CRA Remittance Deadlines Every Canadian Employer Should Know

If you run payroll in Canada, remittance deadlines aren't optional — and missing one, even by a single day, can mean penalties and interest on top of what you already owe. Here's what every employer needs to know, in plain language.

What counts as a "remittance"?

Every time you run payroll, you deduct income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums from your employees' pay. Those deducted amounts — plus your employer portion of CPP and EI — need to be sent to the CRA on a regular schedule. That's your remittance.

How often you remit depends on your size

The CRA assigns employers a remitter type based on their average monthly withholding amount from two years prior. Most new and small employers fall into the "regular remitter" category, which means remittances are due by the 15th of the month following the month you paid your employees.

Larger employers may be classified as threshold 1 or threshold 2 remitters, with remittances due twice or up to four times a month. The bigger your payroll, the tighter the schedule.

What happens if you're late

Penalties start at 3% of the amount due for remittances that are one to three days late, and climb to 10% for anything over seven days late or for repeat late payments. On top of that, the CRA charges daily compound interest on both the unpaid amount and any penalty.

How ThredPay keeps you ahead of it

Every ThredPay payroll run automatically calculates your remittance amount and schedules the payment based on your specific remitter type — so you're never manually tracking due dates or wiring funds at the last minute. If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, we adjust the schedule automatically, well ahead of time.

Payroll compliance shouldn't require a calendar full of reminders. It should just happen — quietly, correctly, on time.