phone service allows eligible individuals with low income or a fixed income that is unchanged year-to-year to file their tax returns by answering a series of short questions and giving some personal information. This is done through a dedicated, automated phone service. Personalized invitation letters are sent to eligible Canadians in mid-February. The File my Return service is available 21 hours per day, from 6 am to 3 am Eastern time, 7 days a week, throughout the tax-filing season.
Manual Tax Return Preparation
Although we recommend using tax software if you are preparing and filing your own tax return, you can file a return manually using forms from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which you print on your printer. If you live in Quebec, see Quebec personal income tax return forms. Tax filers who have filed paper tax forms in the past will receive a tax package by mail. These forms should arrive by the end of February. If you want to file on paper and have not received the tax package by mail by the end of February, you can call CRA at 1-855-330-3305 (English) or 1-855-330-3310 (French), or you can order them online from CRA.
Supporting Documents When Mailing Your Tax Return
Once you have prepared your return on paper, you can mail it (see the CRA web page where to mail your paper T1 return).
If you are mailing your return, you must include copies of many information slips and receipts. See Supporting documents in the CRA General Income Tax Guide.
Forms for prior years are also available on the CRA website.
Free Tax Return Preparation
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program - free tax preparation for certain individuals. For 2020, some clinics are only available until August 31st, some are available until September 30th, and some are available until the end of the year. Many are "virtual", no in-person appointment needed.
Check Your Tax Return Against Our Detailed Tax Calculator
Detailed Canadian Tax & RRSP Savings Calculator - includes most deductions and tax credits.
TaxTips.ca Resources
Filing an Adjustment / Amendment to Your Tax Return
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Resources
Federal income tax and benefit (tax return) information - access to information by line number of the tax return.
Federal income tax and benefit return guide
Tax Tip: File your return well ahead of the due date!
Revised: September 20, 2024