When Are Taxes Due in Canada? Tax Deadlines for 2026 Returns

Tax deadlines for 2026 returns (filed in 2027)

The Income Tax Act sets the dates and they do not change from year to year. The CRA moves a deadline only when it falls on a weekend or public holiday: a return is on time if it is received or postmarked by the next business day.

Self-employed? June 15 is for filing, not for paying

The CRA's wording is clear: if you or your spouse carried on a business, the return is due June 15, "however, if you have a balance owing … you must pay it on or before April 30." Interest at the prescribed rate, compounded daily, starts on May 1. At the 7% rate the CRA set for overdue taxes for October to December 2026, a $3,000 balance paid on June 15 instead of April 30 costs about $26.58 in interest. That is small, but it is easy to avoid by paying an estimate in April and filing in June.

The later date applies to both spouses even if only one of them runs the business. It does not apply if the business expenses relate mostly to a tax shelter investment. In that case, the return is due April 30.

Late-filing penalty and interest: what it costs

If you owe tax and file late, the CRA charges 5% of the balance owing plus 1% for each full month late, up to 12 months. If you were charged a late-filing penalty in any of the three previous years and received a demand to file, the repeat penalty is 10% plus 2% a month, up to 20 months. Interest is charged on top of both the balance and the penalty.

Example: you owe $3,000 and file 3 full months late. The penalty is 5% + 3 × 1% = 8%, or $240, before interest. If you file on time but cannot pay, there is no late-filing penalty, only interest. The CRA says: "If you cannot pay your balance owing by the return due date, file on time to avoid being charged a late-filing penalty."

There is no penalty for filing late if you are owed a refund. Filing late still has a cost, though. The CRA uses your return to calculate the Canada child benefit and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, so a late return can delay or stop those payments from July.

Quebec: two returns, the same dates

Quebec residents file a federal T1 with the CRA and a provincial TP-1 with Revenu Québec. Revenu Québec's deadline is also April 30, or June 15 if you or your spouse ran a business, and it moves to the next business day if it falls on a weekend. Any balance owed to Quebec is due April 30. Revenu Québec has its own late-filing penalty, so file both returns on time even if you can only pay one balance.

Instalments: deadlines during the year

If you have income with no tax withheld, such as self-employment, rental, investment or some pension income, you may have to pay tax in quarterly instalments. You must pay instalments for 2026 if your net tax owing is more than $3,000 ($1,800 in Quebec) in 2026 and in either 2025 or 2024. The CRA sends reminders in February (for the March and June payments) and August (for September and December).

The due dates are March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The next one is Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Late or short payments are charged instalment interest at the prescribed rate. A penalty applies only if the instalment interest for the year is more than $1,000. Farmers and fishers make a single payment by December 31.

Deadlines for a deceased person's final return

For a death between January 1 and October 31, the final return and payment are due April 30 of the following year. For a death in November or December, they are due six months after the date of death. If the person or their spouse ran a business, the filing deadline becomes June 15 (for deaths up to December 15), but payment dates do not change. Any instalments due after the date of death do not have to be paid.

A filing checklist for April

Before you file, work through this list:

• Collect T4, T4A, T5, T3 and T4E slips (and RL slips in Quebec). Most are also in CRA My Account.
• Gather RRSP receipts for contributions made up to March 1, 2027.
• Get your T2200 from your employer if you will claim home office or other employment expenses.
• Estimate any balance owing and pay it by April 30, even if you file in June.
• Set up direct deposit so refunds and benefit payments arrive on time.