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CUSMA Wasn’t Renewed: The 10-Year Clock Now Running on Your Job, Prices and Savings

  Canadian Money Brief | Feature CUSMA Wasn't Renewed: The 10-Year Clock Now Running on Your Job, Prices and Savings By MoneySavings.ca | Published November 2, 2026 Quick quiz: is Canada's free trade deal with the United States still in place? The honest answer is yes and no. The agreement known here as CUSMA is still in force, but since July 1 it has been on a different footing, and the way it plays out over the next decade matters to your paycheque, your grocery bill and your savings. Most of us missed the moment because nothing visibly changed that day. That is exactly why it deserves a closer look, especially with the federal budget arriving Thursday. The short version: CUSMA did not end. It moved from a long-term deal to a deal that gets reviewed every year until 2036. Roughly 90% of what Canada sells to the U.S. has been crossing the border tariff-free because of it, so each annual review is a chance for that protection to be tested. For households, this is a slow-burn r...

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Ottawa Expands Automatic Tax Filing to Simplify Tax Returns


 The federal government is taking significant steps to modernize the tax filing process for Canadians. In a recent fall economic statement, Ottawa announced plans to expand automatic tax filing services, aiming to make it easier for Canadians, especially those with simple tax situations, to file their annual returns.

The initiative, which builds on a national pilot program launched in 2023, will allow the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to automatically file tax returns on behalf of eligible lower-income Canadians starting as early as the 2025 tax year. The program has already shown promising results, with over two million eligible Canadians participating in the pilot and receiving billions in benefits and credits.

The expansion will also explore options to make free online tax software more accessible, ensuring that more Canadians can benefit from simplified tax filing. This move is part of Ottawa's broader efforts to reduce the complexity and cost of tax filing services, making them more user-friendly and efficient.

With these changes, the government hopes to increase tax compliance and ensure that more Canadians receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to. The CRA's SimpleFile service, which allows tax returns to be filed in as little as 10 minutes, will play a crucial role in this initiative.

As Ottawa continues to push for a more streamlined tax filing process, Canadians can look forward to a simpler and more efficient way to manage their taxes in the coming years.




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