This year the tax-filing deadline is Thursday, April 30. Self-employed individuals have until Monday, June 15.LaylaBird/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
The end of April is approaching, which for many Canadians means tax filing season. Handling returns carefully helps avoid penalties and also uncovers potential savings, but rules can change from year to year.
The Globe spoke with tax and estate specialist Doug Carroll from Aviso Wealth to learn about this year’s updates, such as the change in the lowest federal tax bracket.
What are the deadlines to look out for?
This year the deadline to file taxes falls on Thursday, April 30. If you are self-employed, the deadline to file is Monday, June 15, but taxes owed would still need to be paid by the April 30 deadline.
The Canada Revenue Agency said on its website anyone who hasn’t received all their slips by the end of March should contact issuers – such as their employer or bank – directly to ask for a copy of the missing paperwork.
Are there any changes to tax filing?
Mr. Carroll says the main change to be aware of in 2026 is that the lowest federal tax bracket rate, which has been 15 per cent for decades, dropped to 14 per cent last July, resulting in an effective tax rate of 14.5 per cent for 2025.
The government of Canada sets the federal income tax rates for individuals based on how much they make. Each province and territory determines their own income tax rates.
Provincial or territorial income tax rates apply in addition to federal income tax rates.
Canadians in the two lowest tax brackets will receive the greatest share of the tax relief.
Those whose 2025 income was not subject to payroll deductions will see this tax relief in the spring, when they file their 2025 income tax return.
The government of Canada announced the CRA will make it easier for vulnerable Canadians with lower incomes to file a tax return and access key benefits starting in the 2026 tax year.
This entails a prefilled tax return prepared by the government for individuals with simple tax situations.
Filing an income tax return is the gateway for many Canadians to access important financial benefits such as the GST/HST Credit, the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Disability Benefit and more, which can help them manage their day-to-day costs.
The government is aiming to assist about 1.1 million eligible Canadians by providing prefilled tax returns, with that pool growing to an estimated 5.5 million by 2029.
This is different from Ottawa’s plan to give the CRA the power to file taxes for some low-income Canadians without express consent.
The key difference is that, for a much smaller number of vulnerable Canadians, the CRA would also be able to deem a prefilled return accepted if the individual doesn’t review it or opt out of automatic filing within 90 days of the tax-filing deadline.
What are the new digital services?
The CRA has launched new digital self-help options in hopes of reducing the volume of calls and wait times.
It has also made it mandatory for Canadians to enroll in multifactor authentication, a system that provides passcodes as an additional layer of protection on top of a user’s password.
People will also be able to set up online payment plans without speaking to a collections officer if they owe $1,000 or more in taxes or in some benefit overpayments.
The tax agency said its artificial-intelligence-powered chatbot can now answer more diverse tax questions, which it hopes will also help reduce calls to its centres.
What are the required documents?
People who are employed are required to file a T4, which is essentially a summary provided by your employer that lists both your gross income as well as your deductions over the course of the year. This includes deductions for tax and premiums paid on the Canada Pension Plan and employment insurance.
Mr. Carroll says you also need to report your investment income, which includes any financial assets you might own, such as real estate and mutual funds.
Students must file a T2202, which is a Tuition and Enrolment Certificate issued by postsecondary institutions to students who have paid eligible tuition fees of over $100 for courses that last at least three consecutive weeks.
Renters report their rent amount while filing taxes because it is often considered a personal living expense and not a deductible business expense.
Several provinces in Canada offer tax credits and benefits that consider rent payments when calculating the amount you can receive. The Ontario Trillium Benefit, for example, includes credits that factor in rent payments.
Homeowners can claim mortgage interest as a deduction on their federal tax return, depending on how the property is used.
Should you use a service or an expert?
With the advent of online filing software, simple tax filing is easy enough to do from your phone.
A lot of online services, such as TurboTax, take care of the administrative functions of gathering documents together and running you through the steps involved with the filing process.
If your only income is through employment, and if the employment income is wages as opposed to other ways you might be compensated such as investments, then the software packages will likely cover most of the process for you.
If you have a life event that might cause complications, such as a separation from a spouse or a departure from a job where you received amounts payable at the time, you may want to check in with a tax professional.
Should you file a paper return or digital?
Mr. Carroll says filing taxes digitally allows you to track your application, has faster response times and is more secure than only having a paper copy.
The CRA will permanently close all drop boxes currently available at 45 locations across Canada on May 29, 2026.
Tax drop boxes are locations where Canadians can drop off their tax returns, payments and other documents.
The CRA says the closing is because of declining use, slower responses and security concerns.
People still filing with paper will now need to directly mail their income tax returns to the CRA office.
Taxes owed can be paid at Canada Post locations using a QR code or at any financial institution using a remittance voucher.
With reports from Erica Alini