Canada Revenue Agency
www.cra.gc.ca
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News and program updates
July 8, 2010
System Maintenance
The EFILE / SEND web-site will be disabled for system maintenance starting at 11:00 p.m. eastern (Ottawa) time on Saturday, July 10, 2010 and it will re-open at 10:00 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time on Sunday, July 11, 2010.
Users attempting to logon during this time period will receive a “closed for maintenance” message.
We regret this inconvenience.
June 8, 2010
FILING DEADLINE - SELF-EMPLOYED
Self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners, have until midnight Pacific time, on June 15, 2010 to file their 2009 income tax returns. For records that are returned for correction, you will have until midnight Pacific time on June 21, 2010 to correct and retransmit electronically. Records that are retransmitted and accepted on or before June 21, 2010 will be considered as filed on time.
If you receive a reject error clue that indicates that you should file a paper return, and you file the paper return after June 21, 2010 a late filing penalty may be assessed. You should therefore, file the paper return as soon as possible. Any enquiries requesting relief from the late-filing penalty under the Taxpayer Relief Provisions of the Income Tax Act should be directed to your local tax centre for consideration. You will also have to send a copy of the non-accepted records list.
NOTE: If you are an Efiler acting as a transmitter on behalf of a preparer, please communicate this message to the preparer.
June 3, 2010
Returns Requiring Re-Transmission or Paper Filing
Near the middle of April, the Electronic Filing Services Section, in conjunction with the Information Technology Branch, distributed emails, similar to the following example, to electronic filers who had returns reject during an initial transmission attempt and were not re-submitted. The lists included returns that rejected with correctable errors and those that rejected and needed to be submitted via paper. E.g. error clue 001.
As mentioned in the April email, it was our intention to provide you with such lists on 3 separate occasions throughout the course of the Efile program. List #2 will soon be emailed. If you are one of the email recipients, we would ask that you correct and resubmit the affected returns electronically or via paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.
If you receive an email and you have recently resubmitted the return(s) in question, please disregard the email. If you have no files to re-submit, you will not be receiving an email.
Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.
EXAMPLE
The following is a list of file(s) that rejected and have not been re-transmitted. Please make the necessary correction(s) and re-submit electronically or by paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.
DCN |
Date of Transmission |
Time of Transmission |
Taxpayer's Name |
Error Clues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DXXXXCERT2713 |
20101108
|
145206
|
Curtis M Thirteen | 527 123456 |
DXXXXFINE5N45 |
20101201
|
145206
|
Marisa Fortyfivenine | 222 2169 |
DXXXXGREEN728 |
20101206
|
145206
|
Chantal Vingthuittwelve | 001 |
April 22, 2010
Filing Deadline
All returns transmitted electronically up until midnight (local time) on April 30, 2010, will be considered as filed on time. For records that are returned for correction, you will have until midnight (local time) on Thursday May 6, 2010 to correct and retransmit electronically. Records that are retransmitted and accepted on or before Thursday May 6, 2010, will be considered as filed on time.
If you receive a reject error clue that indicates that you should file a paper return, and you file the paper return after April 30, 2010, a late filing penalty may be assessed. You should therefore, file the paper return as soon as possible. Any enquiries requesting relief from the late-filing penalty under the Taxpayer Relief Provisions of the Income Tax Act should be directed to your local tax centre for consideration. You will also be required to send a copy of the non-accepted records list.
Clients who have self-employment income, and their spouses or common-law partners, have until midnight (local time) Tuesday June 15, 2010, to file their income tax returns.
Anyone who has a balance owing for 2009 should remember that it must be paid on or before April 30, 2010.
NOTE: If you are an Efiler acting as a transmitter on behalf of a preparer, please communicate this message to the preparer.
April 13, 2010
Address Errors
We are receiving a large number of efiled returns with errors in the address. Please ensure that the address of your client is entered correctly. We've identified a number of files where the apartment number has been entered twice, a hyphen was entered in error, or, when a return has a fraction in the address, it has been entered incorrectly.
For example:An apartment number (e.g. 104) is entered at the Apt. line and the street address is entered as 104-123 Sesame St. The address then becomes 104-104-123 Sesame St. Either the apartment number 104 or the 104 in the street address should be deleted.
Where a fraction appears in an address (e.g. 30 ˝) enter the fraction as follows:
-
30 1/2
When an address includes an alpha character as part of the apartment or unit number (e.g. 313D), do not key a hyphen in the apartment or unit number (e.g 313-D).
Verifying that the address has been entered correctly prior to transmitting the return will help ensure that it is not delayed unnecessarily.
Thank you for your co-operation.
April 8, 2010
Returns Requiring Re-Transmission or Paper filing
The EFILE Help Desks are often contacted by efilers and asked about the status of returns they had previously transmitted. When we verify the files, we often see that a large percentage of them rejected initially, but were never re-submitted.
In an effort to reduce the frequency of such occurrences, the Electronic Filing Services Section, in conjunction with the Information Technology Branch, will be generating lists of returns for re-transmission. The lists will include returns that rejected with correctable errors and those that rejected and need to be submitted via paper. E.g. error clue 001. If you have already filed those returns, please disregard the email. Once processed, they will be removed from any subsequent mailouts.
It is our intention to send these lists out at least 3 times during the EFILE program. The first mailing will occur within the next week. If you have no files to re-submit, you will not be receiving an email. If you are one of the email recipients, you will be sent an email similar to the following. It will be sent to the email address that was provided when you registered on-line. We would ask that you correct and resubmit the affected returns electronically or via paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.
EXAMPLE
The following is a list of file(s) that rejected and have not been re-transmitted. Please make the necessary correction(s) and re-submit electronically or by paper, if necessary. Failure to do so may result in your client(s) being contacted by the Canada Revenue Agency and asked to file a return.
DCN |
Date of Transmission |
Time of Transmission |
Taxpayer's Name |
Error Clues |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DXXXXCERT2713 |
20101108
|
145206
|
Curtis M Thirteen | 527 123456 |
DXXXXFINE5N45 |
20101201
|
145206
|
Marisa Fortyfivenine | 222 2169 |
DXXXXGREEN728 |
20101206
|
145206
|
Chantal Vingthuittwelve | 001 |
We appreciate your assistance with this matter.
April 7, 2010
My Business AccountDue to systems maintenance, the My Business Account service will not be available from 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 9, 2010, until 6:00 a.m. Monday, April 12, 2010 (Eastern Time).
March 24, 2010
Extended hours of serviceAs we approach the T1 filing deadline, extended weekend hours of service will be provided until May 2, 2010.
Please visit the EFILE Helpdesk Support link for more information.
March 22, 2010
Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative – ReminderForm T1013 "Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative" has been available in 2D bar coded format in most software for the past month. We have compiled a list of tips to ensure faster processing of the form:
As a reminder, please note that Form T1013 now has two parts for authorization. You need to fill out either Part 2 to get online access to your taxpayer's account, or Part 3 to get regular access (mail or telephone).
March 1, 2010
Error Clue 55
If you received the following error clue when you transmitted an EFILE return on Friday, February 26 between 2:00 p.m and 3:00 p.m. Eastern (Ottawa) time, please retransmit the return. There was a temporary problem with one of our databases.
55 - The entry for the postal code is not in ANANAN format
We regret this inconvenience.
February 11, 2010
Service Interruptions - Annual Conversion
Service interruptions will occur on February 13 and 14, 2010.
The Canada Revenue Agency's mainframe systems will be going through an annual conversion process. The EFILE On-Line Plus and SEND transmission services will be temporarily closed until Monday morning.
Acknowledgement files are scheduled to commence on Monday morning, February 15, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time.
February 9, 2010
Annual Review of Individual Income Tax Returns
Each year, the Pre-assessment Review and Processing Review Programs conduct an annual review of Individual Income Tax Returns.
If any of your clients' tax returns are selected for review, letters will be sent to your office if the following information was transmitted with the return:
Unfortunately, each program, we receive complaints from preparers that they have not received these letters. Letters are sent to preparers only if all of the above requirements are met, otherwise, they are sent to the taxpayer.
If you want these letters sent to you, please ensure all of the above have been properly completed.
We appreciate your assistance in this matter.January 18, 2010
T1 Stockpile
For a number of years, the CRA has permitted the EFILE community to submit returns in advance of our official opening in February providing their software has been certified. For the 2010 program (2009 tax year returns) the EOL+ (batch) filing system will accept transmissions into the stockpile inventory on January 25th, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. (eastern (Ottawa) time). These returns will be held until we open for processing on February 15th, 2010.
As a reminder, past experience has proven that many of these stockpiled returns get rejected when we try to process them in February because they were submitted under duplicate ISA control numbers. These control numbers are generated by your software product. It is an EDI and EFILE system requirement that each batch be submitted under a separate and distinct ISA number.
Logic introduced in previous years to address the duplicate ISA number problem, remains in place.
During the stockpile period, Efilers who inadvertently send in batches under duplicate ISA control numbers will now have those transactions rejected just as they are during the regular program. Should you have any transmissions that fall into this category, the Action Menu Item, "Outstanding Acknowledgement Files" will be displayed the next time you logon. Accessing that option will result in an EDI 864 message being available for retrieval. Not all software handle this message the same but generally speaking, the message will indicate that CRA has received a transmission from you using duplicate control numbers. It will indicate the number and ask that it be retransmitted. You need only to change the ISA number and retransmit the file.
If you are submitting discounted returns please ensure that you include a valid discounter number.
The following text message will be returned for transactions in error:
The record number XXX in the attached file contains an invalid discounter code. Please correct the information, resave your file and try again.
This message will be displayed throughout the program for all EOL + (batch) transactions that contain invalid discounter codes. When we start accepting EOL returns on Monday February 15th, 2010, those containing invalid discounter codes will continue to reject on error code 58.
January 14, 2010
Electrical Maintenance
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will be conducting essential electrical power maintenance checks on its facilities this coming weekend. As a result, our website will be disabled starting at 23:00 hrs eastern (Ottawa) time on Friday January 15, 2010. We will re-open on Sunday January 17, 2010 at 16:00 hrs eastern (Ottawa) time. Users attempting to logon during this time period will receive a "not operational" message.
We regret this inconvenience.
January 5, 2010
Electronic Services - 2010 Program
Renewal Reminder
Thank you for using the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) electronic services to file your clients’ individual and corporation income tax returns.
CRA would like to remind you to renew your participation online in order to maintain your access to electronic services for the coming year and to receive CRA emails. This will allow use of the following electronic services:
To renew your participation, make an online request at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. Click on "Renewal" and follow the instructions provided. To log on, you will need your current EFILE number and password.
As an electronic filer, you have to comply with the electronic filing procedures. These procedures are available at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. You should become familiar with the information on these pages before using EFILE or SEND.
You only need one EFILE number to file all your clients' income tax returns. Only tax preparation businesses that operate more than one location are required to have multiple EFILE numbers. If you are in that situation, remember to complete a separate renewal request for each EFILE number.
If you have lost your EFILE number or password, DO NOT file a new application using the "New Registration" link. Instead, contact your EFILE Help Desk for assistance.
Seconds after submitting your electronic renewal request, it will be validated, and you will receive a confirmation page with your new password. Until we complete the required suitability screening, you will be restricted to account maintenance activities. We will send you an email or letter to let you know the result of our screening.
If you are also a discounter, you do not need to renew your discounter code. However, a revised application Form RC76 is required when information previously provided on Form RC75, Form RC76, or Form RC115 has changed.
If you have any questions about this letter or the electronic filing services and you can't find the answer on the CRA EFILE Web pages, call your EFILE Help Desk.
December 15, 2009
Reminder to System for Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND) Users
This is to remind you that the information provided in SEND responses is based on our records at the time the request is processed. Balances may change between the time the SEND request is processed and the time the tax return is assessed. These balances will affect the refund amount.
We are not responsible for errors or omissions in this information, or for providing any additional information about the client’s debt status.
December 1, 2009
System Maintenance - SEND Production
The EFILE website will be disabled for system maintenance on Thursday, December 3. It will re-open on Friday, December 4 at 06:00 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time. Users attempting to logon during this time period will receive a “closed for maintenance” message.
On Monday, December 7, at 8:30 a.m. eastern (Ottawa) time, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will start accepting production SEND requests.
November 3, 2009
Corporation Internet Filing
The following information is provided in response to a number of calls from electronic filers asking if they can still efile T2 returns after renewing their accounts. For those who have renewed, please ensure that your new password is inserted in your tax software.
Can I continue to electronically file corporation income tax returns while I renew my EFILE Online account each year?
Yes. You may continue to file corporation income tax returns up to the end of December using your current EFILE Online number and password. To file corporation income tax returns after that date, you will need to have renewed your EFILE Online account and passed our suitability screening. Once you have applied to renew your account and have been assigned a new password, you must use the new password to electronically file your corporation income tax returns.
If you renew your account but have not completed suitability screening by the end of December, you will not be permitted to transmit corporation income tax returns using your EFILE Online number and password. Suitability screening can take up to 30 days.
October 27, 2009
EFILE Renewals
The purpose of this message is to advise those who are renewing their EFILE accounts that there has been a change to the online renewal/registration form where it pertains to Managing Office. This section only has to be completed if you indicated that your Business Type is a Branch Office.
Some existing accounts, that are not Branch Offices, currently contain entries in the affected fields. Those entries must be deleted. Should you try to renew your account without deleting the entries or try to complete the fields and you are not a Branch Office, the following error message will be generated.
Managing office information cannot be entered for business types other than Branch Office.
Following are the affected fields in Part B - Managing Office:
Street:
City:
Province: (please note that the drop down box must be set to Prov or the error message will be generated)
EFILE Number:
Phone:
We appreciate your cooperation and regret any inconvenience in this regard.
October 26, 2009
Electronic Services - 2010 Program
Thank you for using the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) electronic services to file your clients’ individual and corporation income tax returns. To maintain your access to electronic services for the coming year, including receiving emails from the CRA, you have to renew your participation online. This will allow you to use the following electronic services:
- EFILE Online
- EFILE Online Plus
- System for Electronic Notification of Debt (SEND)
- Corporation Internet Filing
As an electronic filer, you have to comply with the electronic filing procedures. These procedures are available at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. You should become familiar with the information on these pages before using EFILE or SEND.
To renew your participation, make an online request at www.efile.cra.gc.ca. Click on "Renewal" and follow the instructions provided. To log on, you will need your current EFILE number and password.
You only need one EFILE number to file all your clients' income tax returns. Only tax preparation businesses that operate more than one location are required to have multiple EFILE numbers. If you are in that situation, remember to complete a separate renewal request for each EFILE number.
If you have lost your EFILE number or password, DO NOT try to file a new application using the "New Registration" link. Instead, contact your EFILE Help Desk for assistance.
Seconds after submitting your electronic renewal request, it will be validated, and you will receive a confirmation page with your new password. Until we complete the required suitability screening, you will be restricted to account maintenance activities and, on a temporary basis, the filing of corporate returns. We will send you an email or letter to let you know the result of our screening.
If you are also a discounter, you do not need to renew your discounter code. However, a revised application Form RC76 is required when information previously provided on Form RC75, Form RC76, or Form RC115 has changed.
If you have any questions about this letter or the electronic filing services and you can't find the answer on the CRA EFILE Web pages, call your EFILE Help Desk.
