Canadian tax guides
Plain-language answers to common Canadian filing questions. Each guide lists its sources and links to the matching service.
Filing a personal return
- Do You Have to Claim a TFSA on Your Income Tax Return?A TFSA contribution, and the interest or gains inside it, are not income on the T1, and it is not a deduction. Regular savings interest is different.
- How Long Does It Take to Get a Tax Return Refund in Canada?The CRA’s service standard is about two weeks for an e-filed return and eight weeks for paper, if the return is not reviewed. Why a refund can run late.
- How to Claim an RESP on Your Tax ReturnRESP contributions are not a deduction and the grant is not income. Withdrawals for school are the student’s income. Which slips to bring.
- How to File a Tax Return in CanadaThree practical ways to file a tax return in Canada, where to mail a paper return, and what the Scarborough office needs from you.
- How to Maximize Your Tax Return in CanadaBring every receipt and slip the return can use, from donations to child care and RRSP contributions. What the firm does, and what it does not promise.
- How to Report a T5008 on Your Tax ReturnA T5008 slip shows a security was sold. The proceeds go on the capital gains schedule, built from your own cost records. What to bring to the office.
- Why Do I Owe Money on My Tax Return?You owe when the year’s tax is more than what was withheld or paid. A second job, commission, rental or self-employed income are common causes.
Starting and running a business
- How Much Does It Cost to Incorporate in Ontario?The cost to incorporate in Ontario has two parts: the province’s filing fee and a professional fee to prepare the articles, which the firm quotes first.
- How to Get an HST Number in OntarioRegister a GST/HST account with the CRA, usually through Business Registration Online. Registration is due within 29 days of passing the small-supplier limit.
- How to Incorporate a Business in OntarioPick a name or number, file articles through the Ontario Business Registry, then register with the CRA. What the firm files, and what comes after incorporation.
- Sole Proprietorship vs Corporation in CanadaHow a sole proprietorship and a corporation differ in Canada: who files, which return, and how personal and corporate rates work as separate tools.
- What Is the Corporate Tax Rate in Canada?Ontario corporations pay the federal rate plus Ontario’s. Small-business income is taxed at 11.2% combined from 1 July 2026 (12.2% before that date).
Payroll and CRA audits
- How Far Back Can the CRA Audit?For an individual, the CRA’s normal reassessment period is generally three years from the notice of assessment, longer in some cases. Keep records six years.
- Payroll Remittance to the CRAPayroll remittance covers the income tax, CPP and EI withheld from pay, plus the employer’s share. Due dates follow the remitter type the CRA assigns.