Automatic tax filing could give the average non-filer more than $2K per year: PBO
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
OTTAWA – The federal fiscal watchdog says Ottawa’s plan to roll out automatic tax filing could see Canadians who normally don’t file their tax returns get thousands of dollars in owed benefits annually.
The federal government announced a plan in the 2025 budget for the Canada Revenue Agency to file taxes for certain low-income individuals and offer pre-filled returns for others with simple tax situations.
The government relies on the CRA to distribute certain benefits supporting workers, parents or low-income households — which means those who don’t file their taxes probably aren’t receiving the benefits they’re owed.
Parliamentary Budget Officer Annette Ryan estimates in a new report that the federal government would pay out $342 million over five years under this new program, which she expects would cost $87 million to administer.
The budget office says lapsed or non-filers who don’t owe money to the CRA and get their taxes filed automatically under this new framework would receive an average of $2,212 for the 2025 tax year, and amounts would rise with inflation thereafter.
Ryan’s office assumes payments will begin in the next fiscal year for 3,000 eligible Canadians and that the CRA will scale the service up to 50,000 individuals for the 2027 tax year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.