New research reveals CRA refund timelines, NETFILE adoption rates, and the growing shift to digital direct deposit ahead of the April 30, 2026 deadline
TORONTO, April 23, 2026 — Bremo.io, a Canadian personal finance comparison platform tracking over 4,300 financial guides and serving 3,000+ daily visitors, today released findings from its 2026 Canadian Tax Filing Study. The study analyzed filing behaviour, refund timelines, and digital banking adoption patterns among 2,400+ Canadians filing for the 2025 income year ahead of the April 30, 2026 CRA deadline.
68% of Canadians surveyed report filing their 2025 income taxes using an online method — either CRA NETFILE-certified software, CRA My Account direct filing, or a mobile app. This represents a 12-percentage-point increase from the 56% who reported online filing in Bremo’s 2024 survey. Paper returns now account for fewer than 1 in 5 filings.
Among respondents expecting a refund, the median expected refund for the 2025 income year is $1,847 — a 6.2% increase from the prior year, driven primarily by increased RRSP contributions and the expanded First Home Savings Account (FHSA) deduction introduced in 2023. Refunds above $2,000 are expected by 29% of filers.
54% of Canadians who expect a refund have CRA direct deposit configured — up from 44% in 2024. Among those using direct deposit, the average reported refund delivery time is 8 days. Canadians still waiting for cheques report an average wait of 28 days.
Digital-first bank accounts (KOHO, EQ Bank, Simplii, Wealthsimple Cash) now hold CRA direct deposit for 18% of respondents — more than doubling from 8% in 2024.
41% of Canadians report using a completely free filing solution. The most commonly cited free tools are Wealthsimple Tax (22%), TurboTax Free (11%), and GenuTax Standard (5%). Among paid filers, the average spent on tax preparation is $34 — down from $47 in 2021.
Despite the April 30 deadline, 23% of employed Canadians surveyed were unaware that missing the deadline results in a 5% penalty plus 1% per additional month on any balance owing. Among Canadians who owe taxes, only 38% plan to file before April 30 — the remainder intend to file “sometime in May.”
| Province | Online Filing Rate | Average Refund | Direct Deposit Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 72% | $1,940 | 58% |
| Ontario | 70% | $1,890 | 56% |
| Alberta | 69% | $2,110 | 55% |
| Quebec | 63% | $1,620 | 49% |
| Atlantic Canada | 60% | $1,540 | 44% |
Bremo.io is a Canadian personal finance comparison platform that publishes independent guides on banking, investing, tax filing, and credit cards. The platform tracks over 4,300 financial guides and is consulted by 3,000+ Canadians daily. Bremo is an official partner of KOHO and Neo Financial.
The full dataset and methodology are available at bremo.io/press/canadian-tax-filing-study-2026.