Key takeaways
- Right after you arrive: get a SIN, apply for benefits with RC151 (and RC66), note your residency date
- December 31, 2026: the 2026 tax year ends
- February 22, 2027: online filing opens for 2026 returns
- April 30, 2027: file and pay; June 15, 2027 to file if self-employed
- July 2027: benefits are recalculated using your 2026 return
What should you do in your first weeks?
These steps do not depend on the calendar. Do them as soon as you can after you arrive.
- Get your Social Insurance Number. See how to get a SIN.
- Write down your residency date. It is usually the day you arrived and set up a home.
- Apply for benefits with Form RC151. With children, also send Form RC66. You do not need to file a return first.
- Open a Canadian bank account, and ask about CRA direct deposit.
- Record the value of shares and other property you own on your residency date.
- Start a folder for slips, receipts and foreign income records.
What are the key dates from October 2026 to December 2027?
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 to March 2027 | CRA benefit payments continue, based on 2025 income or your RC151 | Benefit recipients |
| December 15, 2026 | Last 2026 tax instalment | Only people asked to pay instalments |
| December 31, 2026 | The 2026 tax year ends. Last day for 2026 FHSA contributions | Everyone |
| January 29, 2027 | NETFILE closes for 2025 and earlier returns | Anyone with an old return to file online |
| February 22, 2027 | Online filing opens for 2026 returns | Everyone filing online |
| End of February 2027 (March 1, 2027, because February 28 is a Sunday) | Employers and payers must send T4, T4A and T5 slips. Most schools issue T2202 slips by then too | Workers, savers, students |
| March 1, 2027 | Last day for RRSP contributions you deduct on your 2026 return | People with RRSP room (not first-year filers) |
| Mid-March 2027 | Most slips are in CRA My Account and Auto-fill My Return | People with a CRA account |
| March 15, 2027 | First 2027 instalment | Only people asked to pay instalments |
| End of March 2027 | T3 slips may arrive this late | People with mutual funds or trusts |
| April 30, 2027 | Filing deadline and payment deadline for 2026 | Most people |
| June 15, 2027 | Filing deadline if you or your spouse are self-employed. Second 2027 instalment | Self-employed people |
| July 2027 | New benefit year starts. Benefits are recalculated using your 2026 return | Benefit recipients |
| September 15, 2027 | Third 2027 instalment | Only people asked to pay instalments |
| December 15, 2027 | Last 2027 instalment | Only people asked to pay instalments |
The March 1, 2027 RRSP date comes from the Income Tax Act rule of 60 days after the end of the year. As of October 10, 2026, the CRA’s RRSP page still shows the 2025 deadline, so confirm it in early 2027. Exact benefit payment dates for 2027 are on the CRA’s benefit payment dates page.
What should you do during tax season?
- Wait for your slips. The CRA advises waiting until you have all slips. Filing early without a slip can lead to changes later.
- Gather foreign income records for the part of the year you were a resident. See how to report foreign income.
- Choose how to file: certified software, a free tax clinic or a professional.
- File by April 30, 2027. Pay any balance by the same day.
- Make sure your spouse or partner files too, even with no income, to keep family benefits.
What should you do after you file?
- Read your notice of assessment. Note your RRSP room for next year.
- Register for CRA My Account once your return is assessed.
- Turn on online mail and direct deposit.
- If something is wrong, you can object until the later of 90 days after the notice date or one year after the filing deadline.
- Keep your records for at least six years.
What changes in your second year?
- RRSP room: you now have room based on last year’s earned income.
- Form T1135: if the total cost of your foreign property is over $100,000, it may be due with your return. It is not needed for your first year. See the T1135 checker.
- Benefits: from July, they are based on your filed return, not your RC151 estimate.
- Auto-fill My Return: with a CRA account, your slips can flow into your software.
Common calendar mistakes
- Waiting until April to apply for benefits. Send RC151 (and RC66) soon after you arrive. Benefits do not wait for your first return.
- Filing before all slips arrive. A missing T3 or T5 leads to a reassessment later.
- Mixing up tax years. The return you file in spring 2027 is for the 2026 tax year.
- Thinking June 15 is a payment date for everyone. It is a filing date for the self-employed only. Payment is still due April 30.
- Contributing to an RRSP in your first year. You generally cannot deduct it on your first return.
- Missing the 90-day window to object to a notice you disagree with, when it is later than the one-year date.
- Moving without telling the CRA. Update your address so letters and cheques reach you.
Do Quebec residents have other dates?
Quebec residents file two returns: a federal return with the CRA and a Quebec return with Revenu Québec. Quebec has its own forms and slips (RL slips). The instalment threshold for Quebec residents is $1,800 of net federal tax owing instead of $3,000. See Quebec taxes for newcomers.
Benefits that depend on filing: Canada Child Benefit, Canada Workers Benefit and Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Common questions
When is my first tax return due if I arrived in 2026?
April 30, 2027, or June 15, 2027 if you or your spouse are self-employed. Any balance is due April 30, 2027.
When can I file my 2026 return online?
The CRA says the 2027 tax season begins February 22, 2027.
When do I get my T4 slip?
Employers must send T4 slips by the last day of February. In 2027, that day is a Sunday. When a due date falls on a weekend, it moves to the next business day, so the deadline becomes Monday, March 1, 2027.
When do benefit amounts change?
Every July. The CRA recalculates benefits like the Canada Child Benefit and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit using your previous year’s return.
Sources
- CRA: Due dates and payment dates, personal income tax
- CRA tax tip: Enhancing security for online tax return filing (September 22, 2026)
- CRA: NETFILE overview
- CRA: Important dates for RRSPs, HBP, LLP, FHSAs and more
- Justice Laws: Income Tax Act, section 146 (RRSPs, 60-day rule)
- CRA: Required tax instalments for individuals
- CRA: When to file information returns (slips)
- CRA: Tax slips
- CRA tax tip: Tax slips at tax time (2026)
- Canada.ca: Auto-fill My Return
- CRA: Benefit payment dates
- CRA: Questions and answers about Form T1135
- CRA: Form RC151, CGEB application for new residents
- CRA: Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application