Tax Tip - SimpleFile: Let us help you with your taxes

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Tax Tip - SimpleFile: Let us help you with your taxes

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 30, 2025

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - You may be one of 2 million Canadians invited to use SimpleFile to automatically file your income tax and benefit return with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for free this tax season!

The CRA is inviting individuals to use the SimpleFile by Phone service again this year. You may also be invited to try out a new digital option as part of a pilot, as we work to provide even more filing options to Canadians. With SimpleFile, you only need to answer a series of quick questions, and then the service uses your answers, with the information we have on file, to auto-file and process a tax return on your behalf.

Connecting Canadians with $3 billion in benefit and credit payments

Last tax season, the CRA expanded SimpleFile by Phone to over 1.5 million Canadians. By November 2024, 93% of invitees had filed a tax return and are receiving $3 billion in benefits and credit payments, including:

  • More than $1.4 billion in Canada child benefit payments
  • A little over $115 million in Canada workers benefit payments
  • About $490 million in GST/HST credit payments
  • Nearly $451 million in Canada Carbon Rebate payments
  • Over $535 million in provincial and territorial benefits issued by the CRA

Offering more options with SimpleFile Digital

The CRA's digital option was first introduced as part of our automatic tax filing pilots offered to individuals who had never filed a tax return or had a gap in their filing history. This filing season, for the first time, this free and simplified digital option is available to invited individuals with a recent filing history.

File your tax return the SimpleFile way

Remember, filing your taxes helps you get the benefit and credit payments you are entitled to, as well as any tax refund you are owed. Filing a tax return is also one of the eligibility requirements to apply for certain programs such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

You can file your 2024 income tax and benefit return quickly and securely using one of our SimpleFile services, if you receive an invitation letter in the mail or in your CRA Account.

  • SimpleFile by Phone and SimpleFile Digital are available 21 hours a day between 6 am and 3 am (Eastern time), 7 days a week from February 24, 2025
  • Your letter provides the information you need to use these services, including phone numbers or web link, as applicable
  • The SimpleFile services will ask you to verify your information and provide answers to a few quick questions – there are no calculations for you to do
  • You do not need to speak to a CRA contact centre agent to use either of these services

SimpleFile by Phone: Use your phone's keypad to file in as little as 5 to 10 minutes; if you have a Personal Identification Number (PIN), you can receive an estimate of any refund that you may be eligible for at the end of the call.

SimpleFile Digital: Use your computer or mobile device to file online in 20 minutes or less.

For Quebec residents

If you are a resident of Quebec, the service only completes the federal tax return. You will still need to complete and submit a Quebec provincial tax return with Revenu Québec.

Protecting you from scams and fraud

To avoid scams and fraud, be aware of when and how the CRA might contact you. The Scams and fraud page provides information on the ways that the CRA may contact you, including by phone, email, mail, and text message.

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency