What's coming. Starting in March 2027, according to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), one million eligible people will get an invitation in their CRA account to use a pre-filled return to file their 2026 taxes. The CRA fills in the return using information it already has; you check it, correct it, add anything missing, then submit it. The service is free. It's set to grow to 5.5 million people in 2029.
Who may be invited. The CRA lists four conditions: you filed your 2025 tax return by October 31, 2026; you have a lower income and a simple tax situation with no tax to pay; you have a CRA account; and you set your correspondence preference in that account to "electronic mail." The CRA says you may be invited: meeting the conditions doesn't guarantee it.
Three steps by October 31. Sign in to your account, or register for one. Update your personal information. Then set your correspondence preference to electronic mail.
In Quebec, there are two returns. The pre-filled return is about the federal return, the one you send to the CRA. Quebec residents also file a separate provincial return with Revenu Québec. The CRA's page makes no exception for Quebec, but it only covers the federal return.
Haven't filed your 2025 return yet? If you have a lower income and a simple situation, the CRA offers SimpleFile, a free service to file online, by phone or on paper, as well as free tax clinics where volunteers complete your return for you.
Good to know for newcomers. As the CRA points out, you need to file a return every year to keep getting the benefits and credits you're entitled to, even with little or no income. For your first returns in Canada and Quebec, see our guide to filing taxes as a newcomer.
