Frequently Asked Questions

For most individuals, the deadline to file is April 30. If you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed, you have until June 15 to file — but any balance owing is still due April 30. When a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the CRA accepts returns and payments on the next business day.

If you owe tax, the late-filing penalty is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% for each full month you're late, up to 12 months — and it climbs steeply for repeat late filers. Interest also compounds daily on any unpaid balance. If you're owed a refund there's no late-filing penalty, but benefit and credit payments that depend on your return can be interrupted until you file.

Usually it's worth filing anyway. Many benefits — the GST/HST credit, the Canada Child Benefit, and the Ontario Trillium Benefit — are calculated from your tax return, so not filing means not getting paid. Filing also builds your RRSP contribution room and carries forward credits like tuition for use in future years.

Returns filed electronically with direct deposit are typically refunded within about two weeks. Paper returns can take up to eight weeks. If the CRA selects your return for review, the refund is held until the review is resolved. You can track the status through CRA My Account.

My Account is the CRA's secure online portal for individuals. It shows your tax slips, notices of assessment, benefit payments, RRSP and TFSA room, and any balance owing, and it lets you set up direct deposit or change a filed return. We recommend every client register — it's also the fastest way to verify that anything claiming to be from the CRA is genuine.

Don't panic — most CRA letters are routine reviews asking you to send receipts or documents supporting a specific claim on your return. Note the response deadline, gather what's requested, and reply on time; ignoring a letter usually results in the claim being denied and your return reassessed. If you'd like help, get in touch — with your authorization we can review the letter and respond on your behalf.

A review is a routine check of specific items on your return — the CRA asks for documents supporting a claim, you provide them, and the file closes. Reviews are common and are not an accusation of wrongdoing. An audit is a broader examination of your books and records, and is much rarer for individuals. In both cases, the outcome depends on having documentation to support what was claimed.

Wait until you receive your notice of assessment, then request an adjustment — electronically through a preparer's ReFILE service, through "Change my return" in CRA My Account, or by mailing a T1 adjustment request. You can generally request changes to returns for any of the ten previous calendar years.

Keep your records — slips, receipts, and supporting documents — for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to. The CRA can ask for them during that window, and claims without documentation are routinely denied on review.

The CRA will never demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or e-transfer, never threatens immediate arrest, and doesn't send texts or emails with links to refunds. If a contact feels off, hang up, then check CRA My Account or call the CRA's published number directly. When in doubt, ask us before responding to anything.

File on time regardless — the late-filing penalty applies to filing, not paying, and it's the most avoidable cost. Then contact the CRA to arrange a payment plan; they routinely accept reasonable arrangements. Interest still accrues on the balance, and in cases of genuine hardship the CRA's taxpayer relief provisions may reduce penalties or interest.

Possibly — if your net tax owing at filing time is more than $3,000 in the current year and in either of the two previous years, the CRA expects quarterly instalments (due March, June, September, and December). The CRA mails instalment reminders in February and August. If you receive one, don't ignore it: missed instalments can attract interest.

Your previous year's notice of assessment, all slips (T4, T4A, T5, T3, T4E, T5008, and any others), RRSP contribution receipts, and receipts for anything you plan to claim — donations, medical expenses, childcare, tuition. If you're self-employed or have rental income, bring your income and expense records. When you get in touch, we confirm a checklist tailored to your situation so nothing is missed.

Your fee is quoted before any work begins, based on the complexity of your return — and it doesn't change unless the scope does. There's no hourly billing and no charge for asking questions. The fee calculator gives you an instant estimate before you ever contact us.

You'll receive a private, secure Microsoft 365 upload link for your slips and receipts — nothing travels as loose email attachments. Your EFILE authorization (form T183) is signed electronically through our professional tax filing system. Documents are stored encrypted, seen by exactly one person — the one preparing your return — and retained in line with CRA record-keeping requirements (six years), used only to prepare your return.

Only if you'd like to. We meet clients in person in London, Ontario, and work by video or phone with clients elsewhere in Ontario and across Canada. Most returns can be handled entirely remotely without any loss of care or accuracy.

Yes. With your signed authorization through the CRA's Represent a Client service, we can communicate with the CRA about your file — responding to reviews, requesting adjustments, and resolving questions — so you don't have to navigate it alone.

EFILE is the CRA's electronic filing system for professional preparers. Providers are screened and approved by the CRA before they can transmit returns. For you, it means your return is filed directly and securely with the CRA, processed faster than a paper return, and prepared by a practice the CRA has vetted for suitability.