Fees, Cost Drivers and 2026 Rules
Corporate tax filing deadlines and payment dates in Canada for 2026
The T2 due date, balance-due day, instalments, GST/HST returns, T4 and T5 slips and electronic filing and payment rules that set your corporation's 2026 accounting calendar.
For a Canadian corporation, the key dates all count from the end of the fiscal year: the balance of tax is due two months after year end (three months for a CCPC that meets the CRA's conditions), and the T2 return is due six months after year end. Instalments, GST/HST returns, payroll remittances and information slips have their own dates through the year. Your accountant's busy season, and your fee, depend on where your year end falls, so knowing the calendar helps you plan both the work and the cash.
This guide is part of the corporate accountant fees overview. It was checked against CRA pages in October 2026; confirm dates for your own tax year with the CRA.
The core T2 dates
| Obligation | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Balance of tax (most corporations) | 2 months after tax year end | Interest runs from the balance-due day, not the filing date |
| Balance of tax (qualifying CCPC) | 3 months after tax year end | Conditions below |
| T2 return | 6 months after tax year end | If the year ends on the last day of a month, the return is due on the last day of the sixth month |
| Quebec CO-17 | Generally 6 months after year end | Filed with Revenu Québec |
Who gets three months to pay
According to the CRA, a corporation gets the three-month balance-due day for its regular income tax only if all of the following apply:
- it is a CCPC throughout the tax year;
- it claimed the small business deduction for the current or previous tax year; and
- its taxable income for the previous tax year did not exceed its business limit (for associated corporations, the combined taxable incomes did not exceed the combined business limits).
Everyone else pays two months after year end. Paying at the six-month filing date is a common and expensive misunderstanding.
Instalments
Corporations generally pay monthly instalments, due by the last day of each month of the tax year. A small CCPC may pay quarterly instead if, according to the CRA, it has a perfect compliance history and, together with associated corporations, had taxable income of $500,000 or less and taxable capital employed in Canada of $10 million or less for the current or previous tax year. Corporations whose tax for the current or previous year is below the CRA's instalment threshold do not need to pay instalments; check the CRA page for the current threshold.
Instalment interest is charged if instalments are late or too small, and an extra instalment penalty applies when instalment interest exceeds $1,000, calculated as described on the CRA's penalties page.
Electronic filing and payment rules in force for 2026
- T2 electronic filing: for tax years starting after 2023, all corporations must file the T2 electronically, except insurers, non-resident corporations, corporations reporting in a functional currency and corporations exempt under section 149. The CRA states a $1,000 penalty for non-compliance.
- Electronic payments over $10,000: section 160.5 of the Income Tax Act requires a remittance or payment to the Receiver General of more than $10,000 to be made electronically unless the payer cannot reasonably do so. Subsection 162(7.4) sets a $100 penalty for each failure.
- Information returns: businesses filing more than five information returns of one type (such as T4 or T5 slips) in a calendar year must generally file them electronically. Check the CRA's current rule before filing on paper.
Payroll and slip dates
| Item | General deadline |
|---|---|
| Source deduction remittances | Depends on your remitter type (quarterly, regular monthly or accelerated); regular remitters pay by the 15th of the following month |
| T4 slips and summary | Last day of February following the calendar year |
| T5 slips for dividends and summary | Last day of February following the calendar year |
| Quebec RL-1 and RL-3 slips | Generally the last day of February, filed with Revenu Québec |
If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, the CRA generally treats a filing or payment as on time if made on the next business day.
GST/HST dates
- Monthly or quarterly filers: one month after the end of each reporting period, for both the return and the payment.
- Annual filers: generally three months after the fiscal year end. Individuals with business income and a December 31 year end have a different filing date, but this does not apply to corporations.
- Annual filers with instalments: quarterly instalments one month after each fiscal quarter.
See the GST/HST and QST workload guide for how your reporting period is set.
Worked calendar example (illustrative)
A CCPC with a 31 March 2026 year end that qualifies for the three-month balance-due day:
- Monthly instalments: last day of each month from April 2025 to March 2026 (unless it qualifies for quarterly)
- Balance of tax: 30 June 2026
- T2 due: 30 September 2026
- Quarterly GST/HST returns: one month after each quarter
- T5 slips for a dividend paid in 2026: end of February 2027
The same corporation with a December 31 year end would compete with every other December year end and with personal tax season. Some owners choose a non-December year end partly to get better attention from their accountant; changing a year end needs CRA approval and has tax effects, so discuss it first.
Cash planning around the calendar
The balance-due day often arrives before the accountant has finished the statements. Ask your accountant for an estimate of tax owing before the balance-due day, and set aside money monthly; the tax set-aside calculator helps you size the transfer.
The return due at the six-month mark is described in T2 preparation cost, and Quebec corporations have additional dates covered in the Quebec differences guide.
Frequently asked questions
If I file the T2 late but paid on time, is there a penalty?
The late-filing penalty is based on unpaid tax at the due date. If nothing was owing, the percentage penalty may be nil, but other penalties, such as for failing to file electronically, can still apply. See late-filing penalties.
Does my accountant's deadline match the CRA's?
No. Firms set internal deadlines for receiving your records, often several weeks earlier. Missing them can mean rush fees.
Can I get an extension for the T2?
There is no general extension for filing a T2. In exceptional cases the CRA may cancel penalties and interest under taxpayer relief.
Sources
- Canada Revenue Agency — instalment dates, balance-due day, T2 filing and electronic filing
- Justice Laws Website — Income Tax Act sections 150, 160.5 and 162
- Revenu Québec — CO-17 and RL slips deadlines
