6 things you can do to help get money back and save money on your Canadian tax return

If you're getting ready to file your taxes in Canada, you might be worried about owing money.

There are ways to save you money and even get you money back from the government.

Narcity spoke with Stefanie Ricchio, a CPA and TurboTax spokesperson, and Gerry Vittoratos, a tax specialist with UFile, to find out what you need to know for this year's tax season.

You can do a few simple and easy things to reduce how much tax you owe, boost your refund and get money from the government.

File even if you have low or no income

Simply filing a tax return is one of the easiest ways to get money back from the government, even if you have no income or a low income.

Ricchio said Canada has federal tax brackets that operate on a progressive tax system, meaning your income is divided into segments and taxed at progressively higher rates.

For the 2025 tax year, the first $57,375 of your taxable income is taxed at an effective rate of 14.5%. Only the income exceeding that threshold moves into the next bracket of 20.5%.

But there is a Basic Personal Amount that works as a non-refundable tax credit and allows everyone to earn up to $16,129 tax-free for the 2025 tax year.

Also, filing your taxes is how you get certain government benefits like the Canada Child Benefit and the new Canada Grocery and Essentials Benefit.

Ricchio told Narcity that your tax return is an "essential trigger" for government payments because the CRA uses your tax return to determine your eligibility and calculate your payment amounts.

"Even if you have no income to report, you and your spouse must both file annually to avoid payment interruptions," Ricchio said.

Since payment amounts are based on the previous tax year, benefits paying out starting in July 2026 will be based on the 2025 return you file now.

Vittoratos agreed that filing your tax return is important because it allows you to receive benefits even if you don't realize you're eligible for them.

Claim refundable tax credits

Refundable tax credits can get you money back from the government if the total is more than your tax owing.

Ricchio told Narcity that refundable tax credits are "highly valuable" because you get them regardless of how much income tax you've paid throughout the year.

If you're eligible for any of these refundable tax credits, you can claim them on your tax return. Then, if the total is more than any tax you owe, you'll get the difference as a refund.

"By claiming every credit you're entitled to, you ensure that you receive what you're owed and put dollars in your pocket," said Ricchio.

There are federal tax credits along with provincial and territorial tax credits that you can claim when filing your return.

Claim non-refundable tax credits

Vittoratos said you can use non-refundable tax credits to reduce your tax payable to zero.

These tax credits won't get you a refund, but they can save you money when filing your tax return.

Ricchio noted that non-refundable tax credits are "essential because they directly reduce the amount of income tax you owe to the government."

The non-refundable tax credits are also available federally, provincially or territorially, just like refundable tax credits.

Claim deductions and expenses

Along with refundable and non-refundable tax credits, you could be eligible to claim deductions and expenses on your tax return.

Ricchio told Narcity about a few notable deductions for self-employment expenses, child care expenses and medical expenses.

"If you are self-employed, you can deduct business-related costs like advertising, office supplies, and even a portion of your home expenses," the tax expert said.

You can claim certain tax-deductible child care expenses. But there are limitations on who can claim these expenses, so you need to review the requirements before filing, according to Ricchio.

If you have medical expenses, you could be eligible to claim prescriptions, dental visits, private health insurance premiums, and other expenses as long as they have not been reimbursed by health insurance providers.

"To get the most out of your claim, it's usually best to have one spouse claim all the medical expenses for the family and any dependents," Ricchio said.

There are also RRSP, FHSA, disability supports, capital gains, and other deductions available.

File early

While you won't get anything extra for filing your tax return early, there are financial benefits.

"The benefit to filing early is that if you have a refund, you can collect it sooner and do something productive with it faster, like paying off debt or investing it," Vittoratos said.

If you have a balance owing, you have more time ahead of you to accumulate the funds necessary to pay off your balance.

Ricchio agreed that filing early allows you to get your tax refund sooner. The tax expert also noted that there's a mental benefit to filing early because it can ease any worries you might have about your return.

It also gives you more time to collect and organize documents, so there isn't a "stressful rush" before the filing deadline.

"This last-minute scramble increases the likelihood of simple typos, entering incorrect numbers, or forgetting to include specific tax slips and expense receipts," Ricchio said.

The deadline to file your tax return is Thursday, April 30, 2026, unless you're self-employed. That's also the deadline to pay your tax owing balance before the CRA charges compound daily interest.

So, filing early and paying any taxes you owe by that date can save you money on late fees.

Check your return

Ricchio said many taxpayers skip the final step of double-checking and reviewing entries on their tax return to their slips. That can lead to missing out on "bonus cash."

If you're filing online using tax software like TurboTax, it's recommended that you use the auto-fill feature to reduce the risk of manual entry errors.

Also, these tax filing software often have an option to get your tax return reviewed by an expert, which can help ensure you've done everything correctly and aren't missing out on money or making mistakes that could cost you money.

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This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.