Canada: Filing multiple years income tax (carry-forward)

Question

I've been a bit irresponsible with my taxes as a student, and now it is time for me to make up for the years of neglect, and file my taxes for the 2007-2012 periods.

I've not filed taxes starting in 2007. I know very well how to file them with on-line software (tax chopper was recommended for being free and good). My question is regarding "carry-forward" credits.

Carry-forward credits cite numbers from the previous years' "notice of assessment." I don't have any notice of assessments from the previous years, since I didn't file them yet, but I do have the numbers that the tax software has calculated.

Is it OK to use these calculated amounts for carry-forward and base my filings on these, and send all 6 filings in the same envelope? Otherwise, I would need to wait 6 to 8 weeks for each year's notice of assessment (meaning 7 to 10 months before I can get to completing 2012).

Answer 1

You can use the carry-forward amounts calculated by your tax software. The CRA will double-check your work and provide you with a final tally of what you/they owe them/you.

The folks at the CRA are quite willing to help you with this kind of question. Such queries will not automatically trigger an audit. The Tax Information Phone Service number is 1-800-267-6999. You may be asked for personally identifying information if your questions are specific to your situation. This may include your SIN #, most recent NOA, address, and date of birth.