Canada Revenue Agency
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News and program updates

June 10, 2013

Returns Requiring Re-Transmission or Paper Filing – REMINDER

In April, the Electronic Filing Services Section, in conjunction with the Information Technology Branch, distributed emails, similar to the following example, to electronic filers who had returns reject during an initial transmission attempt. The lists included returns that rejected with correctable errors and those that rejected and needed to be submitted via paper.

As mentioned in the April email, our intention is to provide you with such lists on 2 separate occasions during the Efile program and the 2nd and final list will soon be mailed. If you are one of the email recipients, we would ask that you correct and resubmit the affected returns electronically or via paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.

If you receive an email and you have recently resubmitted the return(s) in question, please disregard the email. If you have no files to re-submit, you will not be receiving an email.

We appreciate your assistance with this matter.

EXAMPLE

The following is a list of file(s) that rejected and have not been re-transmitted. Please make the necessary correction(s) and re-submit electronically or by paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.

Date Date of
Transmission
Time Of
Transmission
Taxpayer's Name Error Clues
DXXXXCERT2713 20080508 145206 TAXPAYER ONE 527-180010-444
DXXXXFINE5N45 20080501 145206 TAXPAYER TWO 222-2169
DXXXXGREEN728 20080515 145206 TAXPAYER THREE 001

June 7, 2013

FILING DEADLINE - SELF-EMPLOYED

Self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners, have until midnight, Pacific time, on June 17, 2013 to file their 2012 income tax returns. For records that are returned for correction, you will have until midnight, Pacific time, on Friday June 21, 2013 to correct and retransmit electronically. Records that are retransmitted and accepted on or before Friday June 21, 2013, will be considered as filed on time.

If you receive a reject error clue that indicates that you should file a paper return, and you file the paper return after June 21, 2013, a late filing penalty may be assessed. You should therefore, file the paper return as soon as possible. Any enquiries requesting relief from the late-filing penalty should be directed to the applicable intake centre for consideration. You will also be required to send a copy of the non-accepted records list.

NOTE: If you are an Efiler acting as a transmitter on behalf of a preparer, please communicate this message to the preparer.


May 14, 2013

Processing Review Program

We will be commencing our annual post-assessment review of individual income tax returns shortly. If your client's tax return has been selected for review, our letters will be sent to your office if the following information was transmitted with the return:

  • you have been designated as your client's representative on Form T183, and
  • you have indicated that our Processing Review letters should be sent to you.

Note that we will no longer be sending a second letter to your client if we do not receive a response from you.

It is possible this year that you will receive letters from tax centres other than those you have dealt with in the past. Please ensure that requested information is provided to the originating tax centre.

The table below indicates the dates on which each tax centre will begin sending out their letters.

  • St. John's, June 3
  • Winnipeg, May 31
  • Summerside, June 3
  • Surrey, May 21
  • Jonquière, June 14
  • Shawinigan-Sud, June 14
  • Sudbury, May 21

The International Tax Service Office (ITSO) will begin sending letters on May 31.


April 30, 2013

EFILE Monitoring

The following is provided for information purposes.

As indicated in Chapter 1 of the RC4018, Electronic Filer's Manual, and on the Web site at www.efile.cra.gc.ca under the "Responsibilities" section, we periodically request a number of copies of the following forms from each electronic filer:

  • Form T183, Information Return for Electronic Filing of an Individual's Income Tax and Benefit Return;
  • Form T1153, Consent and Request Form.

In addition, we may also ask for a written explanation on errors noted during the review.

We will provide you with a specific timeframe to respond to our requests. If you do not respond within the specified timeframe to our request for forms and/or a written explanation on errors noted during the review, we may temporarily suspend EFILE and SEND privileges until you comply with our requests and our review is complete. Please do not submit T183 or T1153 forms to us unless we ask you for them. If your client has to make a payment, do not ask them to send a copy of Form T183 with the payment. Instead, refer them to the Make a payment web page for payment options.

A reminder that Part E of Form T183 is similar to Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative, in that it allows the CRA to provide you with certain information about your client's current year tax return and it authorizes you to make changes to your client's return and account. Alternatively, your client may use Form T1013 to cancel other representatives, authorize you to be their representative for a specific tax year or all years and can even allow you to access their information online. However, the authorizations you are granted from Part E of Form T183, or Form T1013, are not interchangeable. Even if authorization from a Form T1013 is on file at the CRA, or you electronically transmitted or paper-filed Form T1013, the CRA will not contact you for pre- and post-assessment review unless the authorization from Part E of form T183 is transmitted with the return.

If you have any questions about this message, please call your EFILE Helpdesk.

We thank you for your cooperation in this matter.


April 18, 2013

Filing Deadline

All returns transmitted electronically up until midnight, Pacific time, on April 30, 2013, will be considered as filed on time. For records that are returned for correction, you will have until midnight, Pacific time, on Tuesday May 7, 2013 to correct and retransmit electronically. Records that are retransmitted and accepted on or before Tuesday May 7, 2013, will be considered as filed on time.

If you receive a reject error clue that indicates that you should file a paper return, and you file the paper return after April 30, 2013, a late filing penalty may be assessed. You should therefore, file the paper return as soon as possible. Any enquiries requesting relief from the late-filing penalty should be directed to the applicable intake centre for consideration. You will also be required to send a copy of the non-accepted records list.

Clients who have self-employment income, and their spouses or common-law partners, have until midnight, Pacific time, Monday June 17, 2013, to file their income tax returns.

Anyone who has a balance owing for 2012 should remember that it must be paid on or before April 30, 2013.

NOTE: If you are an Efiler acting as a transmitter on behalf of a preparer, please communicate this message to the preparer.


April 10, 2013

Submitting Documents Electronically - Processing Review Program

Further to the announcement made on March 7th, and for more details about this service, go to www.cra.gc.ca/reviews and select the "Submitting documents electronically" link. We remind you that this service can only be used to submit documents in response to a letter from CRA's Processing Review Program that contains a reference number.

Beginning in April 2013, you can also submit documents for completed reviews. For example, the review of your client's 2011 tax return was completed and now you would like to submit additional information. To submit documents you will need the reference number from the initial letter received from the Processing Review Program. Do not submit documents electronically for requests you have already sent through mail or facsimile. Duplicate requests may delay the processing of adjustments.


April 9, 2013

Returns Requiring Re-Transmission or Paper filing

The EFILE Help Desks are often contacted by Efilers and asked about the status of returns they had previously transmitted. When we verify the files, we often see that a large percentage of them were rejected initially, but were never re-submitted.

In an effort to reduce the frequency of such occurrences, the Electronic Filing Services Section, in conjunction with the Information Technology Branch, will be generating lists of returns for re-transmission. The lists will include returns that rejected with correctable errors and those that rejected and need to be submitted via paper. E.g. error clue 001. If you have already filed those returns, please disregard the email. Once processed, they will be removed from any subsequent mailouts.

It is our intention to send these lists out on two (2) occasions during the EFILE program. The first mailing will occur tomorrow. If you have no files to re-submit, you will not be receiving an email. If you are one of the email recipients, you will be sent an email similar to the following. It will be sent to the email address that was provided when you registered online. We would ask that you correct and resubmit the affected returns electronically or via paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.

EXAMPLE

The following is a list of file(s) that rejected and have not been re-transmitted. Please make the necessary correction(s) and re-submit electronically or by paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.

Date Date of
Transmission
Time Of
Transmission
Taxpayer's Name Error Clues
DXXXXCERT2713 20080508 145206 CURTIS M THIRTEEN 527-180010-444
DXXXXFINE5N45 20080501 145206 MARISA FORTYFIVENINE 222-2169
DXXXXGREEN728 20080515 145206 CHANTAL VINGTHUITTWELVE 001

March 15, 2013

Clarification

Revised Service Standards - Form T1013

Approximately 98% of all electronically submitted T1013's are currently being processed and updated to taxpayers' accounts instantly. As of February 11, 2013, the four day delay for the Represent a Client service was removed and access to taxpayers' accounts is available as soon as the T1013 is processed. (Online access for taxpayers with a care-of address will remain unavailable until they contact the CRA to confirm the authorization.)

In an effort to improve client service, the 2% of electronically transmitted T1013's that cannot be processed automatically will now be actioned within 5 business days. If information is missing and the form cannot be processed, the CRA will strive to obtain the required information directly from the taxpayer whenever possible. The submission of the T1 return and updating of a taxpayer's address may also allow for the updating of the electronically submitted T1013.

Please note, all paper T1013's that are submitted to the CRA are now subject to a year-around timeliness service standard of 20 business days. Electronic submission of T1013's remains the fastest and most effective means of transmitting third party authorizations to the CRA.


March 14, 2013

Revised Service Standards - Form T1013

As of April 1, 2013, the service standards for the processing of the T1013 will be revised:

Please note that there will no longer be a peak and non-peak service standard, the information below applies to all year.

Service standards

Our published service standards read as follows:

Timeliness (Paper)
  • Our goal is to process your complete paper request to authorize or cancel a representative in 20 business days or less of receipt by the CRA provided the request is complete.

Our delivery target is to meet this standard 90% of the time.

Timeliness (Electronic)
  • Our goal is to process your complete electronic request to authorize or cancel a representative in five business days or less of receipt by the CRA provided the request is complete.

Our delivery target is to meet this standard 90% of the time.


March 7, 2013

Reminder Submitting Documents Electronically - Processing Review Program

Please be advised that an important enhancement is being implemented for the 2013 T1 filing season.

Once the Notice of Assessment is issued, the Processing Review (PR) Program may request documentation from representatives to support specific deductions or credits claimed on the T1 return. The program typically begins in May. Supporting documentation is currently sent by representatives to the Canada Revenue Agency by facsimile or regular mail.

Starting in May 2013, representatives will be able to submit documents electronically through "Represent a Client". Only documents related to a valid PR letter reference number will be accepted.

Third party representatives will need to be registered with Represent a Client, and be authorized by their clients, in order to be able to submit documents on their clients' behalf. For more information about the Represent a Client online service, or to register with the service, go to www.cra.gc.ca/representatives.

Recommendations

When preparing returns, Efile preparers should ensure that:

  • They are registered on "Represent a Client."
  • The T1013 authorization form is submitted. Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative, is used to authorize third parties.

Once the authorization and registration is complete, the representative will be able to submit documents electronically for their clients. There will be further information provided at a later date.


February 27, 2013

North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) update

Tax preparation software packages have been updated this year with the 2012 NAICS codes. For T1 returns, this code, also referred to as "Industry code", is required when completing the following self-employed financial statements: T2125 (Business or Professional activities), T2121 (Fishing activities), T2042 (Farming operations), T1163 and T1273 (AgriStability and AgriInvest programs information and statement of farming activities). For T2 returns, it is identified as a corporation's main revenue-generating business activity.

Because some codes are new or revised, it is important that you go through the drop down list carefully to select the code that most accurately describes the business' main revenue-generating activity. In subsequent years, you simply validate that the code selected is correct.

Selecting the right NAICS code from the easy-to-use drop down list is important for many reasons, including:

  • The Canada Revenue Agency shares the data with Statistics Canada, Finance Canada, and the provinces and territories.
  • Correct codes provide better quality data for economic analysis and fiscal policy responses.
  • It reduces the need for government follow-up with the business or tax preparer to determine accurate main revenue-generating business activity descriptions.
  • A correct NAICS code selection this year will mean more rapid validation of the description in subsequent years where there is no change to the main revenue-generating business activity.

Failure to select the NAICS code could result in errors in filing the return electronically and in completing or printing the bar-coded return. If an inaccurate NAICS code is selected, this may result in returns being reviewed unnecessarily.


February 21, 2013

Discounter Reminder - February 2013

Shortly, you will start to receive your clients' original notices of assessment. We would like to remind you that as a discounter, upon receipt of the original notice of assessment, you must send it to your client along with Form RC72, Notice of the Actual Amount of the Refund of Tax, and any excess amount received from the CRA.

The purpose of Form RC72 is to inform your client of the actual refund amount you have received from the CRA. Please keep in mind that you are required to send Form RC72 to your client regardless of whether there is an excess, a loss, or a nil balance.

For more information about your obligations, please consult our web page at www.cra.gc.ca/discounters.


February 15, 2013

T1 General - Condensed 2012

This is to advise that all certified software will be able to generate the "T1 General - Condensed 2012" return. This is the only version of the paper return that should be sent to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), if a paper return must be filed. If any other version of the return is submitted, the processing of the return will be delayed.

The condensed return, when printed, is entitled "T1 General - Condensed 2012" in the top right-hand corner of page 1 and the notation of "CRA Version" appears at the bottom of the page. This condensed return is printed with Form T1-KFS, as well as any other additional forms and schedules that may be required to complete the paper version of the return

.

If you receive a CRA reject message requesting that a paper return be filed (after attempting to EFILE that return), please include a copy of the reject message with the condensed return in question.


February 8, 2013

EFILE ERROR CLUES AND MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will commence the processing of T1 income tax and benefit returns on Monday, February 11, 2013.

Returns containing errors will be rejected under the applicable error clue(s) which can be found in Chapter 2 of the Electronic Filers Manual. Most returns containing errors can be corrected and the return successfully resubmitted electronically. However, in some circumstances, the CRA reject message will indicate that a paper return be submitted.

Should you receive an error message requesting that a paper return be filed, we would ask that you affix a copy of the CRA reject message to the return in question.

For purposes of mandatory electronic filing (MEF), providing the reject notification is submitted along with the return, electronic filers will not be levied a penalty for failing to file electronically. Furthermore, the submission of such returns will not be counted as one of the 10 of which may be filed by other means according to the MEF legislation.


February 6, 2013

Service Interruptions - Annual Conversion

The Canada Revenue Agency's mainframe systems will be going through an annual conversion process. Consequently, the following service interruptions will occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 8, 9 and 10, 2013. All services will resume on Monday morning, February 11, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time.

  • SEND and the T1013 transmission web service will be temporarily closed from Friday, February 8, at 8:00 p.m. eastern (Ottawa) time until Monday morning, February 11, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time.
  • The EFILE Online Plus transmission service will be temporarily closed all day on Saturday and Sunday, February 9 and 10.

However, "New registrations", "Renewals" and "Account Maintenance" activities will continue to be available all weekend.

Note: Acknowledgement files are scheduled to commence on Monday morning, February 11, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time.


January 24, 2013

Software Defaults and the T183 - Part E

If you are an existing electronic filer who set up defaults within your tax software in previous years, please note the following:

  • those defaults may automatically be carried forward when you install this year's version of the tax preparation software.

However, we would like to remind you that you must check to ensure all defaults are appropriate for the current year, especially any relating to Part E - Authorizing an electronic filer to represent you, of Form T183, Information Return for Electronic Filing of an Individual's Income Tax and Benefit Return. Part E is optional, so you should never set up a default to transmit the authorization for every client unless all of your clients complete and sign Part E on the paper version of Form T183.

If you agree to represent your client and have indicated that the CRA should contact you (instead of the client) for the supporting documentation related to the pre-assessment and/or post-assessment review program, you must ensure the client has signed Part E in addition to the mandatory signature required in Part F - Declaration and authorization.

Part E is similar to Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative, in that it allows the CRA to provide you with certain information about your client's current year tax return and it authorizes you to make changes to your client's return and account. Alternatively, your client may use Form T1013 to cancel other representatives, authorize you to be their representative for a specific tax year or all years and can even allow you to access their information online. However, the authorization you are granted from Part E of Form T183, or Form T1013, are not interchangeable. Even if authorization from a T1013 is on file at the CRA, or you electronically transmitted or paper-filed Form T1013, the CRA will not contact you for pre- and post-assessment review unless the authorization from Part E of form T183 is transmitted with the return.

We monitor the activities of electronic filers. Please become familiar with this process before transmitting returns.


January 22, 2013

Electronic Services - 2013 Program

Renewal Reminder

Thank you for using the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) electronic services. To maintain your access for the coming year, including receiving emails from the CRA, you have to renew your participation online. This will allow you to use the following electronic services:

  • EFILE Online
  • EFILE Online Plus
  • System for the Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND)
  • Corporation Internet Filing
  • Electronic submission of form T1013

As an electronic filer, you have to comply with the electronic filing procedures. These procedures are available at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. You should become familiar with the information on these pages before using EFILE or SEND.

To renew your participation, make an online request at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. Click on "Renewal" and follow the instructions provided. To log on, you will need your current EFILE number and password.

You only need one EFILE number to file all your clients' income tax returns. Only tax preparation businesses that operate more than one location are required to have multiple EFILE numbers. If you are in that situation, remember to complete a separate renewal request for each EFILE number.

If you have lost your EFILE number or password, DO NOT file a new application using the "New Registration" link. Instead, contact your EFILE Helpdesk for assistance.

Seconds after submitting your electronic renewal request, it will be validated, and you will receive a confirmation page with your new password and the location of the EFILE Helpdesk responsible for your file. We will send you an email or letter to let you know the result of our screening.

If you are also a discounter, you do not need to renew your discounter code. However, a revised application Form RC76 is required when information previously provided on Form RC75, Form RC76, or Form RC115 has changed.

If you have any questions about this letter or the electronic filing services and you can't find the answer on the CRA EFILE Web pages, call your EFILE Helpdesk.


January 17, 2013

T1 Returns Stockpiling Process

Commencing January 21, 2013, providing you have renewed your EFILE account, met the requirements related to the suitability screening process and are using a certified software product, you will be able to submit T1 returns through our EOL+ (batch) filing system. We will accept the T1 batches from one to thirty returns and they will be placed in a stockpile inventory until we open for processing on February 11, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. (eastern (Ottawa) time).

As a reminder, we are asking that you take care when preparing returns to ensure that all of the necessary fields are completed prior to their submission. Our system validations are programmed to reject returns and/or entire batches if there is missing or invalid data in the applicable fields. Many software packages generate warnings or have their own validations to inform the preparer that data is missing or erroneous. Should you choose to ignore the software product messages and submit the file, it will be rejected thereby causing a delay in its processing.

If you are submitting discounted returns please ensure that you include a valid discounter number.

The following text message will be returned for transactions in error:

Return number XXX in the attached file contains an invalid discounter code. Please correct the information, resave your file and try again.

This message will be displayed throughout the program for all EOL + (batch) transactions that contain invalid discounter codes. When we start accepting EOL returns on Monday, February 11, 2013, those containing invalid discounter codes will continue to reject under error code 58.

You can continue to submit Form T1013 if you are currently a certified efiler.

For those who file corporation income tax returns using their EFILE number and password, you may continue to file those returns until January 18, 2013. To continue filing T2's after that date, you will need to have renewed your EFILE account and passed suitability screening.


January 3, 2013

SEND System Maintenance

The SEND web-site will be disabled for system maintenance at midnight eastern (Ottawa) time on Saturday January 5, 2013. It will re-open on Monday, January 7 at 06:00 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time. Users attempting to logon during this time period will receive a "closed for maintenance" message.


December 24, 2012

CRA Annual Letter Campaign – Message to Tax Professionals

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will soon be conducting its fourth annual letter campaign. In January 2013, the Small and Medium Enterprises Directorate of the Compliance Programs Branch will once again send educational and intent-to-audit letters to selected groups of Canadians through the Office Audit Letter Campaign. The campaign supports the CRA's increased emphasis on helping individuals and small businesses to better understand their tax obligations and to encourage them to correct any inaccuracies in their past income tax and benefit returns.

The CRA will send approximately 33,000 letters to taxpayers who earn self-employment income, receive rental income, or are employees who have claimed employment expenses on line 229 of their income tax and benefit return.

The campaign is part of the CRA's efforts to encourage voluntary compliance among groups of taxpayers who, our research indicates, may be at risk of non-compliance.

The CRA gives taxpayers a chance to come forward and correct their tax affairs through My Account, a T1 Adjustment Request or the Voluntary Disclosures Program, and taxpayers are taking advantage of these opportunities.

If you or your clients have questions about the CRA letter campaign or need help making changes to previouslyfiled returns, go to www.cra.gc.ca/lettercampaign, call the Individual Income Tax Enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281, or call the Business Enquiries line at 1-800-959-5525.


December 6, 2012

SEND Production

On Monday, December 10, at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will start accepting production System for Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND) requests.


November 30, 2012

ATTENTION: ALL EFILE\SEND USERS - LAST DAY TO TRANSMIT

The EFILE \ SEND Online Systems will stop accepting incoming transmissions on Friday, November 30th, at midnight Pacific Time. For EOL Plus (batch) users, the receiving platform will remain open for the retrieval of acknowledgement files only, until 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, December 4. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and participation. This year, in excess of 11.75 million T1 returns and 1.6 million SEND requests were processed by our EFILE Systems.

ATTENTION CORPORATION FILERS

Corporation Internet Filing is still available for electronically filing Corporation Income Tax (T2) returns.

Visit www.cra.gc.ca/corporation-internet for more information.

ATTENTION T1013 FILERS

Form T1013 electronic filing is still available.


November 9, 2012

Mandatory Electronic Filing

As a tax preparer and registered EFILE user, we want to make sure that you are aware of some recent legislative changes outlined in the budget implementation bill, Jobs, Growth and Long Term Prosperity Act (Bill C38) enacted on June 20, 2012.

The way Canadians do business is changing and the CRA, like other leading tax administrations, is changing to meet those expectations. Today, most professionally prepared tax returns are completed using commercial software. This legislation deals with the electronic transmission of this information.

Starting in January 2013, tax preparers who receive payment to prepare more than 10 income tax returns in a year will be required to file them electronically. This applies to both T1 individual income tax and benefit returns and T2 corporation income tax returns for 2012 and subsequent tax years.

We have prepared a series of questions and answers related to this legislation and have posted them on the following site. It is our intention to update this list as and when required and communicate these updates via this email process. Should you have questions which are not covered, please bring them to the attention of your respective EFILE Helpdesk.

www.cra.gc.ca/mandatoryelectronicfiling


October 22, 2012

Electronic Services - 2013 Program

Thank you for using the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) electronic services. To maintain your access for the coming year, including receiving emails from the CRA, you have to renew your participation online. This will allow you to use the following electronic services:

  • EFILE Online
  • EFILE Online Plus
  • System for the Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND)
  • Corporation Internet Filing
  • Electronic submission of form T1013

As an electronic filer, you have to comply with the electronic filing procedures. These procedures are available at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. You should become familiar with the information on these pages before using EFILE or SEND.

To renew your participation, make an online request at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. Click on "Renewal" and follow the instructions provided. To log on, you will need your current EFILE number and password.

You only need one EFILE number to file all your clients' income tax returns. Only tax preparation businesses that operate more than one location are required to have multiple EFILE numbers. If you are in that situation, remember to complete a separate renewal request for each EFILE number.

If you have lost your EFILE number or password, DO NOT file a new application using the "New Registration" link. Instead, contact your EFILE Helpdesk for assistance.

Seconds after submitting your electronic renewal request, it will be validated, and you will receive a confirmation page with your new password and the location of the EFILE Helpdesk responsible for your file. We will send you an email or letter to let you know the result of our screening.

If you are also a discounter, you do not need to renew your discounter code. However, a revised application Form RC76 is required when information previously provided on Form RC75, Form RC76, or Form RC115 has changed.

If you have any questions about this letter or the electronic filing services and you can't find the answer on the CRA EFILE Web pages, call your EFILE Helpdesk.


October 18, 2012

Important information

On October 22, 2012 you will be invited to renew your participation for the upcoming EFILE program. In advance of that communication and in light of the fact that the current system will remain open for the transmission of 2011 returns until November 30, 2012, we want to take this opportunity to advise you of some important filing conditions.

  1. If you renew your account between October 22 and November 30, you may continue to file 2011 returns, conduct SEND checks and transmit T1013's with your newly assigned password even though your EFILE Helpdesk may not have fully completed the suitability screening process. Should you wish to continue filing 2011 returns during this time period, please ensure that you update your tax calculation software with your newly assigned password. If you don't, your transactions will be rejected.
  2. If you don't renew your account between October 22 and November 30, you will still be allowed to file 2011 returns, conduct SEND checks and transmit T1013's. In this circumstance, you will continue to conduct these transactions using your current password.
  3. For those who file corporation income tax returns using their EFILE number and password, you may continue to file those returns as per the conditions noted in points 1 and 2. The exception with T2 returns is that you will be able to file them until January 18, 2013. To continue filing T2's after that date, you will need to have renewed your EFILE account and passed suitability screening.

October 16, 2012

Service Interruptions - Annual Conversion

Please note that the Agency EFILER Information System will undergo its annual conversion process to ready it for the upcoming program. Consequently, the ability to conduct the following activities will be temporarily disabled during the time frames noted below:

  • file 2011 T1 returns (will be down from 8:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 19 to 8:30 a.m. EST on Monday, October 22)
  • register a new account (same as above)
  • renew an account (same as above)
  • perform an account maintenance (same as above)
  • file T2 Corporation returns (will be down from 8:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 19 to 6:00 a.m. EST on Monday, Oct. 22)
  • file form T1013 (will be down from 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 19 to 6:00 a.m. EST on Monday, Oct. 22)

October 16, 2012

CORRECTION - Change of phone line for Jonquière EFILE Helpdesk

Further to the previous message concerning the change of phone line for the Jonquière EFILE Helpdesk, the area code for local calls should be 855 (855-699-4640) and not 418.

We regret any inconvenience.


October 15, 2012

Change of phone line for Jonquière EFILE Helpdesk

Please note that starting Monday October 15th, 2012, the contact information for the EFILE helpdesk in Jonquière will now be 418-699-4640 (Local calls) and
1-855-699-4640 (Long distance calls).


September 28, 2012

UPDATE: New Processing Review National Inventory

Further to the email below dated July 23 which pertained to the new National Inventory for the Processing Review Program, we would like to reiterate the importance of sending the required documentation to the Tax Centre that has contacted your office. The objective of this new process, which has been in effect since the end of July this year, is to streamline the selection and distribution of the selected reviews for Processing Review amongst the tax centres at a National level with the goal to maximize efficiency.

It has been brought to our attention by tax centres that they are receiving documentation or telephone enquiries for requests that should have been directed to another tax centre. In order to ensure that the review of the claims selected for review can be done in the most efficient and timely manner, please ensure to contact or send the required documentation to the Tax Centre that has contacted your office as it may not be necessarily the tax centre that you may have been in contact with in the past.

Thank you for your cooperation.


September 21, 2012

Reminder - Extension of the electronic filing season

Just a reminder that our electronic filing systems, EFILE Online, EFILE Online Plus and SEND, will remain open until November 30, 2012. We hope to make these systems available for the full year at a point in the future.


July 23, 2012

New Processing Review National Inventory

Until now, only the Tax Centre (TC) where the tax return had been initially assessed was contacting the taxpayer or an authorized representative in writing when a claim has been selected for review as part of the Processing Review Program. Starting July 23rd, 2012 it will be possible for any tax centre to review a claim which is part of the new National Inventory for Processing Review. The objective of this new process, which will be in effect near the end of July of each year, is to streamline the selection and distribution of the selected reviews for Processing Review amongst the tax centres at a National level with the goal to maximize efficiency.

Please ensure that the required documentation is forwarded to the Tax Centre that has contacted your office as it may not be necessarily the tax centre that you may have been in contact with in the past.


July 18, 2012

Extension of the electronic filing season

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve electronic filing processes, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is pleased to announce the extension of the electronic filing season for 2011 T1 tax returns. Starting this fall, the electronic filing systems, EFILE Online, EFILE Online Plus and SEND, will be available until November 30 instead of the usual September 30. We hope to make these systems available for the full year at a point in the future.

A move in this direction is both necessary and welcome. Future initiatives (such as prior year filing) have highlighted the need to keep these systems open for additional transactions and other electronic service enhancements.