‘Ottawa’ CRA not Aware of Unauthorized Access to Information after Online Filing
Right in the middle of income tax season, Canada Revenue Agency’s online services have been suspended.
The agency posted a notice on its website Friday afternoon saying “system maintenance” had discovered a problem that would stop Canadians from filing their tax returns electronically. Saturday evening, it released a statement saying it did so to ensure personal taxpayer information was not compromised.
“We are aware of an internet vulnerability that affects some computer servers used by websites worldwide. As a result, in an abundance of caution we have taken down our online services, including electronic filing, and are taking steps to ensure that all information and systems remain safe.”
The agency said it is not aware of any unauthorized access to taxpayer information, nor was this a hack or breach of its system. There was no word on when it would be restored.
Those services affected include the following: My Account, My Business Account, Represent a Client, the MyCRA mobile application, the MyBenefits mobile application, Netfile, EFILE and Auto-Fill My Return.
“Digital services will remain offline until the CRA has determined that there is no longer a security vulnerability,” the statement said.
The deadline for returns this year is May 1 because the traditional deadline of April 30 falls on a Sunday. Typically, more than 75 per cent of Canadians file their tax returns electronically.