Taxes
According to the CRA, tax season officially started in Canada on February 18, 2019. As of that date, the agency started processing tax returns. You could file your 2018 tax return online using NETFILE.
People who filed a paper return last year should have received a tax package in the mail by February 11. However, mail delivery problems at Canada Post caused delays into January. And besides postal disruptions, icy conditions this winter caused complications for both residents and mail carriers.
In some regions, mail wasn't delivered for weeks. As a result, CRA's delivery target for last year's paper filers may have come and gone for many taxpayers. Blame it on the weather!
If you didn't receive the package on time or at all, you have a few options. You can call the CRA or use an online form to order tax forms by mail, or download it and print it yourself. Tax packages are also available in limited quantities at Canada Post, Service Canada, and Desjardins branches (in Quebec only).
If you can't download and print the forms, it might be easier to order a package from the CRA, than trying to find one at an outlet. To order forms from Revenu Quebec, call 1-800-267-6299 or order them online.
Tax preparation software for the upcoming tax season is generally available to taxpayers around the beginning of January. On January 16, SimpleTax used a nifty three-verse song to announce their 2018 tax year software was ready.
When are my tax forms available from the CRA?
Printed tax forms are available from the CRA starting early February 2019. If you mailed in a paper return last year, the CRA would mail you an income tax package. Taxpayers who didn't file a paper return last year can download forms from the CRA and Revenu Quebec for printing.
If you can't print the forms or want to use government forms, you can have them mailed to you. As mentioned above, simply call the CRA or Revenu Quebec to order.
If you filed a paper return last year, your tax package by mail includes:
- A letter from the Minister and Commissioner
- The Federal Income Tax and Benefit Guide
- The provincial or territorial information guide, with the income tax return, and all federal and provincial (except Quebec) forms and schedules
- A pre-addressed return envelope
Why should you file your taxes online?
The CRA strongly encourages people to file online using NETFILE through a certified tax software product. The agency stopped sending out personalized printed tax packages in 2013. At the time, it didn't do a great job of communicating the change to taxpayers.
In fact, many taxpayers only found out they wouldn't get anything in the mail when they called the CRA. The change caused a scramble for forms at postal and other outlets.
Despite the confusion, the government's move to reduce paper usage continues. Not only to save taxpayer dollars but to reduce waste. The truth is, many Canadians still want or need to file paper returns.
According to a 2018 CRA news release, "approximately two million Canadians who filed hardcopies last year were mailed their tax guide and forms." Canadians will see the number of printed packages the CRA mailed out declined significantly in 2019.
The move to mail out packages to Canadians who had mailed their return in 2018 was billed as a new service by the government. It was designed to help Canadians with reduced mobility, who live far from service locations or don't have internet access.
For some taxpayers, using government-printed forms is a necessity. Others choose paper filing based on personal beliefs or habits. Here are some of the factors that drive people to file their taxes by mail and alternatives to help you decide if filing by mail is the right choice for you in 2019 and beyond.
Online security, official forms and trust
People who file by mail because they don't trust the internet might not have all the facts. While it's true that data breaches are commonplace and costly, the Canadian government isn't going back to storing files on paper to prevent hackers from accessing them.
If you're filing a paper return because you don't trust the internet, you might want to consider using tax software instead, to save time, trees and to prevent mistakes.
Government data breaches do happen. However, mailing your tax return isn't more secure than filing online. In fact, once the CRA processes your paper return, it stores your personal data on the same servers it uses for all Canadians. We can only trust that our data is being protected by the government using the best security technology and practices available.
Also, in the "trust" category, some people may believe that only a form or booklet printed by the government is official and valid. Others might prefer to hand-deliver their tax return to a tax office, worried that mail or online transmission won't guarantee delivery.
Those taxpayers can continue to mail in their tax returns until the CRA and Revenu Quebec stop accepting paper returns. That's probably still years away.
Finally, when you file your tax return, NETFILE provides a confirmation and time stamp. This verification is proof that the CRA or RQ duly received your tax return.
