If you receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement on top of Old Age Security, there’s a deadline worth circling: April 30. You need to file your tax return by then every year, even if you had little or no income, or Service Canada can pause your payment until it’s sorted out.
It’s an easy deadline to miss, especially if you don’t think you owe any tax and don’t see the point in filing. But GIS and some other benefits are tied to your tax return, so filing isn’t optional even when your tax bill is zero.
If you haven’t filed yet, there’s still time. Free tax clinics for low-income seniors run through the end of April at several community centres around Vancouver, and some offer help by appointment even after that if you miss the rush.
Filing a few days early, rather than right at the deadline, gives you a cushion in case something needs fixing before it’s processed.