We have been provided some useful information about filing your taxes more independently. Steve Sleigh is the person at CRA working on this.
See below for general information and then more specific information relating to autofeall of information.
Also, at the bottom of this posting will be Steve’s contact info.
he encourages everyone to contact him to help make filing taxes accessible for people who are blind or have low vision.
What’s new for the 2016 tax-filing season?
Did you know?
There are changes and enhancements to existing services, credits, and amounts for individual taxpayers for the 2016 tax-filing season!
Important facts
• Updated notice of assessment – The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has improved the notice of assessment! The new, simpler format provides the most important information about your assessment on the first page. This is part of the CRA’s effort to improve its correspondence with individuals. Online tax records are as official as a paper record.
• Auto-fill my return – The Auto-fill my return service is now available through some certified tax software. This service allows you to automatically fill in certain parts of your income tax and benefit return. To use the Auto-fill my return service, you must be fully registered for My Account.
• Online mail – Online mail is the fast, easy and secure way to manage your tax correspondence. Get statements such as your notice of assessment online in My Account, instead of in the mail. To register, provide us with an email address on your income tax and benefit return or register directly online at http://www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount. New correspondence, such as benefits statements (summer 2016), will be added this year!
• Universal child care benefit (UCCB) – For the 2015 tax year, under the UCCB, families will receive $160 per month for each child under 6 and $60 per month for each child aged 6 through 17.
• Disability Tax Credit – This year, Canadians claiming the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) will be able to file their T1 return online regardless of whether or not their Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate has been submitted to the CRA for that tax year.
• Children’s fitness amount – As of January 1, 2015, this is now a refundable tax credit available to families with children enrolled in a prescribed program of physical activity. For tax years prior to 2015, this credit was non-refundable.
• Child Care Expense Deduction limits – As of the 2015 tax year, the Child Care Expense Deduction dollar limits have increased by $1,000. The maximum amounts that can be claimed have increased to $8,000 for children under age seven, to $5,000 for children aged seven through 16, and to $11,000 for children who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit.
• MyCRA mobile app – Get your tax information anytime, anywhere, on your mobile device! In October 2015, new features were added to the MyCRA mobile app such as personalized benefit payment information, enhanced tax return status, and Canada child tax benefit application status. Starting February 2016, you will also be able to update your address, manage your online mail with the CRA, and sign up for direct deposit.
The CRA’s online services make filing and managing your taxes easier
The CRA’s online services are fast, easy, and secure. You can use them to help file your income tax and benefit return, make a payment, track the status of your return, register for online mail, apply for child benefits, and more. Access the CRA’s full suite of self-service options—register for My Account at http://www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount today, and start managing your tax matters online!
Here is the information directly from Steve. Below is an introduction for the blog. Below the introduction are instructions for using Auto-fill my return.
Introduction.
An important objective of the Electronic Filing Services Section (EFSS) is to ensure that Canadians who use assistive technologies have options to file their returns using 3rd party software and CRA’s Netfile service. To meet this objective we have been consulting regularly with companies who share their Netfile tax software links on CRA’s web-site as well as organizations dedicated to helping Canadians who are visually impaired or blind. In doing so, we have developed a communication strategy to inform and educate software developers of the needs of persons that use assistive technology, and how they can implement best practices to help meet those needs. We expect that our partners in the software development industry will continue their support on this important initiative.
EFSS continues to reach out and communicate with various organizations such as the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and Alliance for Equality for Blind Canadians (AEBC) to collaborate on communications to persons that use assistive technologies, highlighting the options and features available to them. Additionally, we have provided presentations to these groups with details on the use of Assistive Technology and NETFILE software.
Here are the instructions for Auto-fill my return:
To use Auto-fill my return, you need to:
· Fully be registered for My Account
· Select a use NETFILE-certified software that offers Auto-fill my return You will be prompted to enter your My Account user ID and password to use the Auto-fill my return service.
· Follow the steps laid out in the software. Once Auto-fill my return has populated your information, make sure that all the proper fields on the return are filled in and that the information provided is true and accurate.
· File your return as directed.
Steve Sleigh
Senior Projects Off icier
613-941-0416
steven.sleigh@cra-arc.gc.ca
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