Doing your taxes – Personal income tax
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Personal income tax
Doing your taxes
Doing your taxes - Personal income tax
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File your income tax and benefit return on time to ensure your benefit payments and credits continue without disruption and to avoid a late-filing penalty.
If you aren't sure if you should file, go to who should file a tax return.
Steps to file a tax return
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Review: Get ready to do your taxes
Decide how to file your taxes, which tax slips and supporting documents you need, and update your CRA information.
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Find ways to do your taxes
Ways to file your taxes online, by paper, or have someone else complete them for you.
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Update your personal information
Tell us about changes to your address or marital status to avoid delays in receiving your refund, benefits, and credits.
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Report your income
Find out what you need to report as income, including COVID-19 benefits, and where to report them on your tax return.
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Claim deductions, credits, and expenses
Find deductions, credits, and expenses to reduce the amount of tax you have to pay.
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Find out if you have a refund or a balance owing
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Getting a refund
You will get a refund if you paid more taxes than needed.
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Have a balance owing
Pay taxes you owe, options if you cannot pay, or arrange to pay over time.
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Send us your tax return
Use certified tax software or an authorized service provider to file your tax return electronically or file by mail.
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Review: After you file your tax return
Pay a balance owing, get your notice of assessment, get the status of your refund, or make a change to your tax return.
Other tax situations
Deemed resident
You are a deemed resident of Canada for income tax purposes if:
- on December 31, 2019, you were living outside Canada, you are not considered to be a factual resident of Canada because you did not have significant residential ties in Canada, and you are a government employee, a member of the Canadian Forces including their overseas school staff, or working under a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) assistance program. This can also apply to the family members of an individual who is in one of these situations
- you stayed in Canada for 183 days or more in the tax year, do not have significant residential ties with Canada, and are not considered a resident of another country under the terms of a tax treaty between Canada and that country
Features
- Date modified:
- 2021-03-17