Catch-up
What should week one of a personal, corporate, and HST catch-up look like?
2026-09-30 · 6 min read · Tax Everyday, Vaughan
Week one is inventory, not heroics. By Friday you should know which years are missing, which of them can still pay a refund, which ones owe tax, and whether anyone at CRA has already written. That is enough to quote the work and to avoid the two expensive mistakes: missing a refund window, and phoning CRA to confess an issue that might still qualify for a voluntary disclosure.
As of November 2026, a 2023 personal refund has to be filed by 31 December 2026. That date outranks a tidy bookshelf. Corporate T2s and HST returns do not have a three-year refund rule of the same shape, but unremitted HST is trust money and should not sit behind a search for the perfect expense report.
The seven days
Do these in order. Stop when you hit something you cannot find, and bring the gap instead of delaying the rest.
- Day 1: list every personal year since you last have a Notice of Assessment. Circle 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- Day 2: list every corporation, its year-end, and the last T2. Add the Ontario annual return as a separate line.
- Day 3: log in to My Business Account and write down outstanding GST34 periods and payroll periods.
- Day 4: put every CRA letter in one PDF. Demands, arbitrary assessments, and collections letters change the plan.
- Day 5: download bank statements for the oldest open business year. Do not code them yet.
- Day 6: decide whether anyone has already told CRA about the unfiled amounts. If not, do not call to preview the story.
- Day 7: book the working session and drop what you gathered. A partial drop is a start.
What we will tell you at the end of that week
Which years are straightforward personal returns at $90 plus HST, which are ready self-employed years at $650 plus HST, and which corporate years can be the $2,000 plus HST package. Everything else — a rebuild, a disclosure look, a backdated HST registration — gets a quote. Tax Everyday is in Vaughan, open every day from 8 to 8, and the file drop works from anywhere in Canada.
You do not need week one to be impressive. You need it to be honest about what is missing.
Short answers
Can I do week one if I have not booked yet?+
Yes. The list is yours. Booking is what turns the list into returns. Drop the list when you have it, even before every statement is downloaded.
What if week one shows a demand letter I forgot?+
Then that year moves to the front. Send the letter with the list. A deadline beats a perfect folder.
Want this applied to your file?
These notes are general. A return is prepared only after we see your slips.