CRA Auto-fill my return: what it fills in and what it misses

What CRA Auto-fill my return does

CRA Auto-fill my return lets certified tax software download information the CRA already has about you and place it on the right lines of your return. Instead of typing each slip, you connect the software to your CRA account and import the data in one step.

It fills in parts of the return, not the whole thing. Deductions such as rent, childcare, donations without slips, and most self-employment figures still come from you. The CRA says you remain responsible for making sure every field is correct, including the ones Auto-fill did not touch.

What do you need to use CRA auto fill my return?

• A registered CRA account. You sign in with a CRA user ID and password or through a Sign-In Partner (your online banking login). The provincial partner options, Alberta.ca Account and BC Services Card, are not compatible with Auto-fill.
• NETFILE-certified software. Auto-fill runs inside certified software, not on the CRA website. The CRA lists certified products on canada.ca; check that yours offers Auto-fill for the year you are filing.
• Your own return, or authorization for someone else's. The individual version imports your own data. To file for a family member or friend, add a Representative account through Represent a Client in your CRA account, then request authorization to access their information. Professional tax preparers use a separate Auto-fill My Return service for preparers.
• Working multi-factor authentication. Since February 2026 the CRA requires a backup MFA option on file, such as a passcode grid or a third-party authenticator app, so check it before tax season.

If you do not have a CRA account yet, register well before you file. Our CRA My Account guide walks through registration and the security code step.

Information Auto-fill my return brings in

The CRA's list is longer than most people expect. It covers income slips, account balances and amounts carried forward from earlier years.

The carryforward items are often more valuable than the slips. A forgotten $3,000 of unused tuition or a Home Buyers' Plan repayment that you skip can change your balance, and Auto-fill pulls both from the CRA's records. Auto-fill can also supply your 8-character NETFILE access code for sending the return. Using it is optional, but the CRA says it makes it easier to authenticate yourself if you later need to contact the CRA.

Joint accounts and T5 slips

When a slip shows more than one name, such as a T5 for a joint bank account, Auto-fill prompts you to confirm whether the amount is right and who should report the income. Report only your own share rather than accepting the full imported figure. You can enter your percentage of the interest directly in the software; the other person reports the rest.

When the information is available

The CRA says it should receive most third-party tax information by the end of February, and that the information should be processed and available by mid-March. Importing earlier can leave gaps, so import again before you file.

The May timing comes from the CRA's note that receipts for contributions made in the first 60 days of a year may not be available until May. If you contributed to an RRSP in the first 60 days of 2027 and want to deduct it on your 2026 return, type the receipt in yourself. Waiting for Auto-fill could push you past April 30.

When information is missing

A missing slip does not mean the income does not count. You still have to report it. The CRA names two common causes: the issuer has not sent the slip or the CRA has not processed it yet, or the slip was filed with a wrong SIN, first name or last name, so it never matched your file.

Ask the issuer for a copy or check My Account again later. If the slip never arrives, report the income from pay stubs or statements. Our missing tax slip page covers estimating the amount and what to attach.

One hard limit: Auto-fill can send up to 500 T5008 slips. With 501 or more, the CRA says an error message reports too many slips, so active traders must enter the figures by hand.

If CRA auto fill my return is not working

Start with the sign-in, because Auto-fill depends entirely on your CRA account connection. Work through these checks in order.

1. Confirm you are using a CRA user ID or Sign-In Partner, not Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card.
2. Sign in to My Account directly on canada.ca. If that fails too, the problem is your account, not the software.
3. Check that your software version is certified for the tax year you are filing.
4. Look for a CRA service outage notice on canada.ca, especially near deadlines.
5. If one slip is missing but others imported, treat it as a missing slip rather than a failed connection.

Error messages inside a specific product are a software issue; the maker's own help pages cover those. If you give up on Auto-fill, you can still file online by typing the slips in, as described in how to file a tax return in Canada. People with very simple returns may also qualify for SimpleFile, which uses the CRA's data without software.