Deadline looming to file 2023 taxes: CRA

The Canada Revenue Agency says just under half of Canadians have filed their taxes with one week left before the 2023 deadline.

The deadline for most Canadians to files their taxes is April 30, but self-employed people have until June 15 to file.

David Nunes, spokesperson for the CRA, says data from previous years does show that Canadians tend to procrastinate on getting their taxes in.

“Statistics show that, even in the last year and pretty much all the years leading up to it, a lot of Canadians do file their taxes kind of last moment,” Nunes said in a Zoom interview with CHEK News.

“Some people are still waiting to file them close to that deadline.”

Nunes says a little over 17 million Canadians have filed their taxes. Last year, there were 32,275,549 returns filed to the CRA.

Nunes says there is a chance of being required to pay a penalty if you miss the deadline.

“If you filed late and you have a balance owing, you could owe a five per cent penalty on the amount that you’re owing to the CRA as well as a one per cent interest for up to 12 months,” Nunes said.

“But if you don’t have a balance owing and you do have a refund, it’s still just as important to file your taxes on time so that your benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit don’t get interrupted, you’ll still be able to get that money later  if you do file late, but you want to prevent not having your money in your pocket these days.”

If you need help with your taxes, the CRA says there are number of free tax clinics that people can apply to for help navigating the task.

READ PREVIOUS: Tax season officially kicks off with most Canadians’ returns due by April 30

Editorial Policies Report an Error