Filing your T1 return each spring settles your tax for the year and also sets your benefits: the CRA uses the income on your return to work out payments such as the Canada Child Benefit and the GST/HST credit, and to calculate next year’s RRSP room. This page walks through the filing steps and the ways to file, then links to a page for every filing situation, from a first return to a return for someone who has died.
What you need before you start
Income slips
| Slip | What it reports |
|---|---|
| T4 | Employment income and deductions |
| T4A | Pension, annuity, or other income |
| T4E | Employment Insurance benefits |
| T5 | Investment income (interest, dividends) |
| T3 | Trust income (mutual fund distributions) |
| T5008 | Securities transactions (buy/sell) |
| T2202 | Tuition amounts |
| T4RSP / T4RIF / T4FHSA | Withdrawals from registered plans |
Most slips are available in CRA My Account by mid-March. The tax slips and documents hub explains what each box means.
Receipts and records
- RRSP contribution receipts
- Charitable donation receipts
- Medical expense receipts
- Moving expense receipts
- Child care expense receipts
- Employment expense records, if your employer signed a Form T2200
- Benefit letters
Last year’s Notice of Assessment
It shows your RRSP deduction limit, unused tuition amounts and other carry-forward balances. The guide to reading a Notice of Assessment explains each section.
How to file your taxes, step by step
Step 1: Choose a filing method
| Method | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| NETFILE-certified software (free and paid versions) | Most people, from a single T4 to investments and self-employment |
| A free volunteer tax clinic or the CRA’s SimpleFile service | People with modest income and a simple return |
| A paper return | People who can’t or prefer not to file online |
| An accountant or tax preparer | Complex returns: self-employment, rental income, an estate |
Software choices and prices are compared in the best tax software in Canada guide, and the free options, including volunteer clinics and SimpleFile, are on the best free tax software page. How electronic and paper filing differ is covered in NETFILE vs paper filing, and when a professional is worth the fee in when to hire an accountant.
Step 2: Register for CRA My Account
My Account lets your software download your slips with Auto-fill my return, shows your RRSP and TFSA room, past returns and assessments, and lets you set up direct deposit for refunds. The CRA My Account guide covers registration and the main features.
Step 3: Enter your information
Start with personal information (name, address, date of birth, marital status), then enter your income slips. Marital status matters: the CRA treats a partner as common-law after 12 months of living together, among other tests, which am I common-law for tax purposes explains.
Step 4: Claim deductions and credits
Software prompts for the common items. Deductions (RRSP contributions, child care, moving expenses, union dues) reduce taxable income; credits (the basic personal amount, medical expenses, donations, tuition, the disability tax credit) reduce the tax itself. The deductions and credits hub lists every claim, and how Canadian income tax works explains how they fit together.
Step 5: Review and submit
Check the return against your slips, then submit it electronically through NETFILE (you get a confirmation number right away) or mail a paper return. The common tax mistakes page lists what to check before you submit, and the T1 General explainer walks through the key lines.
Step 6: Get your refund or pay your balance
A refund arrives by direct deposit or cheque after the CRA assesses the return; how long a tax refund takes has the processing times. A balance owing is due April 30 even if your filing deadline is later, and the ways to pay the CRA are listed separately.
Deadlines in brief
Most people file and pay by April 30. Self-employed people and their spouses or common-law partners have until June 15 to file, but any balance is still due April 30. The full calendar (RRSP deadline, slip deadlines, instalment dates, deadlines for a deceased person’s return) is on the tax deadlines page. Filing late when you owe tax adds a late-filing penalty plus interest.
After you file
The CRA sends a Notice of Assessment confirming your refund or balance and your updated RRSP room. If you find an error later, fixing a mistake on a filed return explains the ways to change it. If you owe more than expected, why do I owe taxes this year goes through the usual causes.
Every filing guide
Getting started
- How Canadian income tax works
- Filing your taxes for the first time
- Your first tax return as a newcomer to Canada
- What a T1 General return is
- NETFILE vs paper filing
- Tax deadlines in Canada
- Accountant or DIY taxes
Who has to file
- Can you file taxes without a SIN?
- Taxes on a co-op placement
- How couples file taxes in Canada
- Am I common-law for tax purposes?
- Filing taxes for a deceased person
Paying less tax
- Ways to pay less tax in Canada
- Am I paying too much tax?
- Year-end tax planning checklist
- Pension income splitting
- Tax changes for next year
- What Budget 2026 changed for your finances
Refunds and balances owing
Fixing a filed return
Browse All How to File Taxes in Canada: Steps, Filing Methods and Deadlines Articles
Browse all 27 articles in this section.
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- I Forgot to Claim Charitable Donations on My Taxes: What to Do in Canada
- I Forgot to Claim Medical Expenses on My Tax Return: What to Do in Canada
- I Forgot to Include a T4 Slip on My Tax Return: What Happens and How to Fix It
- I Forgot to Report Interest Income on My Tax Return: What to Do in Canada
- I Made a Mistake on My Tax Return: How to Fix It in Canada
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Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 22, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: Due dates and payment dates - Personal income tax