Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Life

Missed the tax deadline? Here’s what to do if you haven’t filed your 2024 return

Missed the April 30 tax deadline? You can still file your 2024 return and access refunds, benefits, and credits—with help from the CRA’s easy-to-use filing tools.
Village Life
seniors-taxes
Canva

If you missed the April 30, 2025 tax deadline, you're not alone—and it's not too late. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is reminding Canadians that they can still file their 2024 income tax return and potentially access valuable refunds, credits, and benefits.

While tax season may feel like a thing of the past, the CRA is encouraging late filers to take action sooner rather than later. Filing your return—even after the deadline—can ensure you avoid disruptions to benefit payments, claim any refunds you’re owed, and stay in good standing with the CRA. This tax season alone, over 13.9 million Canadians have already received refunds, averaging $2,202 each.

Filing is also the key to unlocking benefits like the GST/HST credit, Canada child benefit, and the Canada workers benefit. Even if you have little or no income to report, submitting a return ensures you remain eligible for these programs. In fact, over $52 billion in benefits were distributed last year—funds that were only made available because individuals filed their taxes.

Worried about the process? The CRA has made it easier than ever to file:

  • Online filing: Over 95% of Canadians—more than 26.5 million—filed their returns online this year using NETFILE-certified software. Many of these programs are free, secure, and user-friendly.

  • Auto-fill My Return: If you’ve registered for a CRA account, this service can automatically fill in much of your return using the information the CRA already has on file. More than 19.3 million Canadians used it this season.

  • SimpleFile: A quick, no-cost option used by over 70,000 Canadians this year.

  • Free tax clinics: If your income is modest and your situation is straightforward, volunteers can help file your return at no cost. Over 765,000 people have already filed this way in 2024.

Even if you owe taxes, it’s still better to file now than wait. Filing late and owing money can result in penalties and daily compound interest. However, payment plans are available, allowing you to pay what you owe over time if necessary.

There’s also some relief for individuals dealing with capital dispositions:

  • T1 individual filers have until June 2, 2025 to avoid late penalties and interest.

  • T3 trust filers have until May 1, 2025 under the same relief conditions.

Life gets busy, but filing your taxes—even a little late—is still worth it. With free tools, extended support, and the potential for a financial boost, now is the time to get caught up. Your future self—and your wallet—will thank you.