GST/HST Returns

GST/HST Filing Deadlines for Canadian Businesses

Published 2025-03-05 · Updated 2025-10-15 · By BOMCAS Canada Editorial Team

How is your GST/HST filing frequency assigned?

CRA assigns each GST/HST registrant a filing frequency based on annual taxable supplies. Businesses with revenue under $1.5M file annually by default but can elect quarterly or monthly. Businesses with $1.5M to $6M file quarterly by default. Businesses over $6M must file monthly. You can elect a more frequent filing schedule to accelerate refunds for net-input businesses.

Annual filer deadlines

Annual filers (most small businesses) have a return due three months after their fiscal year end. Self-employed individuals with a December 31 year end have a GST/HST return due June 15 (with payment due April 30). The mismatch between the payment date and the filing date frequently catches people off guard.

Quarterly and monthly filers

Quarterly and monthly filers have one month after the end of the reporting period to file and pay. For example, a quarterly filer with a Q3 ending September 30 must file and pay by October 31.

Penalties and interest

Late filing of a GST/HST return generates a penalty of 1% of the amount owing plus 0.25% per month for up to 12 months. Late payment generates interest at the CRA prescribed rate (which floats with the Bank of Canada rate). Failure to file at all can lead to a Notional Assessment, where CRA estimates your tax — almost always at a higher amount than the actual.

The Quick Method election

Many small service businesses save tax by electing the Quick Method of accounting. Under the Quick Method, you collect GST/HST as normal but remit a reduced fraction of total revenue (the specific rate depends on the province where you operate and whether you sell services or goods). The catch: you cannot recover ITCs on most operating expenses. The Quick Method works best for service businesses with low input costs.

How this issue connects to broader Canadian tax planning

Like every Canadian tax topic, the answer for any given individual or business depends on facts and timing. The most common reason Canadian taxpayers overpay is not that they file the wrong return — it's that they make structural decisions (incorporation, ownership of real estate, family compensation, retirement drawdown sequencing) without modelling the multi-year consequences. By the time the consequences show up on a tax return, they are usually impossible to reverse cost-effectively.

BOMCAS Canada works with Canadian individuals and businesses on the full spectrum of tax planning and tax compliance. The compliance work — preparing returns, filing GST/HST, running payroll, issuing T4s, responding to CRA — is the visible part of the engagement. The less-visible part is the planning work that happens throughout the year: modelling decisions before they are made, identifying tax opportunities while they are still actionable, and coordinating with legal, banking, and insurance advisors when a tax decision intersects with their domains.

Other Canadian tax topics that may interest you

Canadian tax is interconnected. The salary-vs-dividend decision interacts with RRSP planning, which interacts with CPP entitlement, which interacts with retirement income drawdown, which interacts with OAS clawback. The corporate small business deduction interacts with passive investment income, which interacts with insurance planning. Real estate ownership decisions interact with the Underused Housing Tax, the principal residence exemption, the anti-flipping rules, and provincial property surcharges. Cross-border situations interact with treaty positions, FBAR/FATCA compliance, and departure tax. A good Canadian accountant maps the connections for each client based on their specific facts.

If you would like to discuss how this article applies to your specific situation — whether you're an individual evaluating personal tax planning, a small business owner thinking about incorporation, a real estate investor considering ownership structure, or a professional planning practice transition — call us at 780-667-5250 or submit the contact form. The initial conversation is free, takes 15 to 30 minutes, and there is no obligation. If we are not a fit for your situation, we are happy to suggest other Canadian professionals who might be.

Canadian tax filing deadlines you should know

  • April 30: T1 personal tax return deadline for most Canadians. Balance owing is due by this date even if the filing deadline is extended.
  • June 15: T1 deadline for self-employed individuals and their spouses (any balance owing still due April 30).
  • March 1 or March 2: RRSP, FHSA, and similar registered plan contribution deadline for the prior tax year.
  • January 31: T4, T4A, and T5018 information returns due.
  • February 28: T5 investment income slips due.
  • Six months after corporate year-end: T2 corporate income tax return filing deadline.
  • Two or three months after corporate year-end: T2 balance owing payment deadline.
  • Quarterly (March 15, June 15, September 15, December 15): Personal tax instalment due dates.

How BOMCAS Canada serves clients across Canada

BOMCAS Canada is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta and serves clients in every Canadian province and territory virtually. Through an encrypted client portal, video meetings, e-signature workflow, and direct CRA representation under written authorization, we deliver the same complete service to a client in a small town in northern Manitoba that we deliver to a downtown Toronto corporation. Most clients find the virtual model both faster and more cost-effective than commuting to a downtown accounting office.

Our fees are fixed by engagement letter — no surprise hourly invoices. Our response standard is one business day for routine client communications. Same accountant year over year — no transferring you to a junior every year. Canadian-only tax focus — we don't do US-only or UK tax in isolation. Industry depth across trucking, real estate, medical professionals, contractors, restaurants, e-commerce, farms, nonprofits, and many other Canadian industries.

Frequently asked questions

How do I work with BOMCAS Canada if I don't live in Edmonton?
Almost identically to how an Edmonton client works with us. We meet by video or phone. Documents go through the encrypted client portal. Engagement letters, CRA authorizations, and tax returns are e-signed. CRA representation works under written authorization regardless of where you live in Canada.
What does an engagement cost?
Depends on the engagement type and complexity. Personal tax engagements are typically a fixed annual fee. Small business engagements are typically a fixed monthly fee. We provide a written fixed-fee quote after a 15–30 minute discovery conversation, signed before any work begins.
Can BOMCAS Canada represent me with CRA?
Yes. With your signed RC59 (business) or AUT-01 (individual), BOMCAS Canada can communicate with CRA on your behalf, respond to review letters, represent you in audits, file Notices of Objection, and coordinate with tax counsel for Tax Court of Canada appeals where required.
What software do you support?
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, Wave, FreshBooks, and several industry-specific platforms (PCLaw, Clio for law; Dext, Hubdoc for receipt capture; Float, Fathom for forecasting). We migrate from one platform to another as part of new client onboarding when needed.

Need help applying this to your situation?

Speak with a Canadian accountant at BOMCAS Canada about your specific tax or accounting situation. We respond within one business day.

Call a BOMCAS Canada Accountant — 780-667-5250 Request a Free Canadian Accounting Consultation