Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Canada tax season for the 2025 return ran from February 23, 2026, when online filing opened, to April 30, 2026, the filing and payment deadline for most people. Self-employed people had until June 15, 2026 to file, but any balance owing was still due April 30. For the 2026 return the usual dates are April 30, 2027 for most people and June 15, 2027 for the self-employed, but treat the rest of the next season’s calendar as unknown until the CRA posts it.
When is tax season in Canada?
It’s a spring event. The calendar below covers the 2025 tax year, the one just finished. The 2026 return dates are April 30, 2027 and June 15, 2027, but the CRA hasn’t posted the full calendar, so don’t assume the other dates are the same. The CRA page for the next season is the place to look once it’s updated.
| Event, 2025 return | Date |
|---|---|
| Online filing opens | February 23, 2026 |
| File and pay, most people | April 30, 2026 |
| File, self-employed (and their spouse or partner) | June 15, 2026 |
| Pay, self-employed | April 30, 2026 |
When a date lands on a weekend or a CRA-recognized holiday, you’re on time if the CRA receives your return, or it’s postmarked, on the next business day. Payment received on that day is on time too.
What should you do now, in October?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. Tax time feels far away, but the things that shape your next return happen all year. Start a folder, paper or digital, and drop every receipt and slip into it as it arrives. Check your RRSP room before the year ends. If you owed a big amount last spring, look at your withholding or your instalments now, while there’s still time to change them.
It costs nothing and it saves the February scramble.
What should you gather before you file?
The CRA’s advice is to have every tax slip in hand before you start. Beyond that, the list depends on your year.
- T4 slips from each employer, and T5 slips for interest or dividends
- Receipts for donations, tuition, child care and medical costs
- RRSP contribution slips
- Last year’s notice of assessment
Sign up for direct deposit if you haven’t. The CRA says it gets refunds and benefit payments to you faster.
How much could you get back?
A refund is tax already withheld minus the tax you owe. Say you live in British Columbia, earned $75,000 and had $14,000 withheld. The tax refund calculator estimates a refund of about $2,080. If you also had a $5,000 RRSP deduction, the estimate rises to about $3,490. That’s $1,410 more from the same paycheques.
To see how a contribution builds over the years, use the RRSP calculator. For a fuller picture of the tax itself, there’s the income tax calculator. These are estimates, so your assessment can differ.
What if you owe money?
Pay by April 30, even if you file later. Filing on June 15 as a self-employed person doesn’t move the payment date. Interest starts running on a balance that’s late, and the CRA sets the rate, which we haven’t checked for this page.
If you owed a lot this year, ask why. Someone with self-employment income and no tax withheld may need to pay in instalments. For 2026 the instalment dates are March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, and the rule kicks in when net tax owing goes over $3,000 (the CRA’s Quebec limit is $1,800). The tax instalments calculator gives a rough schedule.
What if you miss the deadline?
File anyway, and file as soon as you can. A late return with a balance owing is the costly version, and a late return with a refund coming is mostly just a delay in getting your money. If you can’t pay all of it, file on time and pay what you can, since filing late adds penalties on top of interest. We haven’t checked the current penalty rates, so read the CRA page for the exact numbers.
Which mistakes cost people most?
Filing too early, before a late slip turns up, is the first. A missing T5 or a corrected T4 means an amended return, and that’s a hassle. Second is claiming what you can’t back up, since the CRA can ask for receipts. Third, forgetting that your return decides more than your refund. Benefits and credits such as the GST/HST credit and the Canada child benefit depend on it, so file even when you owe nothing and earned little.
Our sources
Dates and the weekend rule come from the CRA‘s page for 2025 return due dates, and the February 23 opening from its 2026 tax season announcement. Instalment rules come from the CRA’s instalment pages. Refund figures are from the calculators on this site. No level of government runs or endorses this site.
Frequently asked questions
When does tax season start in Canada?
For the 2025 return, online filing opened February 23, 2026. We couldn't find the 2026 return dates yet.
What is the tax deadline in Canada?
April 30, 2026 for most people, for both filing and paying the 2025 return.
What if I'm self-employed?
You had until June 15, 2026 to file the 2025 return. Any balance owing was still due April 30, 2026.
What if the deadline falls on a weekend?
The CRA treats your return or payment as on time if it arrives, or is postmarked, on the next business day.
Should I file if I earned very little?
Usually yes. Benefits and credits such as the GST/HST credit are based on your return.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
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