2026 Year-End Tax Checklist: Canada and Cross-Border

By Dellendo Farquharson, BOMCAS Canada

Quick answer: This 2026 year-end tax checklist covers books, payroll, GST/HST and owner pay to finish before December 31, 2026. Early 2027 brings slip filings on Monday, March 1 (derived: February 28 is a Sunday), personal balances on April 30, and June 30 T2 filings for December 31 corporations. Cross-border readers should also diary US estimated tax, 1099-NEC, FBAR and Form T1135.

This 2026 year-end tax checklist covers what Canadian households and small firms should finish before New Year’s Day, and the main CRA and IRS dates in 2027. It assumes a December 31 year-end—shift corporate and GST/HST dates if yours differs. Figures were re-checked on canada.ca and irs.gov on October 30, 2026 (America/New_York). Where an agency has not posted a 2027 date, this article marks it derived from the published rule plus the weekend or holiday rule.

Tax year note: This guide covers the 2026 calendar year, with slips, returns and payments due in 2027. Alberta sellers charge 5% GST and no provincial sales tax; supplies into HST provinces follow the place-of-supply rate.

Individuals: Personal Tax, RRSP and TFSA

Instalments before year-end

Most instalment payers face four 2026 dates: March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, 2026 (a Tuesday). If farming or fishing is your main self-employment income, you make one instalment by December 31. See the December 15 tax instalment guide for 2026 and the CRA instalment due dates page.

RRSP and TFSA

• 2026 RRSP dollar limit: $33,810, plus unused room. Contributions in the first 60 days of 2027 can still reduce 2026 income. Day 60 from January 1, 2027 is Monday, March 1, 2027. The CRA important-dates page still lists the prior-year deadline, so treat March 1, 2027 as derived from the 60-day rule until that page updates (CRA RRSP dates; CRA RRSP/TFSA limits).
• 2026 TFSA room: $7,000, added January 1, 2026. There is no tax-year contribution cut-off. Unused room carries forward; withdrawals restore room only in a later calendar year.

Records and spring filing

Collect T4, T4A, T5 and other slips as they arrive. Keep donation, medical, childcare, rental and investment records. For vehicle claims, log date, destination, purpose and kilometres, plus opening and closing odometer readings (CRA motor vehicle records).

The CRA individuals page still shows 2025-year dates. Applying the same pattern to 2026 gives these derived dates: pay any balance by Friday, April 30, 2027; most people also file by then; self-employed filers (and spouses or common-law partners) may file by Tuesday, June 15, 2027, while any balance remains due April 30. Re-check CRA important dates for individuals when it updates. Help: personal tax services and personal tax accountant Canada.

Employers: Payroll, T4 and T4A

Finish every 2026 pay run—hours, taxable benefits, CPP, EI and tax withheld. Before December 31, decide how corporate owner-managers will take salary, dividends or both, and refresh contractor details for any T4A or construction T5018. Fees to a non-resident for Canadian work generally mean 15% Regulation 105 withholding (due by the 15th of the next month) and a T4A-NR (CRA Regulation 105).

Regular remitters usually send December 2026 source deductions by Friday, January 15, 2027. Quarterly remitters send the October–December remittance that same day (CRA remitting due dates).

T4, T4A, T4A-NR and related returns are due the last day of February after the year they cover. February 28, 2027 is a Sunday, so the CRA next-business-day rule makes the practical date Monday, March 1, 2027 (derived). T5 returns use the same February rule and the same derived date (CRA when to file slips; CRA T5 due date).

See the T4 and T4A year-end checklist for 2026, the T5 dividends guide for owner-managers, and Canada payroll services. Construction payers: T5018 filing requirements. A calendar-year T5018 is due six months after the period ends—Wednesday, June 30, 2027 for 2026 (derived).

Businesses and Corporations: Books, T2 and Alberta AT1

Reconcile bank, credit-card and loan accounts. Clear suspense items. Follow up on unpaid invoices and ask how to treat doubtful balances. Count inventory if you hold stock. As a baseline, keep business records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to (CRA keeping records).

Corporate instalments are generally due on the last day of each month (or each quarter for eligible CCPCs), not on December 15. They usually apply only when tax payable exceeds $3,000 in the current or prior year (CRA corporate instalments).

After a December 31, 2026 year-end, the Part I balance is generally due two months later, or three months later for an eligible CCPC that meets the CRA small-business tests (CRA balance-due day). Two months after December 31 is February 28, 2027 (Sunday), so many non-CCPC filers treat Monday, March 1, 2027 as the practical date (derived). Eligible CCPCs land on Wednesday, March 31, 2027. The T2 itself is due six months after year-end: Wednesday, June 30, 2027 (derived) (CRA corporation return due dates).

Corporations with a permanent establishment in Alberta generally also file an Alberta AT1 within six months of year-end. For taxation years beginning after December 31, 2024, many non-exempt corporations must net-file electronically. BOMCAS can help you coordinate Alberta corporate filings (Alberta corporate income tax).

Considering incorporating before December 31? See incorporate before year-end in Canada and the corporate year-end checklist. Support: business tax, corporate tax accountant Canada, and bookkeeping services Canada.

GST/HST Before and After Year-End

Review registration: you generally leave small-supplier status once taxable supplies pass $30,000 in one calendar quarter or across four consecutive calendar quarters. Taxi and commercial ride-sharing drivers must register even below that threshold (CRA when to register for GST/HST). Confirm your reporting period and next due date in My Business Account, and match every input tax credit to a proper invoice or receipt. Most registrants must file electronically for reporting periods ending in 2024 or later, including nil returns (CRA GST/HST reporting requirements).

Annual filers with a December 31, 2026 year-end: corporations generally file and pay by Wednesday, March 31, 2027; sole proprietors with business income pay by April 30, 2027 and file by June 15, 2027. Detail: annual GST/HST return due date guide. Some Alberta service firms also weigh the GST/HST Quick Method. Help: GST/HST filing services Canada.

US Filers and Cross-Border Items

For US citizens or green-card holders in Canada, Canadian businesses that pay US contractors or sell into the US, and anyone with foreign accounts or US-source income.

• 1099-NEC on 2026 payments: US payers generally issue Form 1099-NEC once nonemployee compensation reaches $2,000 (the older $600 figure applied before 2026). File with the IRS and furnish to the recipient by January 31; January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the next business day is Monday, February 1, 2027 (derived). Sources: IRS information returns; 1099-NEC instructions. Article: 1099-NEC 2026 threshold.
• IRIS instead of FIRE: Tax-year 2026 information returns filed in the 2027 season go through IRIS. FIRE users need an IRIS Transmitter Control Code (IRIS TCC article; IRS FIRE/IRIS).
• Fourth-quarter US estimated tax: The final 2026 Form 1040-ES instalment is due Friday, January 15, 2027. You may skip it if you file the 2026 Form 1040 by February 1, 2027 and pay everything then due (Q4 estimated tax January 2027; IRS Form 1040-ES).
• FBAR (FinCEN Form 114): A US person must file if foreign financial accounts together exceeded US $10,000 at any point in the year. Due April 15 of the following year, with an automatic run to October 15. File through FinCEN BSA E-Filing, not with the income-tax return. Form 8938 is separate (IRS Form 8938 vs FBAR; IRS FBAR; FBAR for US citizens in Canada).
• US persons abroad: Living outside the United States usually adds an automatic two months, to June 15, to file and pay Form 1040 if you attach the required statement. Interest on unpaid tax still starts April 15 (IRS abroad 2-month extension).
• Canadian Form T1135: File if the cost of specified foreign property exceeded CAD $100,000 at any time in the year (CRA Form T1135; T1135 explainer).

Help: US tax services and cross-border tax accounting in Edmonton.

2026 Year-End Tax Checklist: Key Dates

Official = on a current CRA or IRS page. Derived = published rule applied to the 2027 calendar and weekend/holiday rule. Confirm derived dates before relying on them.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start this 2026 year-end tax checklist?

Begin in November or early December so payroll, owner pay, GST/HST and large purchases are settled by December 31. Use January and February for slips and remittances.

Is the T4 deadline really March 1, 2027?

The CRA rule is the last day of February. February 28, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so a return received or postmarked by the next business day—March 1, 2027—counts as on time. That date is derived; confirm when the CRA posts 2027 calendars.

What is the RRSP deadline for the 2026 tax year?

Contributions in the first 60 days of 2027 can still be claimed on a 2026 return. Sixty days from January 1, 2027 is March 1, 2027. The CRA page still shows the prior-year date, so this article labels it derived.

Do Alberta corporations need an AT1 as well as a T2?

Usually yes, when the corporation has a permanent establishment in Alberta. The AT1 is due within six months of year-end; electronic net file applies for many non-exempt corporations for taxation years beginning after December 31, 2024.

What changed for US 1099-NEC in 2026?

For payments made in 2026, the general nonemployee compensation threshold is $2,000, up from $600 in earlier years. IRIS is the electronic path for tax-year 2026 information returns filed in 2027.

Who should use the cross-border section?

US citizens or residents in Canada, Canadians with US accounts or US contractors, and anyone who may need FBAR, Form 8938 or Canadian Form T1135.

How BOMCAS Can Help

BOMCAS Canada helps individuals and small businesses in Edmonton, across Alberta and Canada, and cross-border US/Canada clients with bookkeeping, GST/HST, payroll, and tax. US and other cross-border readers can also start at BOMCAS.com. Call 780-667-5250, email info@bomcas.ca, or book a consultation.

Sources

CRA, Alberta and IRS pages linked above were reviewed on October 30, 2026. Alberta AT1: corporate income tax.

_Disclaimer: General information about the 2026 tax year for Canadian and cross-border readers, based on CRA, Alberta and IRS pages reviewed on October 30, 2026 (America/New_York). Not tax advice. Dates marked derived apply the official rule and weekend/holiday rule to the 2027 calendar—confirm on the linked agency pages. BOMCAS Canada provides accounting and tax services._

Talk to BOMCAS Canada

Have a question about your situation? Call BOMCAS Canada at 780-667-5250 or email info@bomcas.ca. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.