Tax season moves fast, and for an accounting firm every client brings a different mix of deadlines: personal returns, self-employed returns, corporate year ends, GST/HST periods, payroll slips and instalments. This calendar pulls the key Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) dates for the 2026 tax year into one place so you can plan your 2027 workload and warn clients early.
Free printable PDF plus a calendar file for Outlook or Google Calendar, with every date already adjusted for weekends and holidays.
The weekend and holiday rule
When a CRA due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday the CRA recognizes, the deadline moves to the next business day. Returns are on time if they are received or postmarked by that day, and payments are on time if the CRA receives them by that day. The dates below already apply this rule where it matters.
Key dates at a glance (2026 tax year)
| Date | Deadline | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, March 1, 2027 | RRSP contribution deadline for a 2026 deduction | Individuals |
| Monday, March 1, 2027 | T4, T4A and T5 slips and summaries for 2026 (February 28 falls on a Sunday) | Employers and payers |
| Monday, March 15, 2027 | First quarterly instalment for 2027 | Individuals who pay by instalments |
| Wednesday, March 31, 2027 | T3 return for trusts with a December 31 year end (90 days after year end) | Trusts |
| Friday, April 30, 2027 | T1 return and any balance owing for most individuals | Individuals |
| Friday, April 30, 2027 | Balance owing for self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners | Self-employed |
| Tuesday, June 15, 2027 | T1 return for self-employed individuals and their spouses or common-law partners | Self-employed |
| Tuesday, June 15, 2027 | Second quarterly instalment for 2027 | Individuals who pay by instalments |
| Wednesday, September 15, 2027 | Third quarterly instalment for 2027 | Individuals who pay by instalments |
| Wednesday, December 15, 2027 | Fourth quarterly instalment for 2027 | Individuals who pay by instalments |
Remember that the June 15 date only extends the filing deadline for self-employed clients. Any balance owing is still due on April 30, so interest starts to build from May 1 if they wait until June to pay.
Corporations (T2)
Corporate deadlines depend on each client’s fiscal year end, which is why they are the easiest to lose track of in a busy practice.
- T2 return: due six months after the end of the tax year. A December 31, 2026 year end is due Wednesday, June 30, 2027.
- Balance owing: due two months after the tax year ends, or three months for Canadian-controlled private corporations (CCPCs) that meet certain conditions. For a December 31, 2026 year end that means March 1, 2027 (February 28 is a Sunday), or March 31, 2027 for eligible CCPCs.
- Instalments: generally required when total tax payable is more than $3,000. They are due monthly, or quarterly for eligible small CCPCs.
GST/HST
- Monthly and quarterly filers: the return and payment are both due one month after the end of the reporting period.
- Annual filers: the return and payment are due three months after the fiscal year end.
- Self-employed individuals with a December 31 year end who file annually: payment is due April 30, 2027 and the return is due June 15, 2027.
- Annual filers with instalments: quarterly instalments may be required when net tax is $3,000 or more, each due one month after the end of the fiscal quarter.
Payroll remittances
Payroll due dates depend on the employer’s remitter type, which the CRA sets based on average monthly withholdings from two years earlier. Regular remitters generally remit by the 15th of the month after the deductions were made, while accelerated remitters have more frequent due dates. Check each employer client’s remitter type at the start of the year.
Free printable PDF plus a calendar file for Outlook or Google Calendar, with every date already adjusted for weekends and holidays.
Turn this calendar into reminders
A calendar is only useful if the right person sees the right date in time. Tax Alert Pro sends automatic email and SMS reminders to your team and your clients before each filing and payment date, for HST, payroll, corporate tax and more. Start a free 30-day trial and set up your 2027 reminders before the season begins.
This article is general information, not tax advice. Deadlines can change, so confirm dates on canada.ca before relying on them.
