Online services - Update The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is experiencing electronic system difficulties that prevent the public from accessing some electronic services for personal returns such as NETFILE, TELEFILE and EFILE. We have temporarily shut down public access to these electronic services to ensure the integrity of taxpayer information. Update: March 9, 2007 Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Michel Dorais reported today that the CRA is making further progress in its efforts to resolve the computer database problem that prompted the Agency to suspend most online services for individual taxpayers earlier this week. "Our solution is working and in the past 24 hours we have successfully restored several databases," said CRA Commissioner Michel Dorais. "CRA employees will be working through the weekend to continue to restore the rest, and we expect to make good progress." "Once we complete this phase of our recovery plan," said Mr. Dorais, "we will work out the schedule to bring online services for individual taxpayers back online." The Agency confirms that all online services for business are still functioning. The CRA would like to remind businesses that all payments must be made as required on the prescribed dates. Instalment payments by individuals are due as usual on March 15. Facts for Taxpayers Currently, you cannot file your personal return electronically by NETFILE, TELEFILE or EFILE. Until the problem is resolved, we cannot process returns filed on paper, or returns filed electronically before the system interruption. Refunds will be delayed until processing is resumed.
We expect that all benefit payments, including the March 20 Universal Child Care Benefit and Canada Child Tax Benefit and the April 5 Goods and Services Tax / Harmonized Sales Tax Credit, will be made on time and without interruption.
If you have already filed your income tax return electronically, the CRA will be able to determine whether the filing of your return was affected by this problem.
It is too soon to speculate on whether the filing deadline will be extended. The CRA fully expects to restore all services well in advance of the filing deadline.
Most features on My Account are functioning normally. However, the following My Account services are currently not available: view account balance and statement of account; view instalments; change my return; change my address; and, arrange my direct deposit.
Electronic services for businesses, including My Business Account, are not directly impacted. There are no problems with employer remittances of payroll deductions, Goods and Services Tax/ Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) remittances, or the Business Number registration system.
While the system problem affects the processing of many incoming payments, GST payments can still be processed. You should continue to make your payments as follows:
In person at your financial institution. Online using your financial institution's Internet or telephone banking service. By sending your payment to the CRA by mail.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. We appreciate your continuing patience while we resolve this matter. Additional information: News release - March 6 Frequently asked questions Fact sheet - March 8 update
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced today that computer systems involved with the processing of tax returns for individuals are back online.

Tax processing had been halted on March 6, 2007, due to a computer glitch. The source of the problem had been traced back to software maintenance performed on March 4.

In an update on the CRA website, dated March 14, Michel Dorais, Commissioner of the Agency, stated that all of the databases had been restored and CRA employees are processing the backlog of returns and payments.

Tax processing for businesses had not been affected by the computer shutdown.

In his statement, Dorais thanked taxpayers "for their patience and understanding" during the service outage. He also stated that "the integrity and safety of personal data was never at risk".

The CRA suggests that it would work quickly to process the resulting backlog of tax returns.