Reference · 5 min read
CRA Deadlines Checklist for Accounting Firm Owners
The recurring dates that shape every accounting firm's calendar, in one place — useful as a quick reference, or as a reminder of exactly why busy season feels the way it does.
Every accounting firm owner in Canada carries some version of this calendar in their head already. Here it is written down in one place — partly as a genuinely useful reference, and partly as a reminder of just how much recurring, date-driven pressure sits on a firm's shoulders every single year.
Personal tax filing
| Deadline | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| T1 filing (most individuals) | April 30 |
| T1 filing (self-employed individuals) | June 15 (balance owing is still due April 30) |
| RRSP contribution deadline | 60 days after year-end, typically around March 1 |
Information slips
| Slip | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| T4 / T4A slips | Last day of February |
| T5 slips | Last day of February |
| T3 trust returns | 90 days after the trust's year-end |
Corporate filing
| Deadline | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| T2 corporate return | 6 months after the corporation's fiscal year-end |
| Balance owing (most CCPCs) | 2–3 months after fiscal year-end, depending on eligibility |
GST/HST and installments
GST/HST filing deadlines depend on the reporting period assigned to each client — monthly, quarterly, or annual — which makes this one of the easiest categories to lose track of across a client list, since every client can be on a different cycle. Instalment payments for both individuals and corporations are typically due quarterly, and missing one has real cost implications for the client, not just an administrative inconvenience.
Why this list feels heavier every year
None of these dates are new, and none of them are the actual problem. The real strain is tracking this same calendar across every client file, every year, usually the same way it was tracked the year before — manually, and by memory, until someone forgets one. It's the same pattern as chasing documents by hand: reminders, statuses and client follow-up living in someone's head instead of in a system.
A deadline calendar is one of the simplest things to automate, which is why it often scores well in our what-to-automate-first framework. See the full range of AI automation for accounting firms if you want the wider picture.
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