Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Yes, you can still file a 2022 tax return online in Canada. The CRA accepts returns for 2018 to 2025 through NETFILE until Friday, January 29, 2027, and your software must be certified for 2022 itself. Late filing only costs a penalty if you owe tax, so check your balance first.
Does TurboTax or other certified software work for a 2022 return?
Only software the CRA has certified for the 2022 tax year. Many providers kept prior-year versions, and TurboTax is one name people search for, but nothing confirms that any single product still sells or supports 2022, or what it charges. Check that yourself before you pay.
The quickest way is the CRA’s own NETFILE page and the list of certified software it points to. Each provider has a details page that shows which years it covers. If 2022 isn’t listed, that product can’t file it online.
What does a late 2022 return cost?
That depends on one thing: do you owe tax? If you’re due a refund or your balance is zero, there’s no balance for the penalty to apply to, because the CRA’s late-filing penalty is charged when you file after the due date and owe tax. Filing late only costs you the refund you haven’t collected yet.
Owe tax and the CRA takes 5% of that amount up front, then adds 1% more for every full month you’re behind, stopping after 12 months. The higher rates of 10% and 2%, with a cap of 20 months, apply when you were penalized in one of the three earlier years and also received a demand to file. The CRA’s late-filing penalty page sets out both.
| Situation | Late-filing penalty |
|---|---|
| No balance owing | None |
| Balance owing, first offence | 5%, then 1% a month, 12 months at most |
| Balance owing, penalized in the last three years and sent a demand to file | 10%, then 2% a month, 20 months at most |
Here’s what that looks like. Suppose you owed $2,000 for 2022 and file eight full months late. That’s $100 for the first 5%, then $160 for eight months at 1%, so $260 in all. A different balance scales the same way. Interest on the unpaid tax is separate and isn’t priced here.
Now the harsher case. Same $2,000 balance, same eight months, but the repeat rates apply. The first charge is 10%, or $200, and eight months at 2% adds $320. That’s $520, double the first-offence figure. Interest comes on top of both.
Does filing late hurt your benefits?
It can, for a while. The CRA says you must file by April 30 each year so your benefit payments aren’t disrupted, and that if you file late they may stop temporarily. The CRA’s page on keeping your Canada child benefit payments adds that once the return is assessed, any entitled amounts you missed are paid retroactively on the next scheduled payment date. That’s one good reason not to leave an old year hanging, especially if you have kids at home.
Steps for filing an old return
Start by collecting the slips for that year. You’ll need the T4s, T5s and RRSP receipts. Then enter them into software certified for 2022.
Two more things trip people up. First, use 2022 rules, not this year’s. The calculators on this site use 2026 tax data, so they can’t reproduce a 2022 return and shouldn’t be used for one. Second, claim what applied for 2022, not what applies now.
To gauge the size of a typical return under current rules, the tax refund calculator estimates a refund or balance from your pay and the tax withheld. The income tax calculator shows total tax on your income, and the tax deductions and credits calculator shows what deductions save. They give you a sense of size, not a 2022 answer.
What mistakes do people make with old returns?
- Buying this year’s software and finding it can’t open 2022.
- Skipping the CRA list and trusting a search result that says “2022 supported.”
- Waiting because they fear a penalty when they’re actually owed money.
- Sending it on paper, which is slower, when NETFILE would take it in minutes.
Not every return qualifies for NETFILE. The CRA’s page says it can’t be used for deceased taxpayer returns, bankruptcy returns or deemed residents, among other cases, so read it if the software rejects your file. Quebec residents also file their provincial return with Revenu Quebec separately.
What should you do first, with 78 days left?
NETFILE closes on January 29, 2027, which is 78 days from November 12, 2026. Start by pulling your 2022 slips from your CRA account, then open the CRA's list of certified software and check which providers list 2022.
If you also owe a return for 2023, 2024 or 2025, do the oldest year first. Our guides on a 2023 return and the missed filing deadline cover what comes next. Your 2026 return is due April 30, 2027 and has its own page, how to file your taxes.
Where we checked
NETFILE years and the January 29, 2027 closing date come from the CRA's NETFILE overview, the penalty rates from its late-filing penalty page, and the software information from its certified software page. We read them in November 2026. The refund and tax tools on this site use 2026 federal and Ontario data. This site is not connected to any software company or government body.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still file a 2022 tax return in Canada?
Yes. NETFILE accepts returns for 2018 to 2025 from software certified for that year, and it is open until January 29, 2027. If your 2022 return is still unfiled, file before that date so you can use the electronic route and avoid waiting on paper processing.
How do I know if a program supports 2022?
Open the CRA's list of certified tax software. Most providers are also certified for previous years, and each provider's details page shows which years it covers. If 2022 is not listed, that product cannot file the return online, however its own website describes it.
Is there a penalty if I file 2022 late?
Only if you owe tax. The penalty starts at 5% of the balance and grows by 1% for each full month, up to 12 months. If you owed nothing or were due a refund, there is no late-filing penalty, though interest still applies to any unpaid balance.
What if I was penalized before?
If the CRA charged a late-filing penalty in 2022, 2023 or 2024 and sent a demand to file, the repeat rates apply. They are 10% of the balance plus 2% for each full month, for up to 20 months. That roughly doubles the cost of the standard penalty.
Can the calculators on this site do a 2022 return?
No. They use 2026 tax data, so they only show rough scale for an older year. For a real 2022 return, use software certified for 2022 or the 2022 paper forms, since the brackets and credit amounts were different in that year.
- How to choose a tax preparer in Canada
Do you need a tax preparer in Canada? How to decide, what a preparer does, the questions to ask before you hire one and where to find free help