The Complete Guide to Auto-Fill My Return (AFR)

What is CRA Auto-fill my return?

Auto-fill my return (AFR) automatically fills out part of your tax return by importing your information and slips from your CRA My Account right into TurboTax. To use AFR, you must be a CRA My Account holder. If you don't already have a CRA My Account, you can sign up here.

The service, supported by all editions of TurboTax software, comes at no extra cost and can offer many benefits. These include automatically importing all your CRA slips and other tax-related information, including details from previous years if needed. Read on to find out what it can do for you.

Access all your available slips in your CRA My Account in one place

When an employer, government entity, or financial institution issues you a tax slip for anything (i.e. employment income, investments, pensions, social assistance), a copy is sent to the CRA. The CRA then houses it in your CRA My Account, along with your previously filed tax returns.

The information AFR can import includes: 

• Tax slips. T4 slips come from employers and detail your employment income. Other income slips include the T4A for pension, retirement, annuity, and other sources. If you own stocks, you will have T5 slips for reporting any investment income. AFR imports these slips and more, including: T3, T4E, T4RIF, T4RSP, T5, T5007, T5008, T5013.
• Benefit slips. The RC210 (Canada Workers Benefit Advance Payments Statement) is one benefit automatically imported by AFR.
• RRSP details. RRSP information that AFR can add to your tax return includes:
  1. T4RSP–Statement of RRSP Income
  2. RRSP contribution receipts
  3. RRSP contribution limits
  4. PRPP receipt–Pooled Registered Pension Plan contribution
  5. Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP)–Repayment amounts
  6. Home Buyers' Plan–Repayment amounts
• Investment-related slips.
• Tuition costs. Unused amounts for tuition/education/textbook credits and past losses. This includes T2202 certificates for claiming the Tuition Tax Credit for payments made for post-secondary education. (You may need to log in to your university account to locate your T2202.)

The CRA should receive most of your slips and receipts by the end of February. However, your T3 and T5013 slips may not be available until the end of March. Also, receipts for RRSP and PRPP contributions that are made in the first 60 days of the tax year may not be received until May. You'll get a separate RRSP contribution receipt for that period to file for next year if that's the case.

Easily reference and import information from previous years

Since your CRA My Account houses previously filed tax returns, additional key tax information that can be transferred to your current return include carry-forward amounts, like capital losses or unused tuition and education credits, allowable business investment loss (ABIL) and a history of deductions, as well as other tax-related data.

See a complete list from the CRA of information that can be provided on your return by AFR.

How do you import your information into CRA Auto-fill my return?

When you are ready to use AFR, there's a quick setup required. Reminder: You need a CRA My Account to use AFR. You can register here if you don't have one.

Note: Before you can register for a CRA My Account, you must have filed at least one tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency. So, if this is the first time you're filing a tax return, you won't be able to use AFR.

You'll also need NETFILE-certified software, such as TurboTax. Then you'll be asked to enter:

• your CRA My Account user ID and password
• your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• the security code that the CRA sent you (if you're only partially registered for the CRA My Account)

Once this information is complete, the software will provide steps on how to download your federal forms with AFR. Then, in just a few minutes, your slips and info will be auto-filled onto your tax return!

This quick video tutorial will walk you through the process step-by-step with TurboTax to help you get the hang of it.

Other important benefits of using AFR

The way that AFR can automatically personalize your tax return is a time saver, as well as a good way to avoid errors, and add an additional layer of security to the tax filing process. All of these qualities are key to filing with ease and on time. Here's more on AFR's streamlined process.

Reduce human error

Since the government receives a copy of every tax slip issued, they have the ability and responsibility to compare what you filed on your return with what they see on your account. If there are differences, they can catch them and give you the opportunity to correct the discrepancies.

This is important because every typo or missing slip can have consequences and prompt the CRA to take a closer look. Directly transferring your information from your online account into the proper spots on your return with AFR minimizes the risk of human error and delivers peace of mind, knowing your information is accurate down to the last cent.

Secure your personal information

When your CRA My Account is automatically linked with TurboTax software you can enjoy the same level of encryption that national banks use for online banking, including data encryption and multifactor authentication. Whether you import information through AFR or do it manually, the security of your data is TurboTax's first priority year-after-year. Linking through AFR is yet another safeguard to protect your personal information from possibly being exposed during tax preparation and filing.

Remember, never give anyone your user ID or password. When creating passwords, use unique and hard-to-guess options, and even if you're busy, be vigilant about updating your information.

Possible AFR limitations and troubleshooting tips

Knowing the limitations of AFR can go a long way in helping you prepare for any bumps in the road. Here's a list of potential hiccups with AFR and tips on how to handle them.

Foreign exchange transactions

If you receive foreign income—either from a foreign employer, a foreign pension plan, or from owning foreign investments—you must report this income on your return in Canadian dollars. AFR may not able to calculate and provide this data. If that's the case, you will need add it manually. So be prepared by keeping these documents handy.

Slip-ups with slips

If you notice any errors on your T-slips it's your responsibility to ensure they're corrected, or else the mistakes will be imported to your current year's return. If you find any mistakes or are notified of them, this is the time to make the changes.

Duplicate forms

Look for any duplicate slips filed on your behalf before confirming that your return is correct. Duplicates can occur when an issuer replaces an original slip with an amended slip. Be sure to check what's loaded onto CRA My Account carefully.

Empty CRA My Account

If you use AFR and realize the CRA has nothing on file for you, it could be that you're trying to download your forms too early. The CRA may not have had a chance to collect all of the necessary forms. Waiting until the middle of March to download your slips with AFR will give you a better chance of having all your information available.

It's also possible that you don't have any slips or other information available for importing. Review your income and benefit receipts carefully for the current tax year and contact the CRA or your employers with any questions about your forms.

Error alert

If your basic information is awry in the system, this could hold up your return. This especially applies if a slip was issued to you with an error in your Social Insurance Number (SIN), first name, or last name. If this occurs, it will not be available on CRA My Account or AFR. Contact the issuer immediately for any missing or incorrect slips so mistakes can be fixed ASAP.

Provincial considerations

Quebec residents have to file a federal and provincial tax return. So only filing through AFR for federal will not be enough. Revenu Québec has a service called clicSÉQUR which—like the CRA—receives and stores all of your provincial Relevé slips.

Learn more about importing your tax data online with Revenu Québec.

Possible AFR sign-in issues

Occasionally, AFR just doesn't work like it's supposed to due to a variety of reasons, including forgetting your password or trying to log in during Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) maintenance periods.

No worries, we have more solutions! Find out how to handle problems like computer cache issues, too many T-slips, and AFR outage times in our article, "What to Do if Auto-Fill My Return (AFR) Fails."

When you're ready to file your taxes, keep TurboTax's complete guide to AFR bookmarked and handy. AFR can help you shortcut the process of filling in all the blanks on your tax return. It's just one of the ways using TurboTax can help make tax filing faster, easier, and error-free.

Time to file your taxes? Discover the magic of Auto-fill my return (AFR)

Looking to simplify the tax preparation and filing process? AFR is the answer. Try it once, and you'll never look back.

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