Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
To file your taxes online in Canada, use CRA-certified software and send the return through NETFILE. The 2026 return is due April 30, 2027 for most people, or June 15, 2027 if you or your spouse are self-employed. The CRA's September 2026 tax tip says the next filing season begins February 22, 2027.
How do you file taxes online in Canada?
You pick certified software from the CRA’s list, enter your slips and answers, and send the return from inside the program. You don’t fill in a form on a CRA page. The software does the arithmetic and transmits the result, and once it says the return was received, you’re done.
Inside the software you can usually choose how the numbers get in, send the return and later read your notice of assessment. If you’ve filed before, the CRA account is the part that saves time, since slips from employers and banks can often be pulled in from it and you don’t have to retype a single box, which is where most typos come from.
The CRA’s tax software page covers NETFILE and ReFILE for initial personal returns for tax years 2018 through 2025, which is the same range in the table below.
What do you need before you start?
Gather your T4, T4A and other slips, and receipts for anything you plan to deduct. Check that the CRA has your current address, phone, email, name and marital status. Payments and letters follow those details.
The CRA’s get ready page also mentions an 8-character access code, found on your most recent assessment. Keep last year’s notice handy.
And log in to your CRA account well before deadline week, because a locked account on April 28 is a bad afternoon.
Dates and limits that matter, for the 2025 return still open
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| NETFILE and ReFILE open | February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027 |
| Years you can file with NETFILE | 2018 to 2025, initial returns |
| Amended returns with ReFILE | 2022 to 2025 |
| Filing deadline, 2025 return | April 30, 2026 |
| Filing deadline if self-employed | June 15, 2026 |
| Payment deadline for everyone | April 30, 2026 |
Is there a new sign-in step for online filing?
Yes, but not yet for this season. The CRA says a new authentication step for online filing starts on February 22, 2027, and that it’s optional in 2026. You can already sign in to your CRA account while filing to prove who you are, and the CRA recommends adding a backup multi-factor method to the account.
First-time filers have no CRA account history to authenticate against. The CRA says they can still file through an authorized representative. We’d set up or repair the account well ahead of the next season instead of learning the rules in April.
Which certified tax software can you use to file a tax return online?
Any product on the CRA’s list of certified tax software can send your tax return online, and the software has to be certified for the year you are filing. The list covers free and paid products, and we couldn’t confirm any price, so check what a program charges before you enter your slips.
Many programs can fill in parts of the return from your CRA account, which is how most people avoid retyping slips. That depends on the product and on your account being set up, so look at the software’s own help pages. Whichever you pick, the return goes through NETFILE only if the software is certified, and you read the result on your notice of assessment.
What will the tax come to?
Software hands you an answer without telling you if it’s sensible, so get a rough figure first. Take an Ontario worker with $60,000 of employment income. Our income tax calculator shows $8,320.50 of tax. With $8,000 withheld, the tax refund calculator shows $320.50 owing, and a $3,000 RRSP deduction turns that into a $433.28 refund.
If your return looks nothing like that, check your slips. Twice. For self-employed people the numbers run higher. The self-employed tax calculator shows income tax plus both halves of CPP, though it leaves out EI and business expenses.
What happens after you hit send?
The software tells you the return was received, and that’s your proof it went through. Save that confirmation. A notice of assessment follows once the CRA has processed the return, and it’s worth reading properly, since it shows what the CRA calculated from what you sent.
Say Nadia in Regina files on a Sunday night in March, a week into tax time. She saves the confirmation page as a PDF, then a week later checks her CRA account for the notice. If the CRA’s numbers match hers, she’s finished. If they don’t, she has the paper trail ready and can ask.
Refund timing isn’t something we can promise, so look at the CRA’s refund page if you’re watching your bank account like it’s a Leafs game in overtime.
Mistakes when filing online
Sending the return and never reading the notice of assessment. Using an old version of the software (the CRA says to check the developer’s site for the latest update). Filing on time but leaving the balance unpaid, which stops the late-filing penalty and not the interest. And choosing software on a promise of “free” without checking what your forms need. We couldn’t confirm any price, so see our guide to free income tax filing before you pay for anything.
What is different when you file your 2026 return in 2027?
Three dates matter. The RRSP deadline for 2026 is March 1, 2027, filing is April 30, 2027 for most people, and the balance owing is due April 30, 2027 even if you file by the June 15 self-employed date. The CRA has not posted a 2026 NETFILE page with an opening date yet, so check its important dates page before you plan around one.
The CRA also says a new authentication step for online filing starts with the season beginning February 22, 2027, and that it is optional for the 2026 return. See its tax tip on enhanced security. Our 2027 tax calendar and NETFILE closing date page track the dates.
Where we checked
The NETFILE years, the January 29, 2027 closing date and the filing dates come from the CRA's NETFILE overview and important dates page. The sign-in change comes from the CRA's September 22, 2026 tax tip. We read them in November 2026. Dollar figures come from our calculators, which use 2026 federal and Ontario data. We are not connected to the CRA.
Frequently asked questions
When does NETFILE open for the 2026 return?
The CRA has not posted an opening date for 2026 returns on its NETFILE page. Its September 22, 2026 tax tip refers to the filing season beginning February 22, 2027. Check the CRA's important dates page before you plan around a date. The 2025 season ran from February 23, 2026.
When is the 2026 return due?
April 30, 2027 for most people. If you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed, the filing date is June 15, 2027, but any balance owing is still due April 30, 2027. The CRA's important dates page showed only 2025 dates when we checked.
Do I need a CRA account to file online?
Authenticating through your CRA account is optional for the 2026 return, according to the CRA. First-time filers have no account history, so they cannot authenticate yet, but they can still file through NETFILE. Fixing a locked account early is sensible.
Which years can I still file online?
NETFILE takes initial returns for 2018 to 2025 and ReFILE takes amended returns for 2022 to 2025, both until Friday, January 29, 2027. The 2026 return is a separate filing in 2027, due April 30, 2027 for most people, so pick software certified for the right year.
Where do I find my access code?
The CRA says the 8 character access code is printed on your most recent notice of assessment. Keep last year's notice handy when you file. If you cannot find it, sign in to your CRA account or call the CRA.
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