CRA Auto-fill vs. Manual Entry: Which One Yields a Better Refund?

As tax season approaches, Canadian taxpayers are increasingly relying on digital tools to simplify their filing process. One key feature offered through certified tax software is the CRA’s Auto-fill my return service. While it provides convenience and speed, many wonder whether using auto-fill leads to better results compared to entering everything manually. More specifically, can one method help you get a higher refund than the other?

In this detailed guide, we’ll compare CRA’s auto-fill option with manual tax return entry, highlighting their pros, cons, limitations, and how each may impact the final amount of your refund or balance owing.

1. What Is the CRA Auto-fill My Return Service?

The CRA’s Auto-fill my return is a secure service available to taxpayers through NETFILE-certified software. It allows individuals to automatically import key information from their CRA My Account directly into their tax return. This includes slips such as:

• T4 – Employment income
• T5 – Investment income
• T4A – Pension, scholarships, or contract income
• T3 – Trust income
• RRSP contribution limits and transactions
• Unused tuition, capital losses, and carryforward balances
• Social assistance (T5007), EI (T4E), OAS and CPP (T4A(OAS), T4A(P))

The data becomes available around mid-February and updates as employers and financial institutions submit your tax slips to the CRA.

2. How Manual Entry Works

Manual entry means inputting every line of data yourself using your physical or digital slips and records. This involves typing amounts from your T4s, T5s, receipts, tuition slips, and other documents directly into the tax software or paper return.

Manual filing provides full control and is sometimes preferred when:

• Slips are missing or issued late
• You have income from self-employment, rental properties, or capital gains
• You are claiming deductions or credits based on non-slip documentation (e.g., medical expenses, moving costs)
• You are correcting discrepancies between your records and CRA data

3. Comparing Accuracy: Auto-fill vs. Manual Entry

Auto-fill: In most cases, auto-fill improves accuracy and reduces typos. However, it only includes information that has been reported to the CRA. If a slip is missing because an employer hasn’t filed it yet, the data won’t appear—even if the CRA eventually receives it later. Filing prematurely based on incomplete auto-fill data can lead to reassessments.

Manual Entry: Allows for completeness and real-time reconciliation with your physical slips. However, it’s more prone to human errors, such as incorrect figures, missed boxes, or forgetting to claim available deductions.

4. Convenience and Speed

• Auto-fill: Faster and more efficient. You can import dozens of entries with a few clicks, especially useful for those with multiple investment or employment slips.
• Manual Entry: More time-consuming but gives you a chance to carefully review each line and verify correctness.

Using auto-fill doesn’t eliminate the need to double-check your return. You’re still responsible for ensuring all information is complete and accurate.

5. How Each Affects Your Refund

Technically, neither method inherently increases or decreases your refund. What matters is how accurately you report your income and claim all eligible deductions and credits. That said:

• Auto-fill may help you avoid missing income slips that could cause a reassessment (and penalties later)
• Manual entry may help you catch deductions the CRA doesn’t auto-fill, such as medical expenses, childcare, donations, or moving costs
• Auto-fill may miss some credits that require proactive input (e.g., the Disability Tax Credit, spousal amounts, or home office expenses)
• Manual entry gives you a chance to review past NOAs or claim carryforwards the system doesn’t detect

In some cases, a hybrid approach—using auto-fill and manually reviewing and adding deductions—yields the most accurate and beneficial result.

6. Examples Where Manual Entry Might Yield a Better Refund

• Claiming large medical expenses that were not reported to CRA
• Reporting rental income and associated deductions (not covered by auto-fill)
• Applying tuition transfers from a child (requires input and matching T2202 slips)
• Claiming a newly approved Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
• Deducting self-employment expenses and capital cost allowance

These are all items that CRA won’t auto-fill for you but could reduce your taxable income and increase your refund when entered manually.

7. Pitfalls to Watch Out For

• Auto-fill doesn’t include everything: You must still check for unreported or late-issued slips
• Over-reliance on software: It may skip deductions you’re entitled to unless prompted
• Manual errors: Keying in the wrong numbers or missing a line could cost you
• Reassessment risk: Using incomplete information (from either method) may lead to CRA corrections and interest charges

8. Best Practices: Combining Both Methods

Many tax experts recommend a hybrid approach:

1. Use auto-fill to import all slips and carryforward data available from the CRA
2. Manually review and add any missing items—especially deductions, receipts, and self-reported amounts
3. Compare to your paper records or downloaded PDFs from banks, employers, and educational institutions
4. Check for credits like the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB), spousal/transfers, and eligible disability amounts
5. Review your NOA for any carryforward balances such as unused tuition or RRSP room

This strategy ensures that you’re not only fast and efficient but also thorough and eligible for every dollar you deserve.

9. Final Verdict: Which One Yields a Better Refund?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but here’s the bottom line:

• Auto-fill helps avoid missing income and streamlines the process. It’s great for basic returns and helps reduce CRA reassessment risk.
• Manual entry (or review) helps you capture overlooked deductions and credit opportunities. It’s essential for more complex tax situations.
• Using both ensures accuracy and refund maximization.

If your goal is to get the biggest refund possible while staying compliant, auto-fill is an excellent starting point—but manual review is still essential. Tax software makes this easier by integrating both approaches. Always double-check, especially when dealing with unique credits or deductions not reported directly to the CRA.

10. Final Tips

• File after mid-February to ensure your slips are uploaded by CRA
• Use CRA My Account to download missing slips
• Store your documents—even if you use auto-fill, the CRA may request them
• For complex situations, consider using a tax professional to review your return

Taking the time to understand your options and double-check your data—whether manually or through auto-fill—can go a long way toward maximizing your refund and minimizing your tax stress.