Can I File My Taxes Directly With the CRA Online?

Yes. CRA-administered GST/HST returns can be filed directly through a CRA account or the standalone GST/HST NETFILE form. Personal income-tax returns use different services: CRA’s SimpleFile Digital is available to eligible people, including some without an invitation, after an eligibility check and access-code verification. CRA’s currently published questionnaire is for the 2025 tax year; check the relevant year and your circumstances.

Personal income tax: when SimpleFile Digital is available

SimpleFile Digital is a separate CRA service for eligible individuals with simple, non-taxable situations. For the 2025 tax year, some individuals who did not receive an invitation can use the CRA questionnaire to check eligibility; those qualifying without an invitation need the access code on their 2024 notice of assessment. Conditions and availability depend on the tax year. If the service does not fit your situation, check CRA-certified software or a paper return instead. CRA SimpleFile Digital eligibility.

Can I File My Taxes Directly With the CRA Online? The Two Ways

My Business Account. Sign in with a CRA Sign-in Partner or a CRA user ID and password, open your GST/HST (RT) account, and select “File a return.” No 4-digit access code is needed here — this is one option for eligible registrants.

GST/HST NETFILE (standalone form). A separate web form you can use without logging into a full CRA account. It requires a 4-digit GST/HST access code, printed on your CRA filing package (Form GST34-2 or GST34-3). Useful if you don’t have My Business Account set up yet but have that paper package in hand.

Both options are free, and both submit your return straight to the CRA — you’re not routed through any third-party software.

What You Need Before You Start

Have these details ready before you begin. The standalone NETFILE session expires after 35 minutes of inactivity, and unconfirmed entries are not saved:

Your Business Number and RT account number (e.g., 123456789 RT 0001)
The reporting period’s start and end dates
Total sales and other revenue (line 101)
GST/HST collected or collectible (line 103; the electronic form calculates line 105 automatically)
GST/HST paid or payable on eligible expenses as Input Tax Credits (line 106; the electronic form calculates line 108 automatically)
Your 4-digit access code, only if using standalone NETFILE

When Is It Due?

Monthly and quarterly filers generally file and pay one month after the reporting period ends. Most annual filers have three months after fiscal year-end. The April 30 payment and June 15 filing dates apply when the annual filer is an individual with a December 31 fiscal year-end and business income for income-tax purposes that year. Check your actual account deadline and weekend or holiday adjustments. CRA reporting guidance.

Do I Have to File If I Made Nothing?

Generally, a GST/HST registrant must file a return for each assigned period even if there were no sales. Use the nil-return option only when every field is zero; a period with no sales may still have other reportable amounts. CRA filing instructions.

Filing Isn’t the Same as Paying

Submitting your return online doesn’t pull the money from your bank account. You still need to pay separately, through My Payment (Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard), online banking by adding “CRA GST/HST Remittance” as a payee, or a pre-authorized debit you’ve set up in advance. Because bank transfers can take a day or two to clear, it’s safest to send payment a few business days before the due date rather than on the deadline itself.

After You Submit

Both filing routes give you a confirmation number once the return goes through — write it down or save the confirmation screen. It’s your proof the return was received if a dispute ever comes up, and it’s separate from your payment: submitting the return confirms the CRA has your numbers, not that your account is settled.

What About Quebec?

If Revenu Québec administers your account, use its GST/HST and QST filing services. Eligible registrants may file through My Account or the express service using a clicSÉQUR express access code. For reporting periods starting in 2024 or later, electronic filing is generally required, with an exception for charities. Revenu Québec filing options.

Sources

Sources checked October 17, 2026.