Corporate Tax Deadlines
T2 filing and payment deadlines by year-end, who gets three months to pay, instalments, interest and the rest of the corporate calendar.
The short version
- The T2 return is due six months after the corporation's year-end. For a December 31 year-end, that's June 30.
- The tax is due sooner: two months after year-end, or three months for a CCPC that claimed the small business deduction this year or last year and whose taxable income is within its business limit.
- Instalments are monthly, or quarterly for small CCPCs with taxable income of $500,000 or less and a perfect compliance record. None are needed if this year's or last year's tax is $3,000 or less.
- Late tax costs daily compounded interest at the prescribed rate (7% for October to December 2026), and late instalments can add a penalty once the interest tops $1,000.
- Slips for what you pay yourself (T4 for salary, T5 for dividends) are due by the last day of February.
Corporate Tax Deadlines in Canada
A corporation's calendar runs on its own year-end, which is handy for planning and terrible for remembering anything. The most expensive misunderstanding is simple: the six-month T2 deadline is for the paperwork. The money was due months earlier, and CRA started charging interest the day after. Here's every date that matters, with examples you can copy.
The Two Big Dates: Payment and Filing
| Year-end | Balance due (2 months) | Balance due (3 months, qualifying CCPC) | T2 filing deadline (6 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | February 28, 2026 | March 31, 2026 | June 30, 2026 |
| March 31, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | June 30, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
| June 30, 2026 | August 31, 2026 | September 30, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
| September 15, 2026 | November 15, 2026 | December 15, 2026 | March 15, 2027 |
| December 31, 2026 | February 28, 2027 | March 31, 2027 | June 30, 2027 |
When the year-end is the last day of a month, the deadlines land on the last day of the month too. When it isn't, they land on the same day of the month (September 15 to March 15). A deadline on a weekend or public holiday moves to the next business day. Some dates in the table fall on weekends; payment then is on time the next business day.
Who Gets Three Months to Pay
All three must be true:
- The corporation was a Canadian-controlled private corporation throughout the year.
- It claimed the small business deduction this year or last year.
- Its taxable income (with associated corporations, their combined taxable income) is not more than its business limit, generally $500,000.
Everyone else pays in two months. A CCPC that had a great year and blew past $500,000 loses the extra month in exactly the year it owes the most. Tax has a sense of humour; it just isn't yours.
What does your corporation owe, and when?
Enter the year-end, last year's and this year's estimated tax and whether you claim the small business deduction. The assistant lists your balance-due day, filing deadline and instalment dates and amounts.
Instalments
| Monthly | Quarterly | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Most corporations owing more than $3,000 | Small CCPCs only: taxable income of $500,000 or less (with associated corporations), taxable capital of $10 million or less, small business deduction claimed this year or last, and a perfect compliance history for the past 12 months |
| Due (December 31 year-end) | The last day of each month, January to December | March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 |
| Rule | One month less a day from the start of the year, then monthly | One quarter less a day from the start of the year, then quarterly |
No instalments are required if the corporation's tax for this year or the previous year is $3,000 or less. Monthly payers can base them on this year's estimate, last year's tax, or a two-year method that uses the year before last for the first two payments. Pick the smallest that you can defend; if you underestimate this year, interest runs on the shortfall.
"Perfect compliance" means filing and remitting income tax, GST/HST, CPP, EI and payroll withholdings on time in the past 12 months. One late GST/HST return and you're back to monthly. The same idea for individuals is on tax instalments for the self-employed.
Interest and Penalties on Late Payment
- Late balance or instalments: interest at the prescribed rate (7% a year for October to December 2026), compounded daily, from the day the payment was due.
- Instalment penalty: applies when instalment interest for the year is more than $1,000. Take the interest, subtract the greater of $1,000 and 25% of the interest you'd have owed with no instalments at all, and the penalty is half of what's left.
- Late T2: 5% of the unpaid tax plus 1% a month, up to 12 months; see the T2 return.
Corporate interest isn't deductible, so the 7% is a real 7%. Paying on time and filing in June is cheaper than filing early and paying late.
The Rest of the Corporate Calendar
| Obligation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Payroll source deductions (regular remitter) | The 15th of the month after you paid salary |
| T4 slips for salary, T4A slips | Last day of February after the calendar year; see T4 slips |
| T5 slips for dividends paid | Last day of February after the calendar year; see T5 slips |
| GST/HST return and payment | Depends on the filing period; see GST/HST filing periods |
| Foreign property (T1135), transactions with non-residents (T106) | With the T2, when they apply |
| Ontario annual return (Ontario Business Registry) | Within six months after year-end, filed separately from the T2 |
| Federal corporations' annual return (Corporations Canada) | Within 60 days after the anniversary of incorporation |
| Your own T1 (salary and dividends you received) | April 30; June 15 if you also have self-employment income, but tax is still due April 30 |
Slips are calendar-year, even when the corporation's year isn't. A dividend declared in December 2026 by a corporation with a June year-end goes on a 2026 T5, due February 2027. Personal deadlines are on tax deadlines in Canada.
Choosing a Year-End
A new corporation picks its year-end on its first T2; the first tax year can't be longer than 53 weeks. A non-December year-end spreads the accountant's work away from tax season and can give you more time between earning profit and paying yourself, but changing it later needs CRA's approval. Most small corporations keep it simple with December 31 or the end of their slow season. The bigger picture is on Canadian corporate tax explained.
Corporate Tax Deadline Questions
When is corporate tax due in Canada?
The balance of tax is due two months after the corporation’s year-end, or three months for a CCPC that claimed the small business deduction in the current or previous year and whose taxable income is within its business limit.
What is the T2 filing deadline?
Six months after the end of the tax year. For a December 31 year-end, the T2 is due June 30.
Do corporations have to pay instalments?
Yes, if the tax for both the current and previous year is more than $3,000. Most pay monthly; small CCPCs with taxable income of $500,000 or less and a perfect compliance history can pay quarterly.
Is there interest if I file on time but pay late?
Yes. Interest runs from the balance-due day, which is months before the filing deadline, at the prescribed rate compounded daily.
When are T4 and T5 slips due for my corporation?
By the last day of February following the calendar year in which the salary or dividends were paid.
Sources: CRA, Due dates for payments; Corporation Instalment Guide; Avoiding penalties; Guide T4012; Prescribed interest rates, Q4 2026. Checked October 2026. The Ontario annual return deadline is from secondary sources on the Ontario Business Registry rules, and the federal annual return rule is from Corporations Canada as we understand it; confirm both before relying on them. Payroll remittance dates vary for larger or quarterly remitters.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.