VANCOUVER – The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) encourages you to use its quick, easy, and secure electronic services to file your income tax and benefit return on time and pay any amount owing. Most Canadian income tax and benefit returns for 2015 are due on April 30, 2016. However, as this date is a Saturday, the CRA will consider your return as filed on time and your payment to be made on time if the CRA receives your submission or it is postmarked by midnight on May 2, 2016.
Self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners have until June 15, 2016, to file their income tax and benefit returns, but any balance owing is still due no later than May 2, 2016.
Join the growing number of Canadians who are filing online. If you are fully registered for My Account<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/ndvdls/myccnt/menu-eng.html> and file online using certified tax preparation software, you may be able to use the new Auto-fill my return<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tfllmyrtn-eng.html> service to automatically fill in parts of your return, making the online filing process even simpler. It is important to file on time even if some slips or receipts are missing. And remember, filing a tax return is key to receiving benefits.
Do you have a balance owing?
There are many ways you can make a payment to the CRA. One way is to use your financial institution’s telephone or Internet banking service.
You can also pay using the CRA’s pre-authorized debit service offered through My Account<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/ndvdls/myccnt/menu-eng.html>. Pre-authorized debits let you:
* set up a payment from your account to the CRA on a pre-set date;
* pay an overdue amount or make instalment payments.
Another way to make your payment is through the CRA’s My Payment<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/mypymnt/menu-eng.html> service, which lets you make one or more payments in one online transaction. You can use this service if you have access to online banking at a participating financial institution. For more information about online payments, go to www.cra.gc.ca/payments<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/mkpymnt-eng.html> or contact your financial institution.
Worried you can’t pay your full tax bill before the deadline?
Even if you can’t pay all of your balance owing right away, you should still file your return by the deadline to avoid a late-filing penalty. If you can’t pay the full amount, you may be able to make a payment arrangement with the CRA. If you are eligible, an agent can work with you to develop a payment plan. For more information, go to www.cra.gc.ca/paymentarrangements<http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/pymnts/rngmnts-eng.html> or call 1-888-863-8657. Our agents are available Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Eastern time.
