T2 filing deadline vs corporate tax payment deadline: two dates to track

Why one year-end needs more than one reminder

CRA generally gives a corporation six months after its tax year-end to file its T2. The balance-due date arrives earlier. Most corporation taxes are generally payable two months after year-end. A three-month rule applies to specified taxes only when the corporation satisfies the CRA conditions.

Those conditions involve CCPC status throughout the year, claiming the small business deduction in the current or previous year, and the previous-year taxable-income and business-limit tests, including associated corporations where relevant. Being a small incorporated business by itself is not enough to assume three months.

A practical year-end handoff

For a corporation with a December 31 year-end, identify its applicable February or March balance-due date before treating June 30 as the filing target. Weekend or holiday adjustments must also be checked. This is a planning example, not a determination of eligibility.

• Ask the accountant to confirm the payment deadline and any instalment obligations.
• Agree when the year-end bookkeeping package must be ready.
• Arrange a tax estimate early enough to plan cash flow.
• Keep the payment reference, then obtain the T2 filing receipt when submitted.

What if the return is not ready?

Do not silently replace the payment date with the accountant's filing appointment. Tell the accountant which documents are missing and ask what is needed to determine the balance. Leave a note against the deadline so you know what remains unresolved.

Track payment and filing independently

In Compliance Calendar, select corporation, your fiscal year-end and the appropriate balance-due setting. The calendar separates payment from the T2 return. Record each confirmation when that action is actually complete. For Quebec or Alberta provincial corporate tax obligations, verify the separate provincial rules rather than assuming the federal payment date controls.