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E-filing of income tax means sending your return to the CRA over the internet instead of mailing paper. The CRA says paper returns are usually processed within 12 weeks, and that most people can use certified software and NETFILE instead. There are two e-filing routes, and which one you use depends on who presses the button.
What’s the difference between NETFILE and EFILE?
People mix these up constantly, so here’s the split.
| Service | Who sends the return | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| NETFILE | You, with certified software | An access code from your CRA account |
| EFILE | A registered tax preparer, for you | Form T183 signed by you |
| ReFILE | A preparer correcting a return | Amended T1 for 2022 to 2025 |
| Paper | You, by mail only | The right CRA tax centre address |
With EFILE, the preparer must be approved by the CRA, use certified calculation software and get your signed T183 before sending anything. Read the return before you sign the form, because your signature is what lets the preparer send it on your behalf, and a number you never looked at is still your number.
Which years can you e-file?
More than you’d expect. The CRA lists initial returns for 2018 through 2025 for both NETFILE and EFILE, with services open from February 23, 2026 until January 29, 2027. So if you skipped a year, the electronic door is usually still open.
The wrinkle is your software. The CRA allows the year, but each program decides which years it sells. If yours stops at 2024, you’ll need a different product or a preparer.
Is e-filing income tax really faster than mail?
The CRA puts paper at about 12 weeks. We didn’t find an official figure for electronic returns, so we won’t quote one. What we can say, because the page states it in so many words, is that the CRA’s EFILE page describes an instant acknowledgement of acceptance or rejection. That alone saves weeks of wondering, because you find out the same day whether the return went through.
Money is where it matters. Take a single Ontario employee who earned $52,000 and had $7,000 withheld. Our tax refund calculator shows a refund of about $374.57. Small, yes. But a refund delayed three months is a loan you never meant to make.
What should you check before you transmit?
Check your name, SIN and address, then compare every slip to the software’s entry. Then look at the answer. The income tax calculator gives $6,625.43 of tax on that $52,000 salary, which is a quick sanity test for your software’s total. If the two are far apart, find out why before you send.
Bank details get their own look. A wrong digit doesn’t cancel the refund, but it can slow it down.
Then hold on to your confirmation. If you’ve used a preparer, ask for a copy of the return and the T183 too.
When does a paper return still make sense?
Rarely, but it happens. Some situations can’t be handled by the software. If that’s you, the CRA says mail is the only way to send paper, and you have to pick the correct tax centre. Expect the longer wait, and mail it early.
For a return with self-employment income, e-filing is still possible. The business side needs more care, though. Our self-employed tax calculator estimates the tax and CPP, and our guide on how to file income tax online covers the dates and the access code.
What if you find a mistake after filing?
Check the CRA’s page on changing a return before you send a second one. ReFILE is the electronic route for preparers and covers 2022 to 2025, and we didn’t read the page on changes made through your own CRA account, so we can’t say how that works. It makes sense to wait for your notice of assessment first, so you’re correcting what the CRA actually has on file.
Where do the numbers come from?
The service details come from the Canada Revenue Agency’s NETFILE, EFILE and paper filing pages, read on September 30, 2026. The refund and tax figures are our calculator’s estimates using 2026 federal and Ontario rates. This site has no link with the CRA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between NETFILE and EFILE?
With NETFILE you send your own return using certified software. With EFILE a registered preparer sends it for you and holds your signed Form T183.
Can I e-file a return for an earlier year?
The CRA lists initial returns for 2018 through 2025 for both services. Your software has to support the year as well.
How long does a paper return take?
The CRA says paper returns are usually processed within 12 weeks.
What is ReFILE?
It's the CRA service a preparer uses to send an amended T1 return. The CRA lists 2022 to 2025.
Do I need to mail anything after I e-file?
The CRA pages we read don't ask for one. Keep your slips and receipts in case the CRA wants to see them.
- How to file your tax return in Canada: steps and dates
What to gather, when your return is due and how to file in Canada, from the first slip to the notice of assessment that closes the year
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.