File Your Return by April 30th! Français

News provided by

Canada Revenue Agency

Apr 27, 2021, 15:00 ET

OTTAWA, ON, April 27, 2021 /CNW/ - The Income Tax Act states that the deadline for most Canadians to file their income tax and benefit return is April 30. It is important to file your return on time because you may be entitled to a refund, benefits, or credits.

If you, your spouse, or your common-law partner are self-employed, you and your spouse or common-law partner have until June 15, 2021, to file your 2020 returns.

Avoid interruptions to your benefit and credit payments

Filing your returns on time by April 30th, is essential to ensure that your credit and benefit payments (including COVID-19 recovery benefits) are not interrupted, and that you get your refund, if applicable, in a timely manner.

If you file on paper, you are encouraged to file before April 30, 2021, as paper returns may take 10 to 12 weeks to process, and could take even longer this year because of COVID-19.

It is important to file on time if you receive COVID-19 recovery benefits, such as the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB). The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses information from both your 2019 and 2020 returns to confirm your eligibility to receive these benefits. Filing on time avoids having your recovery benefit payments stopped while we validate your eligibility.

If your total taxable income in 2020 was $75,000 or less and you received at least one COVID-19 benefit in 2020, you will automatically receive interest relief on your 2020 taxes owing until April 30, 2022 if you file your return by April 30, 2021. You should still file on time, since late-filing penalties will still apply if you file after April 30th.

COVID-19 may cause delays in processing paper returns, and processing changes to your return, as well as delivering notices of assessment or reassessment, and cheques in the mail. The CRA will process paper returns and any changes requested in the order it receives them.

Since these delays do not impact the processing of electronic returns, the CRA encourages you to sign up for direct deposit and file your return online to get your refund faster and avoid any delays. The CRA's Get Ready page has information about online filing, deadlines, and other helpful links.

Need to make a payment?

You can pay your tax online! No need to leave the comfort of your home. You can pay online in many ways:

  • through your financial institution's online or telephone banking service
  • using the My Payment service. This service lets you make payments to the CRA with your Visa® Debit, Debit MasterCard®, or Interac® Online card from a participating financial institution. You can access My Payment from My Account or MyCRA
  • Using My Account and MyCRA to:
    • set up a pre-authorized debit
    • pay an overdue amount or make instalment payments
    • make pre-authorized payments from your Canadian bank account to the CRA
  • by credit card, PayPal, or Interac e-Transfer, through a third-party service provider

You can also make payments in person, if local health guidelines allow it. Options include paying:

Can't pay before the deadline?

If you can't pay what you owe right away, file your return by the deadline to avoid late-filing penalties. If you file your return by the deadline, you may be able to make a payment arrangement. This lets you make smaller payments over time until you've paid your entire debt, including interest.

With taxpayer relief, the CRA may cancel or waive penalties or interest under certain conditions if you can't meet your tax obligations.

For more information

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency

Contacts: Media Relations, Canada Revenue Agency, 613-948-8366, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/

Organization Profile

Canada Revenue Agency

Related Organization(s)

Government of Canada