Mid-winter marks a time to start gathering information related to personal income taxes. As deadlines draw closer, Canadian taxpayers can keep these key dates and information in mind, courtesy of the Government of Canada.
Essential dates
- February 23, 2026: Earliest day to file your taxes online
- April 30, 2026: Deadline to file your taxes
- June 15, 2026: Deadline to file your taxes if you or your spouse or common-law partner were self-employed in 2025
- April 30, 2026: Deadline to pay your taxes
How to file your tax return
The Government of Canada notes that taxpayers can file their returns in various ways. You can file your own return using:
- Tax software
- SimpleFile
- A paper tax return
Taxpayers also can have someone else file their returns, including:
- A professional tax preparation specialist
- A volunteer at a free tax clinic
Taxpayers who plan to file their returns utilizing tax software may be asked for a NETFILE access code, which is an eight-character code found on each taxpayer’s Notice of Assessment (NOA). Only the code on your most recent NOA is valid.
No two tax years are exactly the same. As taxpayers prepare to file their returns, the Government of Canada notes that what’s new for the 2025 tax year can be found at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/whats-new.html.
