Are your tax slips missing from the CRA website? This might be why

Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) national headquarters in Ottawa on Friday, June 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Less than three weeks before the tax-filing deadline, some Canadians have noticed their T3s and other slips are missing from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website.

The issue has prevented people from using the “auto-fill” option offered through online filing services.

So what’s causing the problem?

A CRA spokesperson told CTVNews.ca the missing documents are the result of a new validation process, which was introduced back in January to ensure the T3s, T5s and other slips that companies and other organizations submit to the government are accurate.

“We appreciate that this is of concern to taxpayers,” the spokesperson said of the missing slips. “The CRA is actively working to address any outstanding issues, including consulting with issuers, to ensure tax slips are made available on the portal.”

The government expects the “majority” of outstanding slips to be available online by mid-April, the spokesperson said.

There’s no indication the personal filing deadline of April 30 will be extended.

Manual entry recommended

A message on the government website recommends that people use the slips provided by their employers, banks and other organizations to file their taxes manually.

Filers have also been warned the TFSA contribution limit displayed in their CRA account “may not be up to date with the latest information.”

“To avoid overcontributing, we encourage you to review the records provided by your issuer while we work to update the information in your online account,” the government website reads. “We regret any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”

Some early returns blocked

This isn’t the first issue Canadians have faced while filing their 2024 taxes.

Many who tried to submit early returns last month found themselves unable to click the “submit” button if they had any capital gains or losses to report.

The CRA said that issue stemmed from the federal government’s last-minute decision to delay a planned hike to the capital gains inclusion rate, which determines what portion of a person’s capital gains – such as the profits earned selling stocks – is subject to tax.

The increase was supposed to take effect last summer, bringing the inclusion rate for capital gains above $250,000 to two-thirds, up from one-half, but the Department of Finance recently deferred the change until 2026.

With that announcement being made at the end of January, just weeks before tax season, the CRA was left scrambling to update its systems – but the issue was resolved in mid-March.