National News: Tax Tip: Tips for Preparing to File Your Taxes Online
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Market wired - Feb. 10, 2014) - Did you know?
Filing your taxes online is increasing in popularity as Canadians discover how fast, easy, and secure filing online really is. Last year, over 74% of Canadians filed their income tax and benefit return electronically. Are you ready to join them?
Get ready: following these steps will make filing your taxes easy!
- Go to www.cra.gc.ca/getready to find out about non-refundable credits you might be eligible for to reduce your taxes this year.
- Gather all your information slips and receipts (T4s, T5s, etc.), as well as a copy of last year's return to use as a reference for this year. No need to send your receipts in with your return! If we need to see them, we will let you know.
- Have your social insurance number and date of birth on hand.
- Sign up for direct deposit to receive your refund faster and any benefit or credit payments owed to you, deposited directly into your bank account. Go to www.cra.gc.ca/directdeposit to learn how to sign up for direct deposit.
- Make sure the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has your updated address and direct deposit information before you file. The fastest way to update both is by using My Account. To register for My Account, go to www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount. You can also use this service later to view your tax slip information, look up your RRSP deduction limit, and check the status of your refund or your Canada child tax benefit or GST/HST credit payments.
- To file online, you need to complete your return using certified software or a certified web application. This may even help you identify benefits and credits that you may have missed if you filed on paper! The CRA has a list of software options-some that you have to buy and some that you can use for free-at www.netfile.gc.ca/software.
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