There have been many cases when individuals file their tax return and after filing it they realize they made one or more errors regarding the numbers they submitted. If you have made a mistake you do not have to panic or worry.
The CRA is very open to accepting changes to tax returns and they will happily accept your new changes and make a correct tax return provided the changes are requested in the correct time frame and in an appropriate manner.
As long as your mistakes were unintentional it is perfectly acceptable. However, intentional tax evasion and tax cheating can have some very serious penalties.
If you want to make changes to whatever you have submitted you can do it online, through an accountant, or through direct mail. If the mistakes are simply personal information such as your marital status or your address then you can change this by logging into your CRA account online.
If you are not registered for an online CRA account then you will have to make these simple changes by contacting the CRA just as you would for more complicated mistakes.
If you choose to submit your correction through paper form, then you have to download the correction forms from the CRA website and fill them out and send them to the address which is mentioned.
The best way to ensure you do not make any more mistakes is to run your taxes through a chartered accountant who is knowledgeable and experienced with taxes and how they should be done. Any correction you have to make can also be done through your small business tax accountant.
When you go through a professional you do not have to worry about whether you did the right thing or not because they definitely know what they are doing.
Correcting your return through your online CRA account is very quick and efficient. However, there are a few cases, in which corrections will not be accepted through online means.
- First of all your corrections can only be made on tax returns that have already been assessed. Before your tax return is assessed you cannot ask for a correction.
- If your tax return has many mistakes (9 or more) then you will also not be able to correct them with your online account.
- If you are filing a bankruptcy return you also can not quickly fix it up online.
- A return filed by the CRA under subsection 152(7) can not be done online.
- A complicated return ( such as a return by an international client or a return of a business established outside of your place of residence).
Once again, the best way to make a correction is to set up an appointment with your chartered accountant and let them know what is going on. They will easily be able to assist you to fix all your problems and finish up your work without further complications or penalties.