Heads up, Canadians: This year's window to file taxes is the shortest in electronic filing history

The Canada Revenue Agency opens on February 26 vs. mid-February – but there's no extension to the deadline

CALGARY, Jan. 31, 2018 /CNW/ - This year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will open its e-filing the latest it has ever opened since its introduction in the early '90s, meaning Canadians will have a shorter window of time to file their taxes. What was previously an 11-week time span has been reduced to nine weeks, with the deadline to obtain and sort financial documents still set for April 30, 2018.

"We're seeing the CRA open their online portal to accept returns happening slightly later each year, which puts added pressure on Canadians to get organized and file on time," says Lisa Gittens, H&R Block Senior Tax Professional. "But they need not worry; we have Tax Experts across the country to help ensure a quick and painless tax filing process, whether they choose to go into an H&R Block office or use our online software. For us, the shortened timeline just means a stronger concentration of happy customers. And even though we cannot file your return before February 26, we can still estimate how much you will be getting back and give you your refund in advance through our H&R Block Instant Refund program."

Lisa also offers some considerations for Canadians as they prepare to file their taxes:

• Quebec residents must file two sets of taxes, one provincial and one federal.
• There are changes to the children's arts and fitness credit, transit credits and education tax credit that could heavily impact your tax refund.
• The filing deadline for people with business income is June 15. However, if they owe money, they will still be charged interest from April 30, but will not be assessed a late-filing penalty.
• You have options when filing your taxes, both online and with a tax professional, however, not everyone is a tax expert. Ensuring you work with the most intuitive system or knowledgeable tax expert will be your best bet at obtaining the refund you're owed.

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.

SOURCE H&R Block Canada Inc.

H&R Block, Amanda Federchuk, Ketchum Public Relations, 416-355-7431, [email protected]