Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson Calls on Standing Committee on Finance to Review Automatic Tax Filing Provisions in Bill C-31

OTTAWA, October 5 2026 – The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson is urging the Government of Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to ensure that automatic tax filing initiatives are designed to help Canadians receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to, on time and without interruption.

OTTAWA, October 5 2026 – The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson is urging the Government of Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to ensure that automatic tax filing initiatives are designed to help Canadians receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to, on time and without interruption.

For many lower-income Canadians, benefits and credits provide essential financial support. While some individuals are not required to file a tax return, they must do so to establish and maintain eligibility for this support. In this context, automatic tax filing has the potential to reduce barriers and connect more Canadians with the support they need.

The CRA is pursuing three approaches to automatic tax filing:

While SimpleFile is currently available, it requires a taxpayer’s explicit consent. Proposed legislation in Bill C-31 would allow the CRA to implement deemed filing for certain taxpayers, enabling the CRA to file a return on an individual’s behalf without the taxpayer’s consent or involvement.

While the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson supports efforts to simplify tax filing they are concerned that deemed filing, as currently proposed, could create several service issues. Therefore, it is at this time, before the legislation is passed, that consideration be given to whether the legislation will deliver for lower-income Canadians.