Filing your tax return and paying what you owe on time helps you avoid possible interest and penalty charges, and ensures that your benefits won’t be delayed. Filing online is the fastest and easiest way to send your return and get your refund and benefit payments even faster.
What happens if I don’t file on time?
When you file your yearly tax return, you are letting the CRA know your current tax situation. Without that information, the CRA can’t be sure that you are still eligible to receive certain benefit payments. If you don’t file on time, your benefit payments (for example, Canada child tax benefit and GST/HST credit) may be interrupted.
Also, if you have a balance owing and don’t file your return on time, you will be charged a late-filing penalty. The penalty is 5% of your 2012 balance owing, plus 1% of your balance owing for each full month that your return is late, to a maximum of 12 months. If we charged a late-filing penalty on your return for 2009, 2010, or 2011, your late-filing penalty for 2012 may be 10% of your 2012 balance owing, plus 2% of your 2012 balance owing for each full month that your return is late, to a maximum of 20 months.
In addition to the late-filing penalty, if you have a balance owing for 2012 you will be charged compound daily interest beginning May 1, 2013, on any unpaid amounts owing for 2012.
Even if you cannot pay all of your balance owing right away, you should still file your return on time and call us at 1-888-863-8657 to make a payment arrangement. By filing on time, you will avoid the late-filing penalty.
Important Facts
- You have until midnight on April 30, 2013, to file your 2012 income tax and benefit return.
- If you or your spouse or common-law partner is self-employed, you have until midnight on June 17, 2013 to file your return. Any balance owing must be paid by April 30, 2013—even if your return is due June 17, 2013.
When you file your return online, you’ll get your refund faster. When you file online and sign up for direct deposit, you may receive your refund in as little as eight days! For information on how to request direct deposit, go to www.cra.gc.ca/directdeposit.
If you are already filing your return online, you no longer need a web access code. Instead, all you need is your social insurance number and date of birth.
Canada Revenue Agency
This a a reproduction copy of an official work that is published by the Government of Canada and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada.
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