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Released: 15 June, 1999
Internet Filing Pilot Project For Tax Returns In 2000
Ottawa,
June 15, 1999...The Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and
M.P. (Vancouver South - Burnaby), today announced that next year a pilot project
will allow approximately 3.5 million Canadians to file their 1999 tax returns
via the Internet.
"I am pleased to tell
Canadians that next year a national pilot project will be implemented to allow
selected individuals to file their next tax return using the Internet. I know
Canadians have been asking for this option in recent years. Revenue Canada is
now in a position to offer Internet filing because security concerns have been
addressed," Mr. Dhaliwal said.
Next year, those eligible for
participation will receive an invitation and a unique identifier that will allow
them to use this new filing option. The pilot Internet filing project will be
open to those who used commercial software to prepare their own 1998 tax return
and then filed a computer-generated paper return. The use of commercially
available tax preparation software approved by Revenue Canada will be mandatory.
"We want to make filing
as convenient as possible for Canadians," said the Minister. "In the
last few years we have implemented a variety of methods giving Canadians the
most modern options for filing their tax returns."
Internet filing is the third
and newest electronic filing option offered to individuals by Revenue Canada.
The first, EFILE is an automated system that allows individuals to file their
tax return using the services of a third party, called an electronic filer. The
electronic filer prepares tax returns using special tax software, and then
transmits the income tax information, through secure communication lines, to
Revenue Canada.
The second option introduced
was TELEFILE, an automated system that allows Revenue Canada to accept income
tax returns over the telephone.
"In the last year, we
have seen another significant increase of the use of these electronic filing
options by Canadians," Mr. Dhaliwal said.
The Minister noted the
positive response that Canadians have shown to electronic options that improve
efficiency and respond to client demands.
- The
number of EFILE tax returns received increased by more than 284,000 over
1998 to 5.3 million -- an increase of more than 5.6%.
- The
number of TELEFILE tax returns received increased by more than 169,000 over
1998 to 548,521-- an increase of more than 44.7%.
- On
average, it took the Department slightly less than 2 weeks to process an
electronic return.
- Revenue
Canada continues to process returns filed on paper within a 4 to 6 week
period.
For media information,
contact:
Colette Gentes-Hawn
Media Relations Officer
Communications Branch
(613) 957-3522
or
Office of the Minister
(613) 995-2960
"
42T/99
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