Filing your Canadian tax return in 2026 means using NETFILE-certified software to prepare your return and submitting it to the CRA electronically. Most Canadians receive their refund within 2 weeks of online filing. The filing deadline for the 2025 tax year is April 30, 2026 (June 15 for self-employed, but any balance owing is still due April 30).
This guide covers every step: gathering your documents, choosing software, entering your information, submitting via NETFILE, and tracking your refund through CRA My Account.
What You Need Before You Start
Tax Slips to Gather
Collect all slips before starting your return. Most are available in CRA My Account under “Tax information slips (T4 and more)” by mid-March.
| Slip | What It Reports |
|---|---|
| T4 | Employment income and deductions |
| T4A | Pension, annuity, and other income |
| T4E | Employment Insurance benefits |
| T4RSP | RRSP income (withdrawals) |
| T5 | Investment income (dividends, interest) |
| T3 | Trust income and capital gains |
| T2202 | Tuition and education amounts |
| RC62 | Universal Child Care Benefit |
| T4OAS | Old Age Security |
| T4AP | CPP or QPP benefits |
Tip: Log in to CRA My Account at canada.ca/my-cra-account to see all slips the CRA has received from your employers and financial institutions. If a slip is missing from My Account, contact the issuer directly.
Other Documents to Have Ready
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- NETFILE access code — 8-character code from last year’s Notice of Assessment (first-time filers: leave this blank, the software will authenticate you by SIN, birthdate, and postal code)
- Last year’s return — helpful for reference, especially for RRSP carry-forwards and capital loss carryovers
- RRSP contribution receipts — if you contributed between March 2 and December 31, 2025, or in the first 60 days of 2026
- Childcare receipts — if claiming the Child Care Expense Deduction
- Medical receipts — if claiming the Medical Expense Tax Credit
- Tuition receipts — T2202 from your institution
Step 1: Register for (or Log in to) CRA My Account
If you have not registered, go to canada.ca/my-cra-account and create an account using your SIN, date of birth, and tax information from a previous return. Registration may take 5–10 business days to receive a CRA security code by mail.
You can also sign in using a partner sign-in (e.g., your bank’s online login) if your financial institution is a CRA sign-in partner.
What you can do in My Account:
- View all T4s, T5s, and other slips filed with the CRA
- Check your RRSP contribution room
- See your carryforward balances (tuition, capital losses, Home Buyers’ Plan repayment)
- Update your direct deposit information for your refund
- Track your return once submitted
Step 2: Choose NETFILE-Certified Tax Software
You cannot file directly through CRA My Account — you must use a NETFILE-certified software program. The CRA publishes an annual list of certified programs at canada.ca/netfile-software.
Popular options in 2026:
| Software | Cost (basic) | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| TurboTax Canada | Free (simple returns) | Step-by-step guidance |
| Wealthsimple Tax | Free | Clean interface, auto-fill |
| H&R Block Canada | Free (simple returns) | In-person + online combo |
| TaxTron | Free | Simple returns, no upsells |
| UFile | $19.95 | Complex returns |
| Studio Tax | Free (desktop) | Offline option |
Auto-fill my return (AFR): Most NETFILE software can import your slips directly from CRA My Account. After signing in with your CRA credentials inside the software, it pulls your T4s, T5s, RRSP room, and carryforward balances automatically — significantly reducing data entry and errors.
Step 3: Complete Your Tax Return in the Software
The software will walk you through the return section by section:
Personal Information
- Name, SIN, date of birth, marital status, province of residence on December 31, 2025
- Whether you have a spouse or common-law partner and their net income (needed for certain credits)
Income
Enter all income sources. If you used Auto-fill, your T4 employment income is pre-populated. Manually add:
- Self-employment income (net income after expenses, from your records)
- Rental income
- Foreign income (converted to CAD at the Bank of Canada rate)
- Capital gains or losses (from T5008 or your brokerage statements)
Deductions
Common deductions the software will prompt for:
- RRSP contributions — enter from your receipts, up to your 2025 RRSP limit
- Union and professional dues — from your T4 or receipts
- Childcare expenses — from Form T778
- Moving expenses — if you moved for work or school
- Employment expenses — if your employer required you to pay expenses out of pocket (needs T2200 from employer)
Credits
- Basic personal amount — applied automatically ($16,129 federal for 2025)
- Spousal amount — if supporting a partner with low income
- Eligible Dependant amount — single parents
- Medical Expense Tax Credit — receipts required, claim amounts over 3% of net income
- Tuition transfers — from your T2202 or a dependent’s transfer
- Canada Workers Benefit — low-income workers, claimed automatically based on income
Provincial Return
Your provincial return is prepared simultaneously within the same software. Provincial rates, credits, and deductions vary. Make sure your province of residence as of December 31 is correct — this determines which provincial return you file.
Step 4: Review and Submit via NETFILE
Before submitting:
- Review the summary — check that net income, taxable income, and refund/balance match your expectations
- Confirm all slips are included — compare against slips in My Account
- Check for carryforward items — RRSP room, capital loss carryovers, tuition amounts
- Enter your NETFILE access code when prompted (or leave blank if filing for the first time)
- Click Submit — the software sends your return directly to the CRA
The CRA will send a NETFILE Confirmation Number within seconds if your return was accepted. Write this down — it is proof of filing.
If your return is rejected: Common reasons include an incorrect SIN, a mismatch in name or date of birth, or a return already on file. Correct the error and resubmit.
Step 5: Track Your Refund in CRA My Account
After submitting, log in to CRA My Account and go to “Tax returns” to see:
- Whether your return has been received and is being processed
- The status of your assessment
- Your refund amount and expected deposit date
Typical processing times for NETFILE filers:
- Assessment notice: usually 2 weeks
- Direct deposit refund: 2 weeks (set up direct deposit in My Account under “Direct deposit” before filing)
- Cheque by mail: 4–6 weeks
Set up direct deposit first: Go to My Account → “Direct deposit” → enter your bank account details. This ensures your refund arrives in 2 weeks rather than waiting for a cheque.
What Happens After Filing: The Notice of Assessment
Once the CRA processes your return, they issue a Notice of Assessment (NOA). It shows:
- Whether the CRA agrees with your return as filed
- Any adjustments made
- Your updated RRSP contribution room for the following year
- Your balance owing or refund amount
Your NOA appears in CRA My Account (under “Mail” or “Correspondence”) before it arrives by post. For more detail, see CRA Notice of Assessment: What It Means.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting RRSP contributions made in the first 60 days of 2026 — these count for 2025 but are on a separate receipt
- Not reporting foreign income — all worldwide income must be declared, including foreign bank interest and dividends
- Claiming the wrong province — use where you lived on December 31, 2025, not where you work
- Missing the Home Buyers’ Plan repayment — if you withdrew from your RRSP under the HBP, the repayment amount must be entered on Schedule 7
- Not filing at all — even if you owe nothing or expect no refund, filing establishes your benefit eligibility (CCB, GST/HST credit, provincial credits)
Related CA Tax Resources
- CRA My Account and NETFILE Guide — registering, logging in, and managing your tax account
- NETFILE Eligibility Requirements 2026 — who can file online and who must file by paper
- T4 Tax Slip Guide — how to read your T4 and what each box means
- CRA Notice of Assessment Guide — what the NOA means and what to do if you disagree
- RRSP Contribution Limit 2026 — how much you can contribute and how to find your limit
- Canadian Income Tax Brackets 2026 — federal and provincial rates
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