Canada Revenue Agency: What's new and what to remember when filing your taxes in Manitoba this year

(February 13, 2023 Canada Revenue Agency News Release) Tax season is upon Manitoba residents and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is getting ready to answer questions from taxpayers and make it easier and quicker for them to file their 2022 income tax and benefit return.

The CRA wants to make sure each taxpayer receives the benefits and credits they are entitled to. There are many advantages of filing an income tax and benefit return every year. The deadline for most Manitoba residents to file their income tax and benefit returns for 2022 is April 30, 2023. Since this date is a Sunday, a return will be considered filed on time if the CRA receives it, or it is postmarked, on or before May 1, 2023. A payment will be considered made on time if the CRA receives it, or a Canadian financial institution processes it, on or before May 1, 2023.

Updates to benefits, credits, and services

Simplified Northern Residents Travel Deduction – The CRA is launching the Simplified Northern Residents Travel Deduction, a pilot project to make it easier for northern residents to determine the lowest return airfare, one of the three amounts required to claim the travel deduction come tax time. Available on canada.ca/lowest-return-airfare, the simplified version features tables that identify the lowest return airfare amount found from airports with regularly scheduled commercial flights to a designated city. The airfare tables contain more than 135 airports, almost all of which are located in the prescribed zones

Canada Dental Benefit – The new interim Canada Dental Benefit is available to eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year. It provides financial support for parents and guardians of children under 12 years old if they receive dental care in Canada and do not have access to private dental insurance. For more information, go to Canada Dental Benefit

One-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit – The government introduced a onetime $500 payment to help lower-income renters facing housing affordability challenges. Applications are open until March 31, 2023. For more information, go to One-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit

First-time home buyers’ tax credit – The amount used to calculate the first-time home buyers’ tax credit has increased to $10,000 for a qualifying home purchased after December 31, 2021.

Home accessibility tax credit – For 2022 and later tax years, the annual expense limit of the home accessibility tax credit has increased to $20,000.

Climate action incentive payment (CAIP) – If you are eligible, you will automatically get the CAIP four times a year. Since it generally takes two weeks to process electronic returns, we recommend that you and your spouse or common-law partner (if applicable) file your 2022 returns electronically by March 10, 2023, to help in receiving the April 14, 2023, issuance. If you don’t receive the April issuance, the payment will be included in a subsequent payment after your returns are assessed. For more information, go to Climate action incentive payment continued on page 15