GST/HST instalments for annual filers: one return, several payment dates

Annual filing does not always mean annual payment

CRA says annual filers with previous fiscal-year net tax of CA$3,000 or more may have to pay quarterly instalments in the current fiscal year. First-time filers need to check the special rules for their second fiscal year. The threshold applies to the whole business, including separately filing branches or divisions.

Do not use the annual-return date as the only cash-flow reminder. Ask your bookkeeper or accountant to confirm whether instalments apply and which amount calculation to use.

Find the four fiscal-quarter dates

GST/HST instalments are due within one month after each fiscal quarter ends. With a December 31 year-end, the ordinary dates are April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. A different fiscal year-end changes the quarter schedule. Check recognized weekends and holidays and the actual dates in your CRA account.

A practical payment checklist

1. Confirm the fiscal year-end and the applicable instalment requirement.
2. Obtain the amount calculation from the person responsible for tax preparation.
3. Match the payment to the right GST/HST account and period.
4. Allow for the selected payment method's timing.
5. Keep the reference and reconcile the payment against the account.

A useful handoff says who prepares the amount, who approves the transfer and who checks that it arrived. A calendar entry can organize that handoff; it cannot calculate the correct tax from an unfinished set of books.

Use the calendar for both parts of the job

In Compliance Calendar, choose annual GST/HST and enable instalments only when they apply to the business. Keep the annual return visible as a separate filing task. Record a payment when you have its evidence; do not mark the return filed just because an instalment was paid. Quebec businesses should verify Revenu Québec's GST/HST and QST rules separately.