When you submit a tax return, you supply the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) with documentation in the form of hard copies, digital soft copies, or online submissions that record your annual income, any deductions and credits you claim, and the amount of tax you owe for the year. With the exception of Quebec, one tax return is sufficient to meet the criteria of all provinces and territories. If you live in Quebec, you must file a return with both the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenue Québec, the provincial revenue agency. It is mandatory to submit all tax returns by the 30th of April.
Many people do their own taxes, either by following the procedures indicated in the CRA’s tax return packages or by purchasing software that asks for information and then calculates how much money is owed or how much is owed back to the taxpayer. However, you should always hire a qualified tax accountant to create and file your personal and individual tax forms. This is due to the fact that an accountant possesses the requisite expertise and experience. This is because a professional will be up to date on all tax deductions and can assist you in getting the most out of your returns.
Yes, some people choose to seek help from tax preparation firms or accountants. Individuals who sold property that qualified for a capital gain or loss are obligated to submit tax returns, even if they owed no taxes at the end of the year. A tax return must also be filed in order for an individual to be eligible for a refund.
Preparing and filing your own tax return
Your personal income tax return can be prepared and filed by you in a variety of different ways.
- If you are interested in obtaining a hard copy of the General Income Tax and Benefit Package from the Canada Revenue Agency, you can do so by using any one of the following methods:
- You can get the forms by downloading them from the CRA website.
- obtain a tax package from the post office, Service Canada office, or government agency that is closest to you.
- Call the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281 to make a request for the package to be mailed to you.
Complete the paper version of your tax return and mail it to the CRA Tax Service Office.
2. You can prepare and submit your tax return electronically using software that you have purchased. The computer application will then proceed to calculate the amount of tax that you owe once you respond to the prompts to give specific information. These software are frequently organized in a simple question-and-answer format and are preconfigured to search for any deductions or credits to which you may be eligible.
3. Using Netfile, taxpayers can file their taxes online for free with the CRA.
When you are preparing your tax return, you should make sure that you use a current form or software that has been updated in order to take into account the fact that there are typically changes to the tax regulations each year. This will ensure that your return is accurate and meets the requirements of the CRA. A General Income Tax and Benefit Package is utilized by every province, and territory in the country. This bundle includes instructions, schedules, and forms that are specific to that particular jurisdiction. These items cannot be found anywhere else.
What types of information are required to file your tax return?
Before you can either do your own income tax return or have it done for you by a professional tax accountant, you will need copies of all of the tax receipts that you received from your various sources of income. These tax receipts include any T4 forms for job income, T5 forms for interest income, and T3 forms for trust income or mutual fund revenue, among other types of tax forms. In the vast majority of instances, both your employer and the investment firm you work with will immediately give you with these paperwork. It is also a good idea to assemble any receipts for credits or deductions you will be claiming, such as contributions to RRSPs, medical expenses, donations, tuition, or rent, so that you can claim them later on. This will allow you to claim any credits or deductions that you are eligible for.
Modifying or making changes to your tax return
You have the following options available to you if you need to make any adjustments to a tax return that you have already submitted:
- Complete a specialized form called a T1 Adjustment Request, which can be obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency and sent in either electronically or via regular mail;
- You can file a change request to the CRA through your online account with the organization. After logging in to My Account, select “Change my return” from the drop-down menu to make changes to your tax return.
- In the letter that you write to the Canada Revenue Agency with the particulars of the changes that you want to make, you will need to include your name, address, daytime telephone number, and Social Insurance Number. You must also provide the specifics of the changes that you want to make. In addition to that, you need to affix any receipts or supporting documents that you might have.
For further information on how to file a tax return for your income, go to the Canada Revenue Agency’s Personal Income Tax page. If you need more general information, contact the Canada Revenue Agency.
However, if you require assistance in preparing and paying your personal taxes, BOMCAS Canada Accounting and Tax Preparation Services would be delighted to hear from you. Click here for BOMCAS Personal Tax help.