April is the new March for Canadian tax filers

Despite looming deadline, two out of five Canadians have yet to file this year

TORONTO, April 19, 2017 /CNW/ - With only a couple weeks to go until the May 1^st tax return deadline, it's time Canadians prioritize their tax preparation – stat! Results from a new study commissioned by H&R Block show that two out of five Canadians still need to file their taxes this year.

The good news is that when it comes to Canadians and their attitudes towards filing, the survey revealed that the majority still consider themselves to fall under the In-Betweener category (55%) – a.k.a. those who file a couple of weeks before the deadline. They are followed by Procrastinators (23%), who file at the last second and the Eager Beavers (19%), who file well in advance of the deadline.

When tax season arrives, it brings "all the feels" right along with it – for better or worse. While one in four Canadians get excited about filing and the prospect of receiving a hefty refund, most people associate negative feelings with it. Reasons range from finding tax preparation a complicated process (21%) to the inconvenience factor (19%) of filing a tax return or just the feeling of overall anxiety it evokes (11%).

"While tax season may feel like a burden for some Canadians, it doesn't have to be a bad experience. H&R Block has been helping Canadians across the country file their taxes for more than 50 years," says Lisa Gittens, tax expert, at H&R Block Canada. "We believe taxes don't have to be difficult, stressful or costly. And with 70% of our clients receiving a refund, the result is usually a positive one."

The new survey from H&R Block also found that:

• Among those who haven't filed their taxes yet, the main reason is that:
• They haven't organized all of the necessary paperwork yet (34%) – with millennials being the most susceptible at 45% to state that as the main reason for not having filed
• They always file on the last week before the deadline (18%)
• They had not yet received all of the necessary paperwork (17%) to file
• They haven't had time (11%) to file
• The overwhelming majority of Canadians (86%), however, plan on filing their taxes before the May 1^st deadline

Looking for some last-minute filing encouragement before the deadline? Between now and April 27th, Canadians can download the H&R Block Tax Software 100% free of charge (including all upgrades and support). Go to https://www.hrblock.ca/download-products/ to get started.

For more information, visit one of H&R Block's offices or online at www.hrblock.ca.

About H&R Block Canada

For over 50 years, H&R Block Canada is Canada's tax leader, with over 1,200 locations across Canada, and free do-it-yourself Tax Software. H&R Block's comprehensive education program, Tax Academy, trains experts and continually updates their skills. Learn more at www.hrblock.ca or 1-800-HRBLOCK.

*About the Survey

From April 7^th to April 9^th 2017 an online survey was conducted among 1,509 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE H&R Block Canada Inc.

Giovana Chichito, Ketchum Public Relations, 416-355-7422, [email protected]