Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Filing taxes in Canada comes down to one date for most people. Your 2025 return was due on 30 April 2026, and so was any tax you owed. Self-employed people got until 15 June 2026 to file, but the payment date didn’t move. The dates for the 2026 return aren’t on a CRA page yet, so treat any date you see for 2027 as unconfirmed until the CRA posts it.
Not sure what you’ll owe? Try the income tax calculator before you sit down with the slips.
When are taxes due for the 2025 return?
Here are the dates from the CRA’s page for the 2025 return, plus the date online filing opened.
| What | Date |
|---|---|
| Online filing opens | 23 February 2026 |
| Return and payment, most people | 30 April 2026 |
| Return, self-employed (business expenses) | 15 June 2026 |
| Payment, self-employed | 30 April 2026 |
| Tax shelter investments | 30 April 2026 |
The CRA’s own tax tips for the 2026 deadline make the split plain: the June date is for filing only, and if you owe money you still need to pay by 30 April to avoid interest. The same June 15 filing date applies if you aren’t self-employed but your spouse or common-law partner is.
When a deadline lands on a weekend or public holiday, the CRA treats the return as on time if it arrives by the next business day. Late filing can cost you interest and penalties, and it can interrupt benefits such as the GST/HST credit, the Canada child benefit and Old Age Security. Penalty rates aren’t covered here, so check the CRA before you rely on a number.
Deceased taxpayers and their spouses have different rules, and you’ll want the CRA’s own guidance for that.
What do I need before I start?
Slips first. Most employers and banks send them by the end of February. If one hasn’t come by the end of March, contact the issuer for a copy rather than guessing the numbers.
Next, sign in to My Account. The CRA encourages users to add a backup multi-factor authentication option, and it’s worth doing early, because a locked account in April is a miserable way to start. Your notice of assessment will show up there once the return is processed.
Then gather what isn’t on a slip: RRSP receipts, child care costs, medical bills, donation receipts and last year’s assessment. The tax credits calculator shows which federal amounts are worth chasing.
What happens if I owe money?
You pay by 30 April, even if your filing date is later. Take an $80,000 salary in Ontario where the employer withheld $13,500 over the year. The 2026 tax comes to $14,127.85, so you’d owe $627.85. That’s small, but it’s still due on the same day as the return.
Someone with side income has a larger risk. Tax on the extra money isn’t withheld at all, and CPP is owed on top. The self-employed tax calculator gives a rough idea, and the tax instalments calculator shows how quarterly payments could spread the cost. If you can’t pay it all, the CRA’s Manage balance service in My Account lets individuals with debts of $1,000 or more set up a payment arrangement without speaking to a collections officer.
What if I’m expecting a refund?
File as early as you can and use direct deposit. The CRA asks Canadian residents to wait 12 weeks before contacting it about a refund, and the progress tracker in My Account shows the status. Not everyone gets the full amount, since the CRA may hold back money for debts it’s owed. Our page on the income tax refund estimator explains how to guess the size of yours.
If a refund matters to your budget, don’t wait for the deadline. Say Hana in Saskatoon needs hers to cover a car repair: filing in March with direct deposit set up gets her in the queue weeks before the April rush.
Once you’ve filed, save a copy of the return and every slip. You’ll want them if the CRA asks a question later, and you’ll want last year’s numbers next spring anyway. A single folder on your computer, named by tax year, is plenty.
Which mistakes cost people the most?
Filing late while owing is the obvious one. Less obvious, if you skip filing because you earned little, you can lose benefit payments that depend on your return. The CRA names the GST/HST credit, the child benefit and OAS among them.
Another trap is a slip typed in wrong, or one that never turned up and got left out because nobody noticed before the deadline came round. Paying a few bucks late is annoying, but the bigger cost is usually the reassessment that follows. And people often assume the first free software they find handles a business. Many don’t, so read our page on free online tax filing before you commit.
Our sources
Dates and digital-service points come from the CRA‘s filing dates page for the 2025 return and its 2026 tax-filing season material. Tax figures in the example use this site’s 2026 federal and Ontario data. This is an independent site, and no government body is behind it.
Frequently asked questions
When was the 2025 tax return due?
30 April 2026 for most people. Self-employed people had until 15 June 2026 to file, but any balance owing was still due 30 April.
When is the 2026 return due?
We couldn't find the 2026 return dates on a CRA page yet. Check the CRA's important dates page for individuals.
What if a slip doesn't arrive?
The CRA says to contact the issuer directly if you haven't received it by the end of March.
Do I have to file if I had no income?
Filing is separate from owing tax. The CRA says filing on time helps protect benefits like the GST/HST credit, the Canada child benefit and Old Age Security.
Where do I see my notice of assessment?
In My Account. From February 2026 the CRA shows it there in digital form only.
- How to file your tax return in Canada: steps and dates
What to gather, when your return is due and how to file in Canada, from the first slip to the notice of assessment that closes the year