Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Most Canadian returns are due April 30, and any tax you owe is due that day too. The self-employed have until June 15 to file, and the RRSP contribution deadline falls 60 days after December 31.
The main dates in the Canadian tax year are the RRSP contribution deadline (60 days after December 31), the April 30 filing and payment deadline for most people, June 15 for the self-employed to file, and quarterly instalments on the 15th of March, June, September and December. The calendar below shows the current year’s dates with weekend shifts worked out, following the CRA’s due dates and payment dates page.
Which of these matter depends on you. If you earn a salary, the date to watch is the spring filing deadline. If you save in an RRSP, it is the contribution deadline. If you work for yourself or run a business, you file by June 15, but any tax you owe is still due April 30, and quarterly instalments add four more dates to the year. Come tax time you probably need only two or three of them, and a phone reminder a week ahead heads off most late fees.
This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we collect information from open sources, and we do not guarantee it is accurate. Check the official source before you rely on a date. We don’t file anything for you.
Guides and tools readers open most for these dates
- Last day to file taxes in Canada
April 30 for most people, June 15 for the self-employed, the weekend rule and a $2,000 late-penalty example.
- Canada tax season dates
When the 2025 return opened and was due, what to gather and a refund example.
- RRSP limit and deadline
The $2,000 buffer, the 1% monthly tax on excess contributions and the dates that matter.
- Tax instalments calculator
Work out what to pay on the 15th of March, June, September and December.
- Tax refund timing in Canada
How long a refund takes, what holds one up and a $75,000 example.
What are the main tax dates this year?
Add these dates to your calendarWorks with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook. Each date comes with a reminder one week before.
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, January 1 | New TFSA roomYour TFSA room for the year is added on January 1. | TFSA holders |
| Monday, March 2 | Slips are dueEmployers and payers must send T4 and most other slips by the end of February. | Employees and investors |
| Monday, March 2 | RRSP contribution deadlineThe last day to contribute and still deduct it on last year's return. | RRSP savers |
| Monday, March 16 | Tax instalmentFirst of four instalment payments, if you pay by instalments. | Self-employed and others |
| Thursday, April 30 | Filing deadline and balance dueMost returns are due, and any tax you owe must be paid. | Almost everyone |
| Monday, June 15 | Self-employed filing deadlineThe return is due for you and your spouse if either runs a business. Tax owing is always due April 30, whatever your filing date. The second instalment is due the same day. | Self-employed people |
| Tuesday, September 15 | Tax instalmentThird instalment payment. | Self-employed and others |
| Tuesday, December 15 | Tax instalmentFourth instalment payment. | Self-employed and others |
| Thursday, December 31 | Tax year endsIncome, donations and most deductions count for this year if they fall on or before this date. | Everyone |
Dates for 2026. A date on a weekend moves to the next weekday. Federal holidays are not modelled, and none of these dates normally meets one.
How are Canadian tax dates worked out?
The RRSP deadline falls 60 days after December 31, the filing deadline is April 30 (June 15 if you run a business), and instalments are due on the 15th of March, June, September and December. These are the CRA’s rules. Any date that lands on a weekend moves to the next weekday.
The weekend rule is easy to see in a real year. For the 2025 tax year, day 60 fell on Sunday, March 1, 2026, so the RRSP deadline slid to Monday, March 2, which is the date the CRA’s due dates and payment dates page shows. Priya, a freelance designer in Calgary, is a good case for the other pair of dates. She has until June 15 to file, but if she owes a balance she still has to pay by April 30, so she pays an estimate in April and files later with her slips in hand.
The tax deadline page gives the same dates with more detail on who they apply to. If you’re relying on a date, check it against the CRA’s own page too, because a rule can change between our yearly updates.
Which tax dates are not on this calendar?
GST/HST and payroll remittance dates depend on your own reporting period and payroll size, so they are not on the calendar. A business that files GST/HST quarterly files one month after each quarter ends, while monthly and annual filers have other dates. Employers send payroll deductions on a schedule set by the size of their payroll.
The sales tax guide and the payroll remittance calculator cover them, and if you work for yourself the self-employed guide ties several of these dates together.
How do you build a personal date list from this calendar?
Skip the dates that do not apply to you. Start by writing down which group you are in: salaried, RRSP saver, self-employed, or some mix. Salaried people usually need the slips date and April 30. RRSP savers add the contribution deadline. Anyone who runs a business adds the June 15 filing date and the four instalment dates, while April 30 still applies to the balance, which does not move. Put each date in your phone with a reminder a week ahead. Then add a line for the paperwork each date needs, such as slips, receipts or last year's notice of assessment. A list of three or four dates is easier to keep than the full table.
How can you count the RRSP deadline yourself?
Count 60 days forward from January 1. January has 31 days, so day 31 is January 31. February has 28 days in a common year, so day 59 is February 28, and day 60 is March 1. In 2026 that was a Sunday, so the deadline moved to the next weekday, Monday, March 2. In a leap year February has an extra day, so the count lands one day earlier. Do the count, then compare it with the CRA's due dates page, because that page is the official source. Make the contribution a few days early instead of on the last day, so a slow transfer does not catch you out.
What happens if you miss a tax deadline?
Missing the April 30 payment date usually costs interest on what you owe, and a late filing can add a penalty on top, so the sooner you file and pay, the less it grows. If you can’t pay in full, still file on time. The guide to dealing with the CRA covers what to do when a letter arrives.
What should you do next?
If a date is close, the filing guide lists what you’ll need to gather, and the checklists turn that into a sheet you can print. Planning an RRSP contribution before the deadline? Try the RRSP calculator and see what it saves you. The year’s limits are on the limits and rates page, and anything the CRA announces in between turns up on the tax news page.
Not sure which dates apply to you? Try My tax year.
Planning ahead? See the 2027 tax calendar, or go month by month with the Canadian tax year, month by month.
Add the 2027 dates to your own calendar with this calendar file.
After you file, see when your refund should arrive, and what to do if you miss a deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a tax date move when it falls on a weekend?
When a due date lands on a Saturday or Sunday, the CRA treats the next business day as the due date. The calendar applies that shift for you, so the dates shown are the ones that count.
Which tax date matters most?
For most people it is April 30, when the return is due and any tax owing must be paid. If you run a business, the return is due June 15, but the payment date does not move.
When is the RRSP contribution deadline?
The RRSP deadline falls 60 days after December 31. For the 2025 tax year, day 60 was Sunday, March 1, 2026, so the deadline moved to Monday, March 2, 2026, the date the CRA's due dates page shows.
When are the quarterly tax instalments due?
Instalments are due on the 15th of March, June, September and December. If one of those dates lands on a weekend, it moves to the next weekday. The tax instalments calculator can work out the amounts.
Are the Canadian tax dates the same every year?
The rules stay the same and the calendar recalculates the weekday shifts for each year. A date can still change if the government changes a rule, so check the CRA page for anything you rely on.
Does the tax calendar include GST/HST and payroll dates?
Not as a fixed list, because those dates depend on your reporting period and payroll size. Businesses can read the sales tax guide for how often they file.