Corporate Tax Deadlines You Should Never Miss in Canada

Corporate tax filing and corporate tax payment are separate obligations in Canada. They usually have different deadlines, and confusing the two is one of the easiest ways for a business to incur avoidable interest and penalties.

A corporation may have six months after its fiscal year-end to file its T2 return, but its tax balance is normally due much earlier. It may also need to make instalments throughout the year, file sales tax returns and comply with payroll-related deadlines.

These are the corporate tax deadlines you should never miss.

Corporate tax deadline summary

Obligation	General deadline
Federal T2 return	Six months after the tax year-end
Federal corporate tax balance	Two months after year-end, or three months for certain qualifying CCPCs
Quebec CO-17 return	Six months after the tax year-end
Quebec corporate tax balance	Two months after the tax year-end
Corporate income tax instalments	Monthly or, for certain qualifying CCPCs, quarterly
Annual GST/HST return	Generally three months after fiscal year-end
Monthly or quarterly GST/HST return	One month after the reporting period
T4, T4A, T5 and related slips	Generally the last day of February
T5018 return	Six months after the selected reporting period
Payroll remittances	Based on the employer’s assigned remitter frequency

These are general rules. The actual deadlines may vary depending on the corporation’s province, industry, reporting frequency and tax circumstances.

1. The T2 corporate tax return deadline

A corporation must generally file its federal T2 Corporation Income Tax Return within six months after the end of its tax year.

Corporations do not all share one fixed filing date. The deadline depends on each corporation’s fiscal year-end.

For example:

• December 31 year-end: T2 due June 30;
• March 31 year-end: T2 due September 30;
• August 31 year-end: T2 due on the last day of February.

If the tax year ends on a day other than the last day of a month, the return is generally due on the same date in the sixth following month. The CRA provides examples in its guidance on when to file a corporation income tax return.

A resident corporation must generally file a T2 every year even when:

• it had no business activity;
• it owes no income tax;
• it incurred a loss;
• it is being closed but has not yet been legally dissolved.

For tax years beginning after 2023, most corporations must file electronically. Limited exceptions apply. The CRA can impose a $1,000 penalty when a corporation required to file electronically fails to do so, as explained in its corporation income tax filing rules.

2. The corporate tax payment deadline comes first

The T2 filing deadline is not the deadline for paying the corporation’s tax.

The general federal rule requires the balance to be paid within two months after the tax year-end. Certain Canadian-controlled private corporations, or CCPCs, may qualify for a three-month payment deadline if all relevant conditions are met.

Eligibility depends on more than simply being a small corporation. The corporation’s CCPC status and applicable tax results must be reviewed before relying on the extra month. The conditions are outlined in the CRA’s guidance on the corporate balance-due day.

Example: December 31 year-end

A corporation that qualifies for the three-month deadline could have the following dates:

• Federal tax balance due: March 31;
• T2 return due: June 30.

If it does not qualify, its federal balance would generally be due on February 28, or February 29 in a leap year.

This gap makes early year-end tax estimates important. Waiting until the T2 filing deadline could mean that the payment has already been late for several months.

3. Quebec corporate tax deadlines

A corporation with an establishment in Quebec will generally need to file a separate CO-17 Corporation Income Tax Return with Revenu Québec in addition to its federal T2.

The CO-17 is due within six months after the corporation’s tax year-end. However, the Quebec tax balance is due within two months after year-end. Revenu Québec charges interest on balances that remain unpaid after that date. These rules are detailed in the CO-17 Corporation Income Tax Return Guide.

For a Quebec corporation with a December 31 year-end, the deadlines could therefore be:

• Quebec tax balance: February 28 or 29;
• CO-17 return: June 30;
• Federal tax balance: February 28 or 29, or March 31 if the corporation qualifies for the federal three-month deadline;
• T2 return: June 30.

The provincial balance may therefore be payable before the federal balance.

4. Monthly and quarterly corporate tax instalments

Many corporations cannot wait until year-end to pay all their income tax.

At the federal level, corporations generally have to pay instalments when their total tax payable exceeds $3,000. Instalments are normally monthly. Some qualifying CCPCs may pay quarterly if they meet several conditions, including:

• having a perfect compliance history;
• taxable income of $500,000 or less;
• taxable capital employed in Canada of $10 million or less;
• applying the relevant limits on an associated-group basis.

The complete requirements are found in the CRA’s rules for corporate instalment dates and quarterly eligibility.

Instalment dates are based on the corporation’s tax year, not necessarily the calendar year. A corporation with an April 1 year-start will have a different schedule from a corporation whose tax year starts January 1.

Instalment interest can arise when payments are:

• late;
• insufficient;
• applied to the wrong tax account;
• sent to the wrong tax authority.

Quebec instalments must be paid separately to Revenu Québec.

5. GST/HST and QST deadlines

GST/HST and QST deadlines depend on the corporation’s assigned or selected reporting frequency.

For GST/HST:

• Monthly returns are generally due one month after the reporting period;
• Quarterly returns are generally due one month after the quarter;
• Annual corporate returns are generally due three months after fiscal year-end.

For most incorporated annual filers, both the return and final GST/HST payment are due three months after year-end. The CRA summarizes these rules in its GST/HST reporting deadlines.

Quebec businesses generally file their GST and QST returns with Revenu Québec. Although the reporting dates may coincide, the accounts and underlying obligations should still be reviewed separately.

A return may be required even when the corporation had no taxable sales during the reporting period.

6. Payroll remittance deadlines

Payroll source deductions must be remitted according to the frequency assigned to the employer. A corporation may be classified as:

• a new remitter;
• a regular remitter;
• an accelerated remitter;
• an eligible quarterly remitter.

The applicable date depends partly on the corporation’s compliance history and average monthly withholding amount. A business should not assume that its deadline is always the 15th of the following month.

Quebec source deductions and employer contributions must be remitted separately to Revenu Québec.

A payment sent on time but applied to the wrong payroll account or tax authority may still generate interest, collection notices and reconciliation problems.

7. T4, T4A, T5 and Quebec information slips

Information returns for the previous calendar year are generally due by the last day of February.

Common examples include:

• T4 slips for employees;
• T4A slips where applicable;
• T5 slips for certain interest and dividend payments;
• Corresponding Quebec slips, including RL-1 and RL-3 slips.

The slips must also be provided to employees or recipients within the required time. The CRA confirms that T4 returns and several other information returns are generally due on the last day of February.

When a corporation pays dividends, the corporate resolutions, accounting records, T5 slips and Quebec RL-3 slips should all report consistent amounts.

8. The T5018 deadline for construction businesses

Businesses whose primary activity is construction may have to report certain payments made to subcontractors on T5018 slips.

The T5018 return is generally due six months after the end of the reporting period selected by the payer. The business may use:

• the calendar year; or
• its fiscal year.

This deadline is frequently missed because it may not correspond with the T2 deadline. The CRA lists it separately in its schedule for filing information returns.

What happens if a corporate tax deadline is missed?

A late-filed T2 can generally result in a penalty. See the related guide to CRA penalties for late corporate tax filing for further context. The penalty is generally equal to:

• 5% of the unpaid tax outstanding on the filing deadline;
• plus 1% for each complete month the return is late;
• up to a maximum of 12 months.

A higher penalty may apply in certain repeat-filing situations after a formal demand to file. The CRA explains these consequences in its guidance on corporate tax penalties.

Revenu Québec generally applies a penalty with a similar structure when a CO-17 is filed late.

Interest may begin before any late-filing penalty because the tax balance and instalments become payable earlier. Filing the return does not stop interest on unpaid tax; paying the balance does.

What if the corporation cannot pay on time?

If the corporation cannot pay the entire balance, it should still:

1. File the return by the filing deadline;
2. Pay as much of the balance as possible;
3. Contact the tax authority to discuss available payment arrangements;
4. Keep current with payroll and sales tax obligations;
5. Avoid using collected sales taxes or payroll deductions to finance operations.

Filing on time can prevent the late-filing penalty even though interest will continue on the unpaid balance.

A practical deadline-control system

A reliable corporate tax calendar should include the items below. For a broader review, see the corporate tax compliance checklist.

• An annual schedule based on the corporation’s fiscal year-end;
• Reminders 30, 60 and 90 days before the T2 and CO-17 filing dates;
• Recurring reminders for tax instalments, sales tax and payroll remittances;
• Separate payment and filing dates;
• Earlier internal deadlines for gathering records and completing bookkeeping.

Waiting until the sixth month to begin year-end work is risky because the corporate tax balance was likely due several months earlier.

Frequently asked questions

Are the T2 filing deadline and tax payment deadline the same?

No. The T2 is normally due six months after year-end, while the federal tax balance is generally due within two months, or three months for certain qualifying CCPCs.

Does an inactive corporation still have to file a T2?

Generally, yes. A resident corporation that still legally exists will normally have to file a T2 even if it had no activity or tax payable.

Do all small corporations receive three months to pay federal tax?

No. The corporation must satisfy all the applicable conditions. Being privately owned or having limited revenue does not automatically provide the extra month.

Does Quebec also provide three months to pay the balance?

Not under the general rule. A corporation’s Quebec income tax balance is normally due within two months after its tax year-end.

Will the CRA always send an instalment reminder?

A corporation should not rely on receiving a reminder. It remains responsible for calculating and paying the required instalments by their due dates.

Avoid preventable interest and penalties

The critical corporate tax dates in Canada extend beyond the T2 return. Small business tax deadlines also include the tax balance, instalments, GST/HST or QST, payroll remittances, and information returns.

T2Online.ca, a specialized platform of DFD-CPA, assists Canadian corporations with T2 returns, year-end financial statements and applicable provincial corporate filings. Starting early gives you time to estimate tax, identify missing information, and address issues before you miss a critical deadline.