CRA Tax Deadlines 2026: Every Date Canadian Business Owners Need to Know

The CRA doesn't give much grace for missed deadlines. Interest on overdue balances starts accruing the day after the due date, and late-filing penalties can add 5–17% to what you owe.

Here's every key deadline for 2026, organized by business type.

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Personal Income Tax (T1) — Sole Proprietors and Freelancers

| Date | What's due | |------|-----------| | April 30, 2026 | Balance owing due — even if you file later | | June 15, 2026 | T1 return filing deadline for self-employed individuals and their spouses |

Critical nuance: If you're self-employed, your T1 filing deadline is June 15. But if you owe money, that balance is still due April 30. File late and owe money? You pay interest from May 1, not from June 15.

Late-filing penalty: 5% of balance owing + 1% per additional month (up to 12 months). If you've been penalized in the prior 3 years, the rate doubles to 10% + 2%/month.

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Corporate Income Tax (T2) — Incorporated Businesses

| Date | What's due | |------|-----------| | Within 6 months of year-end | T2 filing deadline | | Within 2 months of year-end | Balance owing (most CCPCs: within 3 months) |

For a December 31, 2025 year-end:

• Balance due: February 28, 2026 (general) or March 31, 2026 (for CCPCs eligible for Small Business Deduction)
• T2 filing: June 30, 2026

Most small incorporated businesses have December 31 year-ends, but your accountant may recommend a different year-end for tax planning purposes.

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GST/HST Remittances

Quarterly Filers

| Period | Filing & Payment Due | |--------|---------------------| | Oct–Dec 2025 | January 31, 2026 | | Jan–Mar 2026 | April 30, 2026 | | Apr–Jun 2026 | July 31, 2026 | | Jul–Sep 2026 | October 31, 2026 |

Annual Filers (December 31 year-end)

| Date | What's due | |------|-----------| | June 15, 2026 | Annual GST/HST return and balance |

Who qualifies for annual filing: Businesses with taxable supplies under $1.5 million. Annual filers may still need to make quarterly instalment payments.

Monthly Filers

Due on the last day of the month following the reporting period. If your business collects significant HST, the CRA may require monthly filing.

Late remittance penalty: 3% if 1–3 days late; 5% if 4–7 days late; 7% if 8–14 days late; 10% if 15+ days late. A second late remittance in 12 months doubles these rates.

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Tax Instalments

If you owed more than $3,000 in federal income tax in 2025 or 2024, you must make quarterly instalments in 2026.

| Instalment | Due Date | |------------|---------| | Q1 | March 15, 2026 | | Q2 | June 15, 2026 | | Q3 | September 15, 2026 | | Q4 | December 15, 2026 |

The CRA sends reminders in February and August. You can use one of three methods to calculate your instalments:

1. No-calculation option: pay the amounts the CRA tells you (safest — no instalment interest if you pay as stated)
2. Prior-year method: base instalments on prior year's net tax
3. Current-year method: estimate current year tax (riskier; penalties if you underestimate)

See our full guide to quarterly tax instalments in Canada for how to calculate each option.

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Payroll Remittances (If You Have Employees)

| Employer Type | Remittance Frequency | |--------------|---------------------| | New employer | Monthly (by the 15th of the following month) | | Regular | Monthly (by the 15th of following month) | | Accelerated (payroll > $25,000/month) | Up to 4 times per month |

Payroll remittances include CPP contributions, EI premiums, and income tax deductions. Missing payroll remittances triggers immediate penalties — the CRA treats this very seriously.

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T4/T5 Information Returns

| Date | What's due | |------|-----------| | February 28, 2026 | T4 slips (employee wages) — filed and distributed to employees | | February 28, 2026 | T5 slips (dividends, interest paid) — filed and distributed |

If you're paying yourself dividends from your corporation, you need T5 slips.

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What to Do If You Miss a Deadline

Don't wait. The CRA's Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) can reduce penalties and interest if you come forward before the CRA contacts you. The longer you wait after a missed deadline, the worse the outcome.

For a single late payment:

1. File or pay as soon as possible
2. Pay the outstanding balance
3. The CRA will assess penalty and interest — but late is always better than never

For persistent issues or CRA contact, work with a CPA or tax professional.

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Stay Ahead of All These Deadlines

The best way to never miss a CRA deadline is to have your books current at all times. When your bookkeeping is up to date, there are no surprises — you know your HST balance, your income, and your tax position before each deadline arrives.

See our Canadian small business tax guide for a full breakdown of what you owe and when.

Bookkeeper calculates your HST automatically and generates CRA-ready summaries so you're never caught off guard at remittance time. Start free.