Nearly 3 in 10 Canadians Have Yet to File Their Taxes Despite Being Just Days Away from The Filing Deadline with More Than 1 in 10 Who Say They’ll Miss the Deadline, Reveals New H&R Block Study

Canadians Procrastinate Filing Their Taxes Despite Refunds Averaging More Than $2,100*

CALGARY, Alberta, April 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadians are dragging their feet on filing their taxes this tax season, reveals a new survey from H&R Block Canada. While the personal income tax filing deadline is only days away on April 30, 2026, more than one quarter of Canadians (28%) have yet to file. This equates to nearly 9 million Canadians who have not yet filed their taxes, compared to around 22% (around 7.3 million) late filers from a similar timeframe in 2025.

Of those who have yet to file, 69% say they haven’t gotten around to it but plan to do so before the April 30^th deadline, while 7% plan to file before the deadline but are procrastinating because they’re worried they’ll owe money. More than 1-in-10 (12%) say they’ll file, but after the April 30^th deadline because they haven’t gotten around to it yet. In addition, 5% of Canadians report they’ve tried filing their taxes but haven’t yet because they’re having issues accessing their CRA My Account with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Ontario is home to the biggest tax filing holdouts, with 1 in 3 (33%) who have yet to file, followed by Saskatchewan & Manitoba at 32%, British Columbia (30%), Atlantic Canada (28%), Alberta (22%) and Quebec (21%).

“The vast majority of Canadians get a tax refund with an average refund of more than $2,100 when filing with us.* Filing your taxes is not just about putting money back into your pocket through refunds, it’s also the only way to access numerous year-round credits and benefits,” said Yannick Lemay, Tax Expert at H&R Block Canada. “Some Canadians don’t file their taxes or procrastinate because they know they won’t owe any taxes or made little to no income, so they think there’s no benefit to filing. Others avoid getting assistance because they think they have to come into an office, but that’s not the case anymore. Then, they’re later shocked about how much money they’ve missed out on because they didn’t claim the credits and benefits they’re entitled to. In fact, through our Second Look program that reviews Canadian’s tax returns from previous years filed elsewhere, we find that more than 60% of Canadians missed out on an average $2,725 in credits or benefits. It literally pays to file your taxes.”

Conversely, for those who owe on their personal income taxes, late filers face a 5% penalty on their balance of taxes owing, plus 1% for each full month they delay in filing up to 12 months. Anyone who has been penalized for late filing within the past years will see a doubling of these penalties: a 10% late filing penalty and 2% for each month delay up to 12 months.

Many Canadians report that they don’t feel confident in navigating the hundreds of tax credits and deductions they may be entitled to. A separate 2026 H&R Block Canada survey revealed that more than 4 in 10 Canadians aren’t confident in their understanding of the credits and benefits they’re entitled to in order to maximize their return.

H&R Block points to a list of new tax changes and the most common missed tax credits that can often mean more money back in the pockets of Canadians:

Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC): The most common overlooked tax credit, the METC includes medications, medical devices, travel for medical treatment (if over 40 km), prescription glasses and so much more. The METC also covers the portion of medical expenses you pay if your insurance only covers a percentage. If you’ve neglected to save receipts from medications, pharmacies typically have copies of receipts for the year.
Disability Tax Credit (DTC): For individuals with prolonged physical or mental impairments up to $10,138 in non-refundable tax credits. Many Canadians who live with ADHD, diabetes, or mental health conditions qualify but don’t apply for the credit and don’t claim.
Disability Tax Benefit: Different than the DTC, the Disability Tax Benefit is a monthly payment for those who qualify for the DTC of up to $200 per month.
Child Care Benefit: A tax-free monthly payment to supplement the cost of raising a child. For the July 2025 – June 2026 time period, the maximum annual benefits are $7,997 per child under 6, and $6,748 per child ages 6–17. For children with disabilities, the maximum Child Disability Benefit is $3,411 per year per eligible child.
Canada Caregiver Credit (CCC): For Canadians supporting a spouse, partner, child, or dependent with a disability or medical condition, up to $8,601 can be claimed on their 2025 tax return. A signed doctor’s note might be needed by the CRA.
Canada Workers Benefit (CWB): A refundable tax credit for modest-income individuals based on adjusted family net income, for up to $1,633 for single Canadians, and a supplement of up to $843 for people with a disability. Amounts vary in Alberta, Nunavut and Quebec.
Income tax brackets changes: The lowest tax rate was reduced from 15% to 14% as of July 1^st, 2025, so the CRA will apply a 14.5% tax rate for all of 2025 – meaning many Canadians will see a slight bump in their tax refund this year.
Personal Support Workers (PSWs) credit: PSWs in most provinces are getting a temporary refundable tax credit (starting 2026 until 2030). This means qualifying PSWs will receive 5% back on eligible earnings on their taxes (up to $1,100).
First time homebuyers 100% GST rebate: First time homebuyers will soon receive a GST rebate of 100% on the purchase of their first home if it’s new and worth $1 million or less.
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST Credit): A quarterly credit payment for eligible couples or single Canadians based on household income, to help offset the cost of sales tax. Payments are up to around $700 for single adults, and up to around $1,400 for a family of four not including the one-time payment being made this spring, but can only be received by filing a current tax return.

“The tax filing deadline for businesses is June 15, however, if you owe taxes, they’re due on April 30 as well, so it’s important for businesses to know their status on taxes owing before the deadline,” said Yannick Lemay.

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* The average refund claimed for H&R Block clients who claimed a refund during Tax Season 2025 was $2,101. The average refund amount was calculated based on all clients who had their 2024 tax year return prepared and filed at an H&R Block company-owned location in Canada during the period January 1 through to April 30, 2025. Amount cannot be guaranteed and varies based on each individual tax situation. Not everyone receives a refund.

** Based on 2,960 T1 Adjustments for returns originally prepared outside H&R Block and reassessed at H&R Block company owned locations in Canada (Jan 1 - Aug 31, 2025). Refund results for 2,118 reassessed returns: 64% had a higher refund averaging $2,725. Actual results vary and are not guaranteed.

About H&R Block Canada: A trusted partner of Canadians for over 60 years, H&R Block Canada the market leader in assisted tax preparation. Serving almost 1,000 locations across the country that includes a network of Canadian franchise business owners, H&R Block's team of Tax Experts use the latest in technological advances combined with real-world expertise to help people file taxes in office, file remotely, or use our award-winning tax software, named moneyGenius.ca’s Best Tax Software two years in a row. H&R Block Canada can support in the preparation of personal, small business, corporate, U.S., rental, and estate taxes. H&R Block's comprehensive education program, Tax Academy, ensures our Tax Experts continually update their skills. Learn more at www.hrblock.ca or 1-800-HRBLOCK.     

For more information, contact: H&R Block c/o Ketchum: hrblockmediainquiries@ketchum.com  

About the 2026 last-minute filing survey:  Findings are from a survey conducted by H&R Block from Apr. 15-17, 2026, among a sample of 1,500 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19x out of 20.

About the 2025 last-minute filing survey:  Findings are from a survey conducted by H&R Block from Apr. 22-24, 2025, among a sample of 1,509 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19x out of 20.

About the 2026 survey: Findings are from a survey conducted by H&R Block from Feb. 19-23, 2026, among a sample of 1,545 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19x out of 20.

About the 2025 survey: Findings are from a survey conducted by H&R Block from Feb. 12-13, 2025, among a sample of 1,790 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19x out of 20.

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