CANADA Revenue Agency said Thursday that the Minister of National Revenue has confirmed that interest and penalties will not be applied to individual taxpayers filing their 2013 tax returns after April 30 for a period equal to the length of this service interruption.

After learning of the security vulnerability posed by the Heartbleed bug, Canada Revenue Agency said it took preventative measures and removed public access to its online services in order to protect the confidentiality of the taxpayer information it holds. Applications affected include online services like EFILE, NETFILE, My Account, My Business Account and Represent a Client.

It said it continues to work on resolving the issue. In keeping with industry practice, it is currently implementing a solution, or “patch”, for the bug, and is vigorously testing all systems to ensure they will be safe and secure once the site is re-launched.

CRA said it appreciated the cooperation and patience of the public and its business and taxpayer representative communities.

“We remain committed to maintaining the confidence of Canadians by taking all steps necessary to ensure the security of taxpayer information. We will continue to provide further information and daily updates at 3PM EDT on our home page,” it added.