A quick briefing to get you set up for tax-filing season

In a good way, I was reminded the other day that tax-filing season is just about here.

After logging into one of my dozen or so online accounts, I noticed a message saying that tax receipts for the 2024 tax year will be ready soon. Banks and financial companies used to handle tax slips in a way that sounded to their customers like, ‘you’ll get them when you get them.’ Today, they’re increasingly offering guidance on when slips can be expected.

Check your bank or broker’s website for the latest on your slips – many now have calendars showing the availability dates for all types of tax documents. Some also send e-mails to alert clients that these documents are now available.

If you rely on the mail for your tax slips, consider switching to online delivery. You can print your documents as required and store copies on your computer.

Here are some key tax-filing dates provided by H&R Block:

• Monday, Feb. 24: The Canada Revenue Agency’s Netfile service opens, which means tax returns can be filed online.
• Friday, Feb. 28: The final day for employers to issue T4s and T4As.
• Monday, March 3: The deadline to contribute to a registered retirement savings plan for the 2024 tax year.
• Wednesday, April 30: The tax filing deadline for most people. If you don’t meet the deadline, you could start incurring penalties if you owe money to CRA.
• Monday, June 16: The deadline for self-employed people to file their taxes. Any balance owing is due April 30.