Here are the key dates and deadlines this tax season in Canada
Tax season is on the horizon in Canada.
If you’re already dreading filing your taxes this season, it may help to have all of the key dates and deadlines laid out so you can prep accordingly.
“The deadlines are coming pretty fast, and it’s important not to wait until the last minute,” an H&R Block tax expert told Daily Hive. “There are a lot of documents you need to gather. Sometimes it may take a few days before you can get your hands on a document.”
It’s also helpful to stick to tax deadlines in Canada so that you don’t face the consequences of filing late.
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The first important date is Monday, Feb. 23. That’s when the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Netfile service will open, which means it’s the earliest day Canadians can start filing their taxes online.
According to the CRA, Netfile is available to most taxpayers, except for certain restrictions.
The next key date is Friday, Feb. 27, the last day for employers and the CRA to issue T4s, T4As, and T5s to Canadians. If you haven’t received these forms from your employer within a few days of this deadline, it’s worth following up.
Your last day to contribute to your RRSP for the 2025 tax year is Monday, March 2. RRSP contributions are tax-deferred, which means that your contributions are income-tax deductible, and you could get a bigger return.
Now that you hopefully have all of your forms and claims ready to go, it’s time to file your taxes before the deadlines.
The two main tax deadlines in Canada this year are Thursday, April 30 and Monday, June 15.
April 30 is the tax filing deadline for all regularly employed workers in Canada. You will need to have all of your taxes filed by this date, or you could start incurring penalties if you have a balance that you owe the CRA.
If you’re self-employed, you have a little more time to file taxes with a June 15 deadline.
However, regardless of whether you’re self-employed, any Canadian who owes taxes should pay them by April 30.
Low-income Canadians could be eligible for the government’s new automatic tax filing system, which gives the CRA the authority to file a tax return on behalf of a taxpayer. Check out Daily Hive’s explainer to learn more.
Here’s the list of deadlines:
- Monday, Feb. 23: The earliest day you can file your taxes and the first day the CRA’s Netfile service opens.
- Friday, Feb. 27: You should have your T4s, T4As, and T5s from your employer.
- Monday, March 2: Deadline to contribute to your RRSP for the 2025 tax year.
- Thursday, April 30: Deadline for most individuals to file their tax return and pay any taxes owed.
- Monday, June 15: Deadline to file your tax return if you, or your spouse or common-law partner, are self-employed.