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NETFILE is the CRA’s service for sending a personal tax return electronically from tax software that the CRA has certified. For 2025 returns it’s open from 23 February 2026 until 29 January 2027. You don’t log into NETFILE itself. You pick certified software, fill in your return there, and the software sends it.
Who can use NETFILE?
Most people. You need a social insurance number that starts with 1 to 9, or a 0 if you’re a newcomer, or a temporary tax number starting 01 or 03. Then there’s a list of returns it can’t handle. Deceased persons, bankruptcy returns, deemed residents and some unusual income types are out. So are claims for the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador provincial credits that the CRA page names, and claims involving 23 or more children.
If one of those is you, don’t fight the software. Ask a preparer who files by EFILE, or check the CRA’s page for the paper route.
| Item | What the CRA page says |
|---|---|
| Open for 2025 returns | 23 February 2026 to 29 January 2027 |
| Years you can file | 2018 to 2025 (initial returns) |
| Amended returns (ReFILE) | 2022 to 2025 |
| Daily maintenance | 3 am to 6 am Eastern |
| Limit per computer or CRA account | 20 returns a year |
Is NETFILE free?
The CRA page doesn’t name a fee for NETFILE itself. The cost is in the software. The CRA says most software will prepare a basic return for free if your income is modest, and that otherwise there’s usually a service fee. It doesn’t endorse any product, and it lists all of them as certified, so the list won’t tell you which is best.
We won’t rank the programs. Free versions differ on what they allow, and we couldn’t verify the terms, so check the eligibility line of the one you like before you enter your slips. Wealthsimple Tax is one certified example on the CRA’s list, and that’s all we’re saying about it.
What do you do before you hit send?
Look at the numbers with fresh eyes. A quick check saves an amended return. Suppose you earned $60,000 in Ontario and had $9,000 withheld. The tax refund calculator shows $8,320.50 of tax and an estimated refund of $679.50. If your software says $3,000, find out why. It might be a credit you forgot you had. It might be a slip typed wrong.
The income tax calculator is a second opinion on the tax itself. Self-employed? Enter your net business income in the self-employed tax calculator. On $50,000 it shows $11,495 of tax and CPP. It doesn’t include EI, GST/HST or expenses.
Should you use a preparer instead?
If your return is a few slips and the standard credits, no. Software walks you through it. If you have rental income, a business, foreign income or a return that NETFILE won’t take, a preparer who files by EFILE makes sense. That’s a different service with its own certified filers, and you sign a form allowing them to send the return. Sign only after you’ve read it. Ask for a copy of what they filed.
What happens after you file?
The CRA page we read says nothing about confirmation numbers, so we won’t promise one. Your software shows what it received. The CRA’s page on using a tax preparer says the notice of assessment typically follows within about two weeks, and that’s the timing we’d expect here too, though we haven’t seen it stated for NETFILE itself.
Keep your slips, receipts and a copy of the return for six years, even though you never mail them in. The CRA can ask for proof later.
Made a mistake? ReFILE lets you send an amended return from certified software, for the years listed in the table. You won’t need a new return.
Where the numbers come from
The NETFILE dates, eligibility rules and software notes come from the Canada Revenue Agency’s tax software pages, read on 30 September 2026. Dates for 2026 returns aren’t published yet. This site is not connected to the CRA.
Frequently asked questions
What is NETFILE?
It is the CRA's service for sending a personal tax return electronically from tax software the CRA has certified.
When is NETFILE open?
For 2025 returns, from 23 February 2026 until 29 January 2027. The CRA has not published dates for 2026 returns.
Can I amend a return with NETFILE?
Yes, through ReFILE, for 2022 to 2025 returns.
Is NETFILE free?
The CRA page names no fee for the service. Software costs vary, and most programs prepare a basic return free for modest incomes.
How long do I keep my records?
At least six years, even when you file online and send nothing in.
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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.