The four instalment due dates for most individuals
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published this schedule on 2026-01-20. Most individuals who must pay income tax instalments for 2026 pay on four dates: March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. Because the dates are quarterly, each payment should be planned before its due date rather than paid from whatever cash is left at that point.
What are the CRA instalment payment due dates in 2026?
The 2026 instalment payments follow a quarterly cycle. The four due dates are listed below in calendar order.
| Due date (2026) | Payment in the cycle |
|---|---|
| March 15 | 1st of 4 |
| June 15 | 2nd of 4 |
| September 15 | 3rd of 4 |
| December 15 | 4th of 4 |
The schedule above applies to most individuals who must pay instalments. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, check your own CRA account or correspondence for your 2026 instalment requirements.
To prepare for the quarterly due dates, follow these steps:
- Confirm that you are required to pay instalments for 2026 by checking your CRA My Account.
- Enter the four due dates in your calendar at the start of the year.
- Set aside the amount you are asked to pay from each paycheque or monthly budget, in a separate account or budget line, well before each date, so the payment does not draw on money for rent, utilities or other regular bills.
- Make each payment by its due date and keep the confirmation.
The four instalment due dates for most individuals
For 2026, most individuals who must pay income tax instalments make four payments, due on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) published this schedule on January 20, 2026. Because the dates are fixed for the whole year, you can plan them in advance and record each one in your household budget as a separate outflow, rather than treating tax as a single annual bill.
| Payment | 2026 due date |
|---|---|
| 1st instalment | March 15, 2026 |
| 2nd instalment | June 15, 2026 |
| 3rd instalment | September 15, 2026 |
| 4th instalment | December 15, 2026 |
A practical way to prepare is to use the amount the CRA asks for each payment, shown on your instalment reminder or in CRA My Account. Do not assume the four payments are equal, because the CRA’s calculation options can lead to different amounts.
When you enter the dates in your calendar, check the due date itself, not the date you expect to receive your paycheque or other income. Missing a date can lead to interest and penalties, so verify each one against the CRA’s published schedule before you pay.
Who has to pay instalments?
Most individuals who must pay income tax instalments for 2026 make their payments on quarterly due dates: March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, according to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA, published 2026-01-20). The instalment obligation depends on how much tax you still owe after credits and deductions are applied, not on your gross income. The CRA sets the threshold that triggers it, and that threshold is not stated in the data available for this article.
Check your status using your most recent CRA assessment (Notice of Assessment) and the instalment reminders the CRA sends. If your net tax owing exceeded the CRA’s threshold in the current year and in either of the two previous years, you are generally expected to pay instalments during the year rather than in a single lump sum at filing time. Check the exact conditions on the CRA page and in your CRA correspondence.
The schedule is set out below:
| Payment | Due date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Instalment 1 | March 15 |
| Instalment 2 | June 15 |
| Instalment 3 | September 15 |
| Instalment 4 | December 15 |
What happens if a due date falls on a weekend?
For 2026, most individuals who must pay income tax instalments have dates of March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 (Canada Revenue Agency, published 2026-01-20). Those dates are the reference point, but the CRA generally treats a payment as on time if it is received on the next business day when the due date falls on a weekend or public holiday, so confirm this on the CRA’s official guidance.
The calendar shows which 2026 dates fall on a weekend:
| Instalment due date (2026) | Day of the week | Weekend? |
|---|---|---|
| March 15 | Sunday | Yes |
| June 15 | Monday | No |
| September 15 | Tuesday | No |
| December 15 | Tuesday | No |
Only the March 15 date falls on a weekend in 2026, so it is the one to check first. The practical method is:
- Open the CRA’s official instalments page and look for its published guidance on weekend and holiday due dates.
- Plan the payment for a business day before the 15th if you have no confirmed rule, so the payment is not left to chance.
Farmers and fishers: check whether a different schedule applies
The data available for this article covers the standard schedule. According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA, source dated 2026-01-20), most individuals who must pay income tax instalments for 2026 pay on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The source does not give a separate due date for farmers and fishers, so this section cannot confirm whether that group has a single payment date for 2026.
Standard 2026 instalment dates
| Instalment | Due date (most individuals, 2026) |
|---|---|
| 1 | March 15 |
| 2 | June 15 |
| 3 | September 15 |
| 4 | December 15 |
How to check whether farmers or fishers have a different date
- Confirm that your income qualifies as farming or fishing income for tax purposes, using the CRA’s definitions.
- Open the CRA’s instalment information for the 2026 tax year and locate the section on farmers and fishers.
- Note any single payment date or alternative payment option listed for that group.
- Compare that date with the four standard dates in the table above.
- Record the publication date of the CRA page you used, and check again before paying, since rules and dates can change.
How to add these dates to your budget calendar
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) states, in a source dated 2026-01-20, that most individuals who must pay income tax instalments for 2026 pay on four dates: March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. These are the anchor dates for your 2026 tax cash-flow plan, and they should sit in the same calendar you already use for bills and benefit payments, so that a tax payment never arrives unplanned.
Add them in three steps:
- Create four separate events. Label each one “CRA income tax instalment due” and set it on the matching date. One event per payment keeps each obligation visible on its own line instead of hidden in a single yearly reminder.
- Set an advance reminder. Schedule a notification a few days before each date. The reminder gives you time to check your bank balance before the due date rather than after it.
- Confirm the amount. The source gives the due dates but not the amount you owe. Check the figure for your own situation through official CRA channels, then write it into the calendar entry beside the date.
Use the same method each quarter. When a date passes, record the amount paid in the event notes. That record makes it easier to compare your payments against the schedule when you review your budget.
Frequently asked questions
Which dates do individuals pay instalments on in 2026?
For most individuals, the instalment payments for 2026 fall on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. The Canada Revenue Agency published this schedule on January 20, 2026.
What happens if an instalment due date falls on a weekend?
March 15, 2026 is a Sunday. The CRA generally treats a payment as on time if it is received on the next business day, but confirm this on the CRA’s current instalment page before relying on it. Paying a few days early avoids the question entirely.
Do the four payments always have the same amount?
Not necessarily. The amount you owe for each payment depends on the calculation the CRA uses for your situation, so use the figure shown on your CRA reminder or in your CRA My Account rather than dividing your yearly total by four.
