Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Accounting software can send a personal tax return to the CRA for you, but it won’t decide to do it on its own. You review the return, enter or confirm an access code, and press send. The CRA’s NETFILE service takes returns from certified software from February 23, 2026 until January 29, 2027, which covers the 2025 tax year.
The NETFILE and ReFILE services are open for transmission from Monday, February 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. (Eastern time), until Friday, January 29, 2027.
CRA, NETFILE overview, canada.ca
What does “automatic filing” really mean?
Nobody’s return files itself in the background. What software does is fill in the boxes from your data, do the arithmetic and transmit the finished return once you approve it. That’s a real time saver. It’s also where people get caught, because a wrong figure goes through just as smoothly as a right one.
Your bookkeeping package and your tax package are often two different products. Bookkeeping software tracks sales and expenses. Only software the CRA has certified can send an individual return over NETFILE, so check the CRA’s list of certified products before you rely on any of it. We didn’t confirm which accounting packages also file corporate returns, so ask the vendor and check the list.
What are the NETFILE facts?
| Item | What the CRA says |
|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Individuals filing a personal return with certified software |
| Open for sending | February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027 |
| Tax years you can send | 2018 to 2025 |
| Amended returns (ReFILE) | 2022 to 2025 |
| Professional preparers | Use a separate service called EFILE |
We couldn’t find NETFILE dates for the 2026 tax year yet. They usually follow the same pattern, but don’t plan around a date the CRA hasn’t printed.
Can it file a business return too?
For a sole proprietor, yes. Business income goes on the personal return, so the same certified software applies, though the deadline is different. For 2025, the self-employed had until June 15, 2026 to file, but any balance was still due April 30, 2026.
A corporation is another matter. We couldn’t confirm from the CRA pages we checked which products transmit a corporate return, or how their checks differ. If you run a company, ask your vendor for the specific answer in writing, and ask who reviews the return before it goes.
What should you check before you press send?
Software only knows what you give it, so start with the slips. The CRA’s Auto-fill My Return pulls in only what the CRA has on file, and rent, medical costs, childcare and similar items stay manual. Then look at three numbers: total income, the refund or balance owing, and the province listed on December 31.
A sanity check takes two minutes. Run your income through the income tax calculator and see whether the software’s total tax lands near it. For a freelancer, the self-employed tax calculator does the same job. On $60,000 of net income in Ontario it shows $14,603 of income tax and CPP together. If your software says $9,000, find out why before you file. Sometimes there’s a good reason, like a large deduction. Sometimes a field is blank.
And for refunds, the tax refund calculator gives a rough target.
What if you spot a mistake after you’ve sent it?
It happens, usually the week after tax time. Say Jo, a freelance photographer in Victoria, sends her return and then finds a $1,200 invoice she forgot to enter. The fix isn’t to ignore it. The CRA page above says certified software can send amended returns for 2022 to 2025 through ReFILE, so check whether your product supports that route. Keep the original, the amended return and your notes together, since a clear paper trail makes any later CRA question much easier to answer.
Worked example for a small company
Say a small Ontario company that qualifies as a Canadian-controlled private corporation earns $300,000 of active business income in a calendar 2026 year. Our corporate tax calculator shows $35,088 of tax, an average rate of 11.7%, with $264,912 left in the company. Treat that rate with care. Ontario cut its small business rate on July 1, 2026, and the calculator uses a blend for the calendar year that we derived ourselves, not one the CRA prints. A company with another year end will get a different number.
The calculator also ignores the taxable capital limit, and it handles associated companies and passive income through optional boxes. If your software gives a different figure, one of those is often the reason.
Mistakes that software won’t catch
Picking a business expense category that looks right but isn’t. Missing a slip. Entering last year’s address. Skipping the logbook for the car. None of these trigger an error message, and all of them can trigger a CRA letter.
Keep your records for six years. The software’s copy doesn’t count if the company that made it shuts down or changes its plan.
Where we got these figures
NETFILE dates, eligible years, EFILE and Auto-fill details come from Canada Revenue Agency pages, read in 2026, along with the 2025 filing dates. The examples use our own calculators with 2026 federal and Ontario rates. No product is reviewed or ranked here, and this site has no link with the CRA.
Frequently asked questions
Does accounting software file my taxes by itself?
No. It fills in and sends the return after you review it and approve. A wrong figure goes through as easily as a right one.
What is NETFILE?
The CRA's electronic filing service for individuals using certified tax software. It is open from February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027.
Can I send an amended return the same way?
Yes for 2022 to 2025, through ReFILE, according to the CRA.
Why does my preparer use a different service?
Professional tax preparers file through EFILE, a separate CRA service.
Does Auto-fill My Return load everything?
No. It only brings in what the CRA has on file, so items such as rent, medical costs and childcare are entered by hand.
- Self-employed taxes in Canada: income, CPP and GST
How tax works when you are self-employed in Canada: reporting income and expenses, paying both halves of CPP, instalments and when to register for GST