Residency, filing deadlines, interest and penalties
20 What are the filing deadlines for an individual? Why are there different tax filing deadlines for different individuals? (6.4.1)
Arshpreet Kular
In Canada, the filing deadline (i.e. the date you need to file your tax return with the CRA) for most individuals is April 30th. However, for individuals with business income, or if their spouse has business income, the filing deadline is extended to June 15th. This extension is provided to give business owners more time to calculate their revenues and expenses for the year.
The filing deadline is extended for the spouses of individuals with business income because of the potential transfer of the spousal tax credit. You need to know the spouse’s income to be able to determine if there is a spousal credit available. To facilitate this, if either spouse has business income, the filing deadline for both spouses is extended to June 15th. Note that income tax must be paid by April 30th regardless of your tax return filing deadline.
| DIFFERENT CATEGORIES | FILING DATE | PAYMENT DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals without business income | April 30th | April 30th |
| For individuals with business income (and their spouses) | June 15th | April 30th |
The CRA encourages individuals to file their tax returns electronically through My Account and NETFILE services.
Interactive content
Author: Arshpreet Kular, March 2019
Author: Jabo Onyanya, June 2019
References and Resources
ITA 150(d)
2019
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