The Canada Revenue Agency said taxpayers could begin filing 2025 income tax and benefit returns online on February 23, 2026.
CRA said it received more than 33 million tax returns in the prior filing season and that 93 per cent were filed online.
The agency also pointed to the scale of refunds and benefits delivered through the tax system. It said Canadians received more than $56.1 billion in benefit payments last year, including GST/HST-credit-related payments and other income-tested benefits.
More than 19 million refunds were issued, with an average refund of about $2,000. CRA said 79 per cent of refunds were issued by direct deposit.
The agency encouraged taxpayers to keep CRA account access current, including multi-factor authentication and personal information, before filing.
The filing season reminder is administrative, but the numbers show why filing matters. Returns are not only used to calculate tax owing; they are also the gateway for refunds, credits, and income-tested benefit payments.