Tax season 2027 is when you file your return for the 2026 calendar year. Most slips arrive by the end of February 2027, and some, such as T3 and T5013 slips, can take until the end of March. This checklist lists the documents I ask clients to gather for a 2026 return, with notes for sole proprietors, corporations, trusts, and newcomers. It is general information, not advice for your situation.
Key dates for the 2026 tax year
- End of February 2027: you should have most of your slips and receipts. The CRA notes that T3 and T5013 slips may not arrive until the end of March, and receipts for RRSP contributions made in the first 60 days of the year may not arrive until May. (CRA: Tax slips)
- Monday, March 1, 2027: issuers' deadline for 2026 T4, T4A, and T5 slips. The usual deadline is the last day of February, and February 28, 2027 is a Sunday, so it moves to the next business day. See my payroll year-end guide for the employer side.
- Monday, March 1, 2027: last day to contribute to an RRSP and deduct it on your 2026 return (60 days after December 31, 2026).
- Wednesday, March 31, 2027: T3 slips for trusts with a December 31, 2026 year end are due to beneficiaries.
- Friday, April 30, 2027: filing deadline for most individuals, and the payment deadline for everyone, including the self-employed.
- Tuesday, June 15, 2027: filing deadline if you or your spouse or common-law partner carried on a business in 2026. Any balance owing is still due April 30, 2027. (CRA: Important dates for individuals)
The CRA usually publishes the next season's dates early in the year. The 2027 dates above follow the CRA rules applied to the 2027 calendar; check them against the CRA page or my CRA deadlines tool before you rely on them.
1. Personal information
- SIN, date of birth, and current address for you, your spouse or common-law partner, and dependants
- Any change in marital status in 2026, with the date
- Your spouse's or partner's net income, if I am not preparing their return
- Your 2025 notice of assessment, which shows your RRSP deduction limit and any carryforwards
- Any letters from the CRA received in 2026, such as a request for documents or a reassessment
- Access to CRA My Account, where most slips appear in the spring, if you are comfortable sharing them that way
2. Employment, pension, and benefit slips
- T4: employment income from each employer, usually by the end of February
- T4A: pension, retirement, annuity, and other income, such as fees for services, scholarships, and RESP educational assistance payments
- T4A(OAS) and T4A(P): Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan benefits
- T4E: Employment Insurance and other benefits from Service Canada
- T4RSP, T4RIF, and T4FHSA: withdrawals or income from an RRSP, a RRIF, or a First Home Savings Account
- Form T2200 or T2200S signed by your employer, if you plan to claim employment expenses
3. Investment slips
- T5: interest and dividends from Canadian banks and corporations, including dividends from your own corporation
- T3: income from mutual funds, ETFs, and other trusts, including family trusts and estates. These can arrive as late as the end of March.
- T5008: sales of securities. The cost shown is often blank or incomplete, so please also send your adjusted cost base records or broker realized gain reports.
- T5013: partnership income, which can also arrive at the end of March
- Year-end statements for non-registered accounts, and records of cryptocurrency purchases and sales
- Interest paid on money borrowed to invest, and investment management fees for non-registered accounts
4. Deductions and credits
- RRSP contribution receipts: for 2026 contributions not claimed on your 2025 return, and for contributions from January 1 to March 1, 2027
- FHSA: T4FHSA slip, and records of contributions and any qualifying withdrawal
- T2202: tuition and enrolment certificate from your college or university, usually available in your student account by the end of February
- Child care receipts, with the provider's name and SIN or business number
- Medical expense receipts, including dental, vision, and private health plan premiums you paid
- Charitable donation receipts
- Support payments made or received, with the agreement or court order
- Moving expenses, if you moved at least 40 km closer to a new job or school
- Ontario rent or property tax amounts for the Ontario Trillium Benefit, with your landlord's name or your property tax bill
- Disability tax credit approval (Form T2201), if it applies to you or a dependant
5. Sole proprietors and self-employed (including HST/GST)
- Sales records for 2026, such as invoices, platform annual summaries, and any T4A slips for fees for services
- Business expense receipts, a vehicle log with total and business kilometres, and home office details (area used and utility bills)
- Equipment or vehicles bought or sold in 2026, for capital cost allowance
- Income tax instalments paid in 2026
- If you are registered for HST/GST: your HST number, reporting period, sales and HST collected, HST paid on business purchases, and the returns you filed for 2026. An annual filer who is an individual with business income and a December 31 fiscal year generally files by June 15, 2027 and pays by April 30, 2027. (CRA: GST/HST reporting requirements and deadlines)
- If you are not registered, your total taxable sales by quarter, so we can check the $30,000 small supplier threshold. (CRA: When to register for and start charging the GST/HST)
My HST/GST services page and HST calculator have more detail.
6. Corporations (T2), at a high level
A corporation's T2 return is separate from the personal tax season. It is generally due six months after the corporation's year end, and the balance owing is generally due two or three months after year end, depending on the corporation. (CRA: When to file your corporation income tax return) For a December 31, 2026 year end, I usually ask for:
- Bank, credit card, and loan statements up to the year end, and the bookkeeping file
- Payroll summaries, T4 and T4A slips, and the T5 slips issued for dividends paid to shareholders
- Shareholder loan activity, and assets bought or sold in the year
- HST returns filed for the year, and the prior year's T2 return and notice of assessment
The T2 date finder in my CRA deadlines tool shows the dates for other year ends. See also my corporate tax (T2) services page and year-end tax planning guide.
7. Trusts and estates
- If you received a T3 slip from a family trust or an estate, include it with your personal documents.
- If you are a trustee or executor, the trust has its own T3 return, due with the T3 slips by March 31, 2027 for a December 31, 2026 year end. Some bare trust arrangements may need to file for years ending on or after December 31, 2026. My Trust (T3) year-end checklist lists the documents, and my trust tax (T3) services page explains what is included.
8. Foreign income and property
- Foreign slips and statements, such as US Forms 1099 or 1042-S, foreign pension statements, and foreign bank or brokerage statements
- Foreign rental income and expenses, and proof of any foreign tax paid on income you report in Canada
- The cost of foreign property you held in 2026. If the total cost of specified foreign property was more than $100,000 at any time in the year, Form T1135 is generally due with your return. (CRA: Questions and answers about Form T1135)
- US citizens living in Canada also file with the IRS. See my tax guide for US citizens in Canada.
9. New to Canada in 2026
- The date you became a resident of Canada, and your immigration document
- Your world income for 2026 before you arrived, which affects benefits and credits
- The fair market value of property you owned when you arrived, such as foreign investments or real estate
My first-year tax checklist for newcomers covers the first return in more detail.
Document checklist
- 2025 notice of assessment and personal details for everyone on the return
- T4, T4A, T4E, and other employment, pension, and benefit slips
- T5, T3, T5008, and T5013 investment slips, with cost records for sales
- RRSP and FHSA receipts, and the T2202 tuition certificate
- Child care, medical, donation, and other deduction or credit receipts
- Business income and expense records, and HST/GST details, if self-employed
- Foreign slips, foreign tax paid, and foreign property costs
- Any CRA letters received in 2026
Send your documents
You can send slips and receipts as they arrive. A clear photo or PDF of each document is fine. Please use my secure upload page rather than regular email, and book a call if you would like to go through your situation first. The fee estimator gives a starting range for a personal return.
Sources
- CRA: Tax slips, when you will receive your tax slips
- CRA: Important dates for individuals
- CRA: GST/HST reporting requirements and deadlines
- CRA: When to register for and start charging the GST/HST
- CRA: When to file your corporation income tax return
- CRA: Questions and answers about Form T1135
This checklist is general information based on the CRA pages listed above, checked on October 27, 2026. The 2027 dates apply the CRA rules to the 2027 calendar and may change if the CRA announces otherwise. It does not replace advice for your situation.