Canada Revenue Agency extends filing deadline to May 5

Canadians have been givenfive extra days to file their 2014 income tax returns, thanks to a "human error" atthe Canada Revenue Agency.

Last Friday, the CRA issued a statement sayingthe deadline for filing tax returns electronicallywas May 5at 3 a.m.

Thatwas a mistake.

On Monday, the agency issued a new statement, saying this year'sdeadline is, in fact, April 30.

But the damage was done. Too many people from individual tax filers totaxaccounting professionalssaw the first release, assumed it was correct and adjusted their effortsaccordingly.

The deadline is April 30 every year.But it has been extendedunderexceptional circumstances, like last year's security breach at the agency, or anissue with the CRAwebsitein 2008that saw users ofNetfiletax software unable to submit their returns in time.

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Carter Mann,NationalRevenue MinisterKerry-Lynne Findlay's spokesman, wrote Radio-Canada on Tuesday morningto explain.

"Minister Findlay has made it clear that this incorrect information is unacceptable and therefore she has directed her officials to ensure no Canadians are penalized for theCRA'serror," he wrote.

"Canadians who file their taxes before May 5thwill not face any penalty."

On Tuesday afternoon, Revenue Quebec told Radio-Canadathat Quebec, which has its own separate revenue agency,wouldextendits tax filing deadline as well, because of the CRA'serror and subsequent extension.

It is not yetknownhow the error slipped through, or who procrastinators across Canada have to thank for thebrief reprieve.

The full statement posted online Tuesday, extending the tax deadline for all:

On April24, theCRAissued a communication to some Canadians that referred to an incorrect filing deadline for 2014 tax returns of May 5, 2015, rather than April 30, 2015.

The CRA takes full responsibility for the error and our first priority is to ensure that no Canadian is negatively affected.

As a result, and at Minister Findlay's request, 2014 tax returns filed by midnight on May 5, 2015, will not incur interest or penalties.

The CRA sincerely regrets and apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.