Maybe it will work, we often find it takes 3-6 hours to get through to CRA for questions regarding a clients tax returns. Nice the government is making the effort to redirect resources to the highest priorities, those that probably do not need the help. Looking at the list, it's a big list of help. Have fun :)
Date issued: Feb 22, 2021
Let us help you with your taxes!
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is offering a free service called File my Return that lets you file your 2020 income tax and benefit return quickly and securely over the phone. We sent you this letter as we believe you are eligible for the service.
All you need to do is confirm the information we have in our records below and provide some additional information over the phone to make sure you get all the deductions and credits to which you are entitled. During the call you will be asked questions. In most cases, you will need to press 1 for yes and 2 for no. At the end of the call you will be asked to confirm. This will allow the CRA to accept your answers and process your tax return. This call will take from 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
We hope you find this service helpful.
In order to use the File my Return service, you need to take the following steps.
Step 1 - Determine if you qualify:
Confirm that the following information is correct.
Part A - Identification:
- Your marital status did not change in 2020
- Your province/territory of residence did not change in 2020
- Your address has not changed
- You did not own foreign property worth more than $100,000 in Canadian funds
- You did not sell your principal residence in 2020
Part B - 2020 Income:
You only have income from one or more of the following sources:
Benefits
- Old Age Security - T4A(OAS)
- Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) / Net Federal Supplements - T4A(OAS)
- Canada or Quebec Pension Plan benefits (including disability benefits) - T4A(P)
Employment and related income supports
- Statement of Remuneration Paid - T4
- Employment Insurance Benefits - T4E
- Workers' Compensation Benefits - T5007
- Social Assistance Payments - T5007
- Canada Emergency Benefits declared on the Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income - T4A
Investment income
- Statement of Investment Income, Interest Income only - T5 (box 13)
If you have income from any source other than those listed above, please do not use File my Return.
Note: You also cannot use File my Return if you:
- want to stop contributing to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
- want to cancel a previous contribution to the CPP
- have tax exempt income
- are claiming an RRSP deduction, carrying charges and interest expenses, other employment expenses, or a clergy residence deduction
If all of the information in Parts A and B is correct, you are eligible to use the File my Return service and will continue to Step 2.
If anything in Parts A or B is not correct, you are not eligible to use File my Return this year, but you may:
- File online using certified tax-filing software, some of which are free. Learn more at canada.ca/netfile.
- Get help to file your return through our Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. For more information about the program, go to canada.ca/taxes-help.
Step 2 - Get your information ready:
Before you call us, you will need:
1. your social insurance number
2. your date of birth
3. the information you need to apply for benefits and credits, as applicable (You will find an asterisk (*) next to the information that you will need to provide over the phone.)
4. your spouse's net income, if married or common-law
Note: All references to spouse refer to your spouse or common-law partner, whichever applies. The spousal net income amount is used in the calculation of the Canada child benefit, the goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax credit, the social benefits repayment, and certain federal and provincial credits. Report this amount, even if it is zero.
Step 3 - File my Return call:
This service opens on Monday, February 22, 2021, at 12 pm, Eastern Time. When you are ready, call us at 1-800-959-1110. You will be prompted to provide information from Step 2.
You can hang up at any time during the call. If you do that, your information will be not be saved and your return will not be filed.
For individuals who are residents of Québec, the service only completes the federal portion of the income tax and benefit return. The Québec provincial tax return is handled separately by Revenu Québec, and will need to be filed separately.
If you have any questions about the File my Return service, you can call our individual enquiries line at 1-800-959-8281 or go to canada.ca/file-my-return.
Thank you for using File my Return. All you need to do now is wait a few days for your notice of assessment!
Information we need to calculate your benefits and credits
During your call you will be prompted to answer questions to claim the benefits and credits listed below. Review the questions carefully to ensure they apply to you and ensure you have this information with you when you call. You will find an asterisk (*) next to the information you will need to provide over the phone.
Ontario trillium benefit
You may be eligible for the Ontario trillium benefit (OTB), which includes the following credits:
- Ontario sales tax credit
- Ontario energy and property tax credit
- Northern Ontario energy credit
You must be eligible for at least one of these credits to receive the OTB.
The 2021 OTB payments will be issued monthly, from July 2021 to June 2022. However, you can choose to wait until June 2022 to get your 2021 OTB in one payment, instead of receiving it monthly.
During the call you will be asked if you want to receive your OTB benefit in one payment at the end of the benefit year, in June of next year, instead of receiving it monthly. To choose one payment, press 1 for yes or 0 for no. If your 2021 OTB is $360 or less, we will issue one payment in July 2021.
Ontario senior homeowners' property tax grant
You may also be eligible for the Ontario senior homeowners' property tax grant (OSHPTG) for 2021 if, on December 31, 2020, you met both of the following conditions:
- you were at least 64 years of age or older
- you owned and occupied a principal residence in Ontario that you, or someone on your behalf, paid property tax on for 2020
Information required to claim these benefits
If you are married or common law, only one of you can claim these benefits. However, if you and your spouse or common-law partner occupied separate principal residences for medical reasons on
December 31, 2020 you can apply individually or as a couple.
If you are claiming the OTB and/or the OSHPTG, gather the information below about your principal residence before you call:
* Enter the total rent paid (including amounts paid to a private long-term care home)
* Enter the total property tax paid
* Enter the total energy costs paid, if you lived on a reserve
* Enter the total accommodation costs paid to a public, or non-profit, long-term care home
Ontario seniors' public transit tax credit
You may be eligible to claim the refundable Ontario seniors' public transit tax credit, if you met all of the following conditions:
- you were 65 years or older on December 31, 2019
- you were a resident of Ontario at the end of the year
- you paid for eligible public transit services that you used in 2020
An eligible public transit service is one that is operated by the Government of Ontario or one of its municipalities, that is:
- a short-haul service an individual typically uses for a single return trip
- offered to the general public
- operated by bus, subway, train or tram
Specialized transit services that are designed to transport people with disabilities are also eligible even if they do not meet the criteria for eligible public transit services.
You can claim the Ontario seniors' public transit tax credit for qualifying payments you made for the use of eligible public transit services in 2020. A qualifying payment is an amount paid for:
- a public transit pass for a set number of rides in at least one day
- a public transit pass for an unlimited number of rides
- an electronic payment card
- a single-use ticket or token if a receipt was issued
- cash fare for specialized transportation services offered to people with disabilities if a receipt was issued
Did you take public transit in 2020? If yes, you will need to gather the information below before you call:
* Enter the total transit costs (the amount you paid in 2020 to use Ontario public transit services)
Climate action incentive
The climate action incentive (CAI) is a refundable amount that can be claimed when filing your return. The CAI can only be claimed for your family by you, your spouse or common-law partner, but not both of you.
You can claim the CAI for you and your family if you were a resident of Ontario on December 31, 2020, and you met any of the following conditions:
- you were 18 years of age or older
- you had a spouse or a common-law partner
- you were a parent who lived with your child
You can also claim the CAI for a qualified dependant who was under 18 years of age and resided with you on December 31, 2020. Qualified dependants include:
- your child or your spouse's or common-law partner's child or
- a person who was dependent on either one of you for support
A person is not a qualified dependant if they were:
- married or living common-law
- a parent who lived with their child on December 31, 2020
In a shared custody situation, only one claim can be made for each child. You cannot split the amount for a qualified dependant with another person.
You cannot claim the CAI if you meet any of the conditions below. In addition, you cannot claim the CAI for your spouse, common-law partner, or a dependant if they meet any of these conditions:
- were non-residents of Canada at any time in 2020
- were confined to a prison or a similar institution for a period of at least 90 days during 2020
- do not have to pay tax in Canada at any time in 2020 because either of you were an officer or a servant of the government of another country, such as a diplomat, or a family member who resided with such a person, or an employee of such a person
- were a person for whom a children's special allowance was payable at any time in 2020
- passed away before April 1, 2021
Depending on your situation, you may be prompted to answer up to 5 questions, entering Yes or No or entering a number. Based on your answers, you could get:
- $300 for yourself
- $150 for your eligible spouse or common-law partner
- $150 if you are a single parent and have a qualified dependant
- $ 75 for each qualified dependant
If you resided anywhere in Ontario that is outside of the Barrie, Belleville, Brantford, Greater Sudbury,Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, London, Oshawa, the Ontario part of Ottawa-Gatineau, Peterborough, St. Catharines-Niagara, Thunder Bay, Toronto or Windsor census metropolitan area as defined by Statistics Canada, your climate action incentive will include a 10% supplement.
For more information or to determine if you qualify, contact us at 1-800-959-8281.
Canada workers benefit
The Canada workers benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit that provides tax relief for eligible low-income individuals and families who are in the workforce. The CWB includes a disability supplement for individuals who have an approved Form T2201, Disability Tax Credit Certificate, on file with the CRA.
You may be eligible to claim the CWB, if you met all of the following conditions in 2020:
- you were a resident of Canada throughout the year
- you earned income from employment
- at the end of the year, you were 19 years of age or older, or you resided with your spouse or common-law partner, or your child
You cannot claim the CWB for 2020 if any of the following applies to you:
- you were enrolled as a full-time student at a designated educational institution for a total of more than 13 weeks in the year, unless you had an eligible dependant at the end of the year
- you were confined to a prison or similar institution for a period of 90 days or more during 2020
- you do not have to pay tax in Canada because you were an officer or a servant of the government of another country, such as a diplomat, or a family member or an employee of such a person
Note: If you had an eligible spouse, only one of you can claim the basic CWB. The person who received the CWB advance payments for 2020 is the person who must claim the basic CWB for the year. If you had an eligible dependant, only one person can claim the basic CWB for that eligible dependant.
An eligible spouse is a person who meets all the following conditions:
- was your cohabiting spouse or common-law partner on December 31, 2020
- was a resident of Canada throughout 2020
- was not considered ineligible due to any of the conditions in the "You cannot claim" section above
An eligible dependant is a person who meets all the following conditions:
- was your or your spouse's or common-law partner's child
- was under 19 years of age and lived with you on December 31, 2020
- was not eligible for the CWB for 2020
You can claim the basic CWB if your working income or the total of your and your eligible spouses' working income is more than $3,000.
If you had an eligible spouse and one of you is eligible for the disability tax credit, that person should claim both the basic CWB and the CWB disability supplement. If you had an eligible spouse and both of you are eligible for the disability tax credit, only one of you can claim the basic CWB. To be eligible for the CWB disability supplement, your working income must be more than $1,150.
The maximum payment you can expect to receive from the CWB is dependent on the province you live in.
If you are eligible for the CWB disability supplement, it will be automatically included for you if you qualify. Depending on your situation, you may be prompted to answer up to three questions, entering yes or no. If you are claiming an eligible spouse, you will need the following information before you call:
* Enter your spouse's employment income.
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