Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
You can still file a 2023 tax return in Canada. The CRA accepts initial returns for 2018 to 2025 through NETFILE until January 29, 2027. Nothing stops a late return, and the penalty only applies if you owed tax. Late filing can pause benefits such as the GST/HST credit and the Canada child benefit.
Can I still file a 2023 tax return?
Yes. The CRA’s page on tax software for filing personal taxes says you can send first-time returns for tax years 2018 through 2025 online, and that amended returns for 2022 to 2025 can go through ReFILE. So a 2023 return is well inside the range, as long as you file before the service closes on January 29, 2027.
What changes is the paperwork and the money. A late return may come with a penalty and interest if you owed tax, and it may hold up benefits you’d otherwise get. The CRA says filing late can interrupt payments such as the GST/HST credit, the Canada child benefit and Old Age Security. That last point matters more than the penalty for a lot of families. If a benefit stopped and you don’t know why, an unfiled return is a common reason to check first.
What does a late 2023 return cost?
It turns on one question: did you owe tax? If your 2023 return shows a refund or a zero balance, there is no late-filing penalty to calculate, because the penalty is a percentage of the balance owing. You lose time, nothing more.
If you did owe, the CRA’s late-filing page describes a first-time penalty of 5% of the unpaid amount, then 1% more for each complete month, capped at 12 months. That page states the rates for the 2025 return. The CRA's page sets out these percentages without a separate table for each old year, so confirm the figure on your notice if you are close to a decision. Interest is charged on top, and we did not confirm the 2023 interest rate either.
| Item | What the CRA page says (2025 return) |
|---|---|
| First late filing | 5% of balance owing, plus 1% per full month, up to 12 months |
| Repeat late filing, demand issued in earlier years | 10% of balance owing, plus 2% per full month, up to 20 months |
| 2025 return due date | 30 April 2026 for most people |
| 2025 due date if you or your spouse ran a business | 15 June 2026 to file, 30 April 2026 to pay |
To see how the percentages work, take a made-up balance of $1,000 owing, filed eight full months late. The first-time formula gives 5% plus 8%, so 13%, or $130, before interest. File two months late instead and it’s 7%, or $70. That gap is the whole argument for filing now, not next spring.
What do I need to file a 2023 income tax return?
Slips first. Your T4, T5, T3 and RRSP receipts for 2023 are the core. If you can’t find them, your CRA My Account can show many slips, and you can ask employers or banks for copies. Then gather anything you’d deduct: child care receipts, moving costs, tuition slips, medical bills, donation receipts.
One trap deserves a mention. The tax data on this site is for 2026, and old years use different brackets and different credit amounts. Use software or forms for 2023 itself. Don’t estimate a 2023 return from a 2026 calculator and treat it as the answer. It’s fine for a rough sense of scale, though. Try the tax refund calculator to see whether a year like yours usually lands as a refund or a bill.
How do you file taxes for previous years if you skipped more than one?
Start with the oldest missing year and work forward. Each return can affect the next, since things like unused tuition amounts and RRSP room carry from one year to the following one. Doing 2024 before 2023 means redoing some of it.
Picture Jordan in Winnipeg, who stopped filing after a rough 2023 and then got a letter about a stopped benefit payment. Jordan sits down over a weekend, files 2023 first and 2024 second, and then checks My Account for the status of the benefits. It beats sorting it out a year from now with more interest piled on.
Is a late return worth the effort?
Say you earned $30,000 at a job in Ontario. The income tax calculator puts the 2026 tax on that income at $2,452.11. If your employer withheld more than that, the rest was yours to get back and you left it with the CRA. On $60,000 the same tool gives $8,320.50. These are 2026 figures, so your 2023 result will differ, but the pattern holds: the lower your income, the more likely you overpaid and the more a late return is worth.
Credits work the same way. Someone with a low income might also qualify for benefits that are only paid after the CRA has your return. The tax credits calculator covers federal credit amounts only, but it shows how much a credit can be worth before you start collecting receipts.
Mistakes that make a late return worse
Waiting for the perfect paperwork is the big one. If a slip is missing, file with what you have and adjust later. The CRA lets you change a return after filing, and the ReFILE service covers 2022 to 2025 amendments.
Ignoring a letter is the second. If the CRA has sent a formal demand to file, it can lead to the higher repeat penalty in later years. Answer it.
The third is skipping the payment. Filing stops the monthly penalty growing, but a balance still collects interest until it is paid. If you can’t pay it all, file anyway and then call the CRA about a payment plan. We did not check the details of payment arrangements, so ask them what they’d accept.
How does a 2023 return fit with your 2026 return?
Do 2023 first if you are behind, then 2024 and 2025. Items like unused tuition amounts and RRSP room carry from one year to the next, so the order matters. Your 2026 return is a separate filing, due April 30, 2027 for most people.
Our guide to filing your taxes walks through the steps for the current year, and the refund timing page explains how long a refund takes once the CRA has the return.
Where we checked
Filing dates, penalty rates and the online filing years come from the CRA's NETFILE overview and late-filing penalty page, both read in November 2026. Example tax figures come from our calculators, which use 2026 federal and Ontario rates. This site has no link with the CRA.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to file my 2023 tax return?
No. The CRA lists returns for 2018 through 2025 as fileable online through certified software, and NETFILE is open until January 29, 2027. A 2023 return is well inside that range. After the window closes you would need another route, so file before the end of January.
Will I be penalized for filing a 2023 return late?
Only if you owed tax. The penalty is a percentage of the balance owing, so a return with a refund or a nil balance carries none. If you did owe, it is 5% plus 1% a month for up to 12 months, and interest compounds daily on the unpaid amount.
Can a missing return stop my benefits?
It can. The CRA says late filing may interrupt benefit payments such as the GST/HST credit, the Canada child benefit and Old Age Security. Once the return is assessed, amounts you were entitled to are generally paid on the next scheduled date.
Can I use a 2026 calculator for 2023?
Only for a rough idea. Brackets and credit amounts differ by year, so use 2023 forms or software for the real return. Our calculators run on 2026 rules and are better used for your 2026 return, which you will file in 2027 before April 30.
What if I cannot pay the balance?
File anyway. The penalty is charged on filing late, and paying late adds interest only. Then ask the CRA about a payment arrangement. If something outside your control stopped you, you can ask for penalties and interest to be cancelled or waived by the CRA.
- 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