What happens if you file personal taxes late?
Filing your taxes late when you have earned a refund or don’t owe any further tax will not result in any fees or penalties. However, if you owe money and file late, the CRA charges you a penalty on the taxes owed equal to five percent plus an additional percent for each month late up to 12 months. Taxes owed to the CRA are due the day your tax return is due for individuals. If you cannot pay the full amount, the CRA will accept late payments but charges compound daily interest on all amounts due.
For example, if you owe the CRA $10,000 and you file your tax return 5 months late, the CRA will apply a 10 percent penalty and your tax bill is increased to $11,000.
What if I’m self-employed and file late?
As a small business owner, you may be required to file additional returns, such as those for payroll and GST/HST remittances and withholdings. Failure to meet the CRA’s payroll obligations results in penalties and interest; there are several types of penalties for payroll accounts. Failure to deduct can result in a penalty of 10% for the first failure, and will go up to 20% with any additional failures. Late filing or non-payment penalties start at 3% and will go up to 20%.
Due Dates for Installment Payments
If you make installment payments throughout the year so that you can avoid a large bill at tax time, you have four due dates throughout the year. Whether you are self-employed or employed by someone else, you must submit your installment payments by March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15 of each year.
Tracking Due Dates
To help you stay on top of filing due dates, the CRA has a mobile app. You can download it for free and set reminders for the dates that apply to you. Additionally, you can check on extensions to the usual due dates.