I don’t have CRA account - so for the first time, do we need to do paper file our taxes? Is there a way to create a CRA account without being any prior tax filling? [In order to register for CRA account it does ask for prior-year tax amount]
In USA, we need to file tax with the state as well - here Turbo Tax only provides an option to submit (EFILE or Paper) to Federal ONLY - does it include provincial tax as well ?
In the same boat. Here’s my research so far -
You can file online. Wealthsimple tax, cloud tax and tons of other companies … so research and try DIY. In GTA I found tons of folks doing it for $50 to $250 per person. You will get online CRA account only after you file taxes for the first time.
Here we don’t need to file state separately and it gets taken care along with federal tax filing.
@jayhop Thank you for the insight - so for the very first time, we need to paper file it? I am trying to EFILE using turbo tax but CRA is not accepting it - my assumption is since I don’t have CRA account - it’s being rejected?
I was in the same situation couple weeks ago and decided to file with CPA. I needed to file both US and Canadian returns. Since I didn’t want to take chance filing myself, deal with audits for improper filing later.
It costed $150 + 13% HST for Canadian filing. EFILE.
The process was seamless with CPA using TAXDOME app/online account for all discussions, uploading required docs and everything. The experience was good.
Good thing is that now I got access to CRA account.
I tried login after CRA filed taxes using banking partner credentials. There is a message saying you NOA will be available so and so date (2 weeks from filing) and when I click on something to get more info it says you don’t have access to it unless you verify with pin which can be sent to mailing address. I was able to verify pin and later able to see NOA, RRSP limit, etc.,
FWIW I filed my taxes for the first time with Wealthsimple last year and was able to create a CRA account immediately after my return was confirmed.
I think the way the process worked for creating my CRA account was that I needed to supply some information from a couple of specific lines of some forms and when the numbers tallied up the account was approved. I did need to wait a week for a PIN that the CRA send by snail mail after account creation.
As for the NOA it did take a couple of weeks to come through in my CRA account but an express NOA was made available immediately through SimpleTax.
An aside, this reminds me that I need to file taxes for 2021 and I’ll get to that this week!
I finally got NOA notification email yesterday and was able to register CRA online account yesterday too.
Now waiting for pin to arrive in mail so that i can look at actual pdf of NOA or perhaps it will arrive in mail as physical copy around same time of pin arrival in mail.
This was a long journey for 2020 return… I filed it in last week of April 2021… So almost one year it took… There was documentation asked by CRA in July which i had faxed them in September… So after that submission after multiple followups they took their own sweet 7 months…