Over half a million lower-income individuals will receive a SimpleFile invitation this summer Français

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Canada Revenue Agency

Jul 30, 2024, 09:00 ET

OTTAWA, ON, July 30, 2024 /CNW/ - This July, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) expanded its SimpleFile services (phone, digital, and paper) to invite more than 500,000 eligible lower-income individuals to file their return and potentially gain access to important benefit and credit payments.

This automatic tax filing national pilot targets individuals who have never filed a tax return or who have a gap in their filing history, and builds upon the success of small-scale SimpleFile pilots previously undertaken by the CRA.

In early 2024, the CRA invited more than 1.5 million individuals with a lower income or a fixed income and who are in a simple tax situation that remains unchanged from year to year to use SimpleFile by Phone, double the number from the previous year. To date, more than 90% of the invitees have filed their tax return using a variety of filing methods the CRA offers.

SimpleFile is a key Budget 2024 commitment and the CRA is on track to further increase the number of invitations to two million for tax season 2025.

Tax filing by any method is the path to much needed support

Tax filing by any method helps lower-income individuals access the benefit and credit payments they're entitled to. The CRA is working hard to give Canadians the information and tools needed to file their return quickly, simply, and securely so they can access this vital support.

In addition to SimpleFile, the CRA has a number of programs and services to help Canadians file their taxes including Auto-fill my return in certified tax software, and the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (the Income Tax Assistance – Volunteer Program in Quebec).

What you need to know about the SimpleFile summer pilot

SimpleFile (phone, digital and paper) is an invitation-only service, whereby the CRA invites eligible individuals to file their tax return. Individuals can complete their tax return in as little as 10 minutes from the comfort of their own home, at a time that works for them.

When using the phone or digital service, individuals will need to confirm some personal information and answer a series of short questions. For those using the phone service who have already created a personal identification number (PIN) in My Account, an estimate of their net income, taxable income, and any refund that they may be eligible for will be available at the end of the call.

A tax return can still be automatically filed without a PIN. Individuals will receive a notice of assessment either in the mail or in My Account after their return has been processed.

SimpleFile services are available for a limited time to assist individuals in automatically filing their 2023 tax return. The phone and digital services are available 21 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m., Eastern time, 7 days a week.

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

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency

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Canada Revenue Agency

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Government of Canada