Key points
- File by the deadline every year, even with no income or tax owing: benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit are worked out from your return.
- A refund or balance owing is the difference between the tax on your income and what was already withheld. Claims change it only where your records support them.
- Deductions such as RRSP and FHSA contributions lower your taxable income; credits lower the tax itself.
- Couples can often share or shift claims: pension splitting, child care, medical expenses and donations.
- Missed something? Once you have your notice of assessment you can ask the CRA to change the return, generally for up to 10 years back.
2027 deadlines for your 2026 return
| Date | What's due |
|---|---|
| 1 March 2027 | Last day for RRSP contributions you want to deduct on your 2026 return (the 60th day of 2027) |
| 30 April 2027 | Filing deadline for most people. Payment deadline for everyone: any balance owing is due by this date, including for self-employed people and their spouses or partners |
| 15 June 2027 | Filing deadline only, if you or your spouse or common-law partner carried on a business in 2026. Payment was still due 30 April 2027, and interest on any unpaid balance runs from 1 May 2027 |
File by the deadline even if you expect a refund or owe nothing. The CRA uses your return to work out the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) and the BC and Alberta payments linked to them, and a late return can delay them. If you owe, filing late adds a penalty and interest. Our government benefits page explains each payment.
Slips and records to gather
Most slips arrive by the end of February or March and also appear in your CRA account. A slip left off your return can lead to a reassessment later.
- Income: T4 (employment), T4A (pensions, contract and other income), T4E (EI), T4A(P) and T4A(OAS), T5 and T3 (investment income), T5008 or broker statements (sales of investments), T4RSP and T4FHSA, rental and foreign income records.
- Deductions: RRSP and FHSA contribution receipts, child care receipts, union dues, support payments, moving costs, Form T2200 from your employer.
- Credits: tuition slips (T2202), medical and donation receipts, disability tax credit approval, rent paid (for the B.C. renter's tax credit), home accessibility renovation receipts.
- Last year's notice of assessment: it shows your RRSP limit, unused amounts and carry-forwards.
RRSP and FHSA deductions
- RRSP: your 2026 deduction limit is shown on your 2025 notice of assessment. New room is 18% of the previous year's earned income, up to $33,810 for 2026, plus unused room from earlier years. You don't have to deduct contributions in the year you make them; holding them for a higher-income year can be worth more.
- FHSA: for first-time buyers, three separate rules apply. Room: you get $8,000 of new participation room a year, up to $40,000 in a lifetime. Unused room: room you don't use can be carried forward, but no more than $8,000 is carried forward to the next year. Deductions: contributions you don't deduct in the year you make them can be deducted in a later year, so a year's deduction can be more than $8,000. In the CRA's example, someone who contributed $8,000 in 2025 without deducting it and $5,000 in 2026 can deduct $13,000 on the 2026 return.
- Spousal RRSP: contributing to your spouse's or partner's plan uses your room and gives you the deduction, while moving retirement income to them later.
Our RRSP tax savings calculator estimates what a contribution changes on a 2026 return, and the RRSP vs TFSA guide compares the two accounts. We don't sell investments; a licensed advisor explains products.
Credits worth checking
Most people claim the basic personal amount and, if employed, CPP and EI. Beyond those, check the disability tax credit, the Canada caregiver amount, home accessibility expenses, tuition (and transfers from a student), the Canada training credit, donations, the home buyers' amount and, in BC, the renter's tax credit. Our list of tax credits you may be missing covers each one with its 2026 amount, and our guide to medical expenses and travel for care covers the medical claim. To see roughly what your income means in tax, try our 2026 income tax calculator for BC and Alberta.
Employment expenses
Most employees can't deduct work costs. You may if your contract requires you to pay them and your employer signs Form T2200. That can cover:
- Working from home (a share of rent, utilities and some other costs), explained in our home office deductions guide.
- Vehicle costs for work travel you weren't reimbursed for, with a logbook.
- Tools for tradespeople above $1,501 for 2026, and some costs for commission salespeople and transport workers.
If you are self-employed
Business income goes on Form T2125, and you deduct reasonable costs of earning it. Common ones:
- Supplies, phone and internet, software, advertising, professional fees, insurance and licences.
- The business-use share of a vehicle and of your home, backed by a logbook and floor area.
- Half of business meals and entertainment.
- Capital cost allowance (depreciation) on equipment, computers and vehicles.
- The employer half of your CPP contributions, which is a deduction.
Keep receipts and records for six years. If you are registered for GST/HST, your GST return and your income tax return should match. Self-employed people may also have to pay instalments during the year.
Claims for couples and families
| Claim | How it works |
|---|---|
| Pension income splitting | Move up to 50% of eligible pension income to your spouse or partner on Form T1032, signed by both |
| Child care expenses | Usually claimed by the lower-income partner: up to $8,000 per child under 7, $5,000 per child aged 7 to 16, more for a child eligible for the disability tax credit |
| Spouse or partner amount | If your spouse or partner had little or no income, you may claim up to the basic personal amount for them |
| Medical expenses | Pooled for the family, often best on the lower-income partner's return |
| Donations | Can be pooled on one return; the credit rate is higher on amounts over $200 |
Carry-forwards to look for
Some amounts don't have to be used in the year they arise, and your notice of assessment or CRA account tracks many of them:
- Unused tuition amounts, and RRSP and FHSA contributions you haven't deducted yet.
- Donations, which can be claimed in any of the next five years.
- Net capital losses, which can be used against future capital gains.
- Moving expenses beyond your income at the new location.
- Your Canada training credit limit.
Check your notice of assessment
After the CRA processes your return, it sends a notice of assessment (NOA). Compare it with your return line by line. If the CRA changed something, the notice explains why. Write down your RRSP deduction limit, FHSA and tuition carry-forwards and Canada training credit limit for next year. If you disagree with an assessment, you can file a formal objection within the time limit on the notice.
Changing a return after filing
Forgot a slip, a receipt or a credit? Wait for your notice of assessment, then ask the CRA to change the return:
- Online, in your CRA account: "Change my return". The CRA says online changes take about 2 weeks.
- Through certified tax software or a tax preparer: "ReFILE", for 2021 and later returns that were filed electronically.
- By mail: Form T1-ADJ with your supporting documents, which the CRA says takes about 19 weeks.
Refunds generally can't be issued for a change requested more than 10 calendar years after the end of the tax year. Some things can't be changed this way, such as applying for benefits or updating your address.
How Finvo helps
We collect your slips from your CRA account with your permission, ask for the receipts each claim needs, compare who in the family should claim what, and prepare your return for your approval before filing. Deductions and credits are claimed where your records support it. We also check your notice of assessment with you and ask the CRA to change past returns when something was missed.
This guide is general information for people in BC and Alberta filing their 2026 return, checked against the CRA's pages on 28 Oct 2026. Rules have exceptions and can change; it isn't tax advice for your situation, and no particular refund can be promised.