CRA Tax Deadline: It’s NOT Extended in 2021 More on: Image source: Getty Images Accountants would have wanted the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to grant taxpayers more leeway to file their tax returns. The tax agency extended the filing and payment deadlines in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, the CRA declared February 22, 2021, as the official start of the 2021 tax season instead. The cut-off date of April 30, 2021, should be four days away when this article comes out. Many tax filers argue that this year’s tax preparation is more complex, not the usual as in previous years. COVID-19 is still around, yet the federal government hasn’t announced an extension despite the pleas by tax specialists.