# NETFILE not working: CRA-side causes and fixes

Source: https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/netfile-not-working
Publisher: Canada Tax Desk (canadataxdesk.com), independent editorial site
Topic: NETFILE and E-Filing
Last updated: 2026-09-18

> When NETFILE is not working, the cause is usually on a short list: the service is in its 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. ET daily maintenance, the season is closed, the tax year or return type is not eligible, or your name, birth date or SIN does not match CRA records. Check those in order. If NETFILE still fails, you can file on paper so a deadline is not missed.

## Key facts

- Daily maintenance: 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time
- Current season ends: January 29, 2027
- Tax years accepted now: 2018 to 2025
- Late-filing penalty if you owe: 5% of balance plus 1% per full month, up to 12 months

## Quick checks when NETFILE is not working

Most NETFILE problems come from the CRA side of the connection rather than from your computer. Before reinstalling anything, work through these checks. They take a few minutes and rule out the causes the CRA itself documents.

This page deals with the CRA side. If your software crashes, will not update or shows its own internal error number, the fix is in the software's help pages. If the CRA received your data and sent back a refusal, go to [NETFILE rejected](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/netfile-rejected-return) instead, because a refusal needs a different fix from a failed connection.

## Is NETFILE down? Maintenance and season dates

The CRA takes NETFILE offline every day from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time for maintenance. That window is midnight to 3 a.m. in British Columbia, so late-night filers on the West Coast run into it more often than anyone else. Wait until after 6 a.m. Eastern and try again.

The service also closes for several weeks each winter. The current season ends on Friday, January 29, 2027, and in 2026 the service stayed closed from February 1 until 6:00 a.m. Eastern on February 23. The 2027 reopening date is not yet announced; our [NETFILE open date](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/netfile-open-date) page tracks it.

### NETFILE not working in 2026 for a 2026 return

A common mix-up in the fall is trying to send a return for the year that has not ended. NETFILE currently accepts tax years 2018 to 2025 only. A 2026 return cannot be sent until the 2027 season opens, however complete it is.

> **Check the official page, not social media:** Service hours and season dates are posted on the CRA's NETFILE page on canada.ca. If a failure happens at a busy time and every check here passes, wait an hour and retry before assuming something is wrong with your return.

## Your return is not eligible for NETFILE

Some returns can never be sent through NETFILE, and good software will warn you before you try. The CRA excludes returns for a person who died, bankruptcy returns, returns for years outside the accepted range and returns for deemed residents.

Less obvious exclusions catch people with unusual situations: income from Lloyd's of London, employment with a prescribed international organization, pension income that accrued before 1972, foreign tax credits for more than 3 countries, more than 12 sets of financial statements, SR&ED expense deductions, and claims involving more than 22 children. The full list is on our [NETFILE eligibility rules](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/netfile-eligibility-rules) page.

### SIN and filing limits

NETFILE needs a social insurance number starting with 1 to 9, or a temporary tax number starting with 01 or 03. Anyone filing for relatives can send up to 20 returns per computer or CRA account for each tax year; the 21st will not go through, so a family member will need to send it from another device or account.

## Identity details do not match CRA records

If the connection works but the CRA will not accept the return, the likeliest cause is a mismatch. The CRA compares your name, date of birth and SIN with its own file. A different spelling, a missing hyphen, a recent surname change or a transposed birth date is enough to stop it.

- Compare your name with how it appears on your last notice of assessment, not how you usually write it.
- Check the date of birth format your software uses: day and month swapped is a frequent slip.
- If you changed your name, make sure the software records the change rather than just the new name.
- If you entered an access code, confirm it came from your most recent notice of assessment, or clear the field.

If your details are right and the CRA's records are wrong, for example an incorrect birth date on file, the CRA's electronic filers manual says the person must contact the CRA with original or certified documents to have the record corrected. Until then, a paper return is the practical way to file.

## Other ways to file if NETFILE will not work

Do not let a technical problem make you late. If you owe tax, the late-filing penalty is 5% of the balance owing plus 1% of that balance for each full month late, up to 12 months.

| Full months late | 5% base | Monthly part | Total penalty |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0 (filed late by days) | $100 | $0 | $100 |
| 3 | $100 | $60 | $160 |
| 6 | $100 | $120 | $220 |
| 12 (maximum) | $100 | $240 | $340 |

Worked example: late-filing penalty on a $2,000 balance (CRA formula)

1. Try again after the daily maintenance window or at a quieter time of day.
2. If the return type is excluded or your records do not match, print the return and mail it. Our [paper tax return](https://canadataxdesk.com/filing/paper-tax-return-canada) page explains where to send it and how long processing takes.
3. If you have a representative or preparer, they can send an eligible return through [EFILE](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile/cra-efile-service).
4. Keep proof of when you mailed or sent the return, in case the timing is questioned later.

The CRA also charges interest on overdue tax at its prescribed rate, which was 7% for July to September 2026, separately from the penalty. Pay what you owe by April 30 even if the return itself goes by mail. More on how the service is meant to work is in our [NETFILE Canada guide](https://canadataxdesk.com/netfile).

## Step by step

1. **Check the time.** Avoid 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time and the February shutdown.
2. **Check the tax year.** Confirm the year is between 2018 and 2025 for the current season.
3. **Check eligibility.** Make sure your return is not in an excluded category, such as a deceased or bankruptcy return.
4. **Check identity details.** Match your name, date of birth and SIN to CRA records, and clear an out-of-date access code.
5. **File another way.** If it still fails, mail a paper return before the deadline.

## Common questions

### Why is NETFILE not working right now?

Check the time first. NETFILE is offline every day from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Eastern time, and for several weeks each February. If it is open, check that your tax year and return type are eligible and that your identity details match CRA records.

### Is NETFILE down tonight?

If it is between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Eastern time, yes, for routine maintenance. Outside those hours, a failure usually points to eligibility or a data mismatch rather than an outage.

### Can I NETFILE during the February maintenance?

No. Transmissions fail until the CRA reopens the service for the new season. In 2026 that happened on February 23 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern time.

### What should I do if NETFILE keeps failing?

Work through the checks on dates, eligibility and identity details. If none of them fix it, print and mail the return before the deadline so you avoid a late-filing penalty.

### Does a NETFILE failure count as filing on time?

No. A return counts only once the CRA receives it, which NETFILE shows with a confirmation code. Without that code, file another way before the deadline.

## Sources

- [NETFILE: sending your return (Canada.ca)](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/income-tax/personal-income-tax/how-file/tax-software/send-return/netfile.html)
- [NETFILE eligibility and service dates (Canada.ca)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/e-services-individuals/netfile-overview/eligibility.html)
- [Late-filing penalty (Canada.ca)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/interest-penalties/late-filing-penalty.html)
- [Prescribed interest rates, July to September 2026 (Canada.ca)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/prescribed-interest-rates/2026-q3.html)
- [RC4018 Electronic Filers Manual, chapter 2 (Canada.ca)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4018/chapter-2.html)