When is a trust's T3 return due each year in Canada?

A trust's T3 return is generally due within 90 days after the end of the trust's tax year. Most personal trusts, including most family and testamentary trusts, use the calendar year as their tax year, which makes the filing deadline around March 31 for the prior calendar year.

This is different from an individual's personal tax filing deadline, and it's easy for a trustee to mix the two up, especially in an estate's first year, when the executor is also filing the deceased's final personal return on its own separate deadline. Missing the trust's 90-day deadline can trigger late-filing penalties, and — since expanded trust reporting rules require most trusts to disclose detailed beneficiary information — the penalties for a late or incomplete T3 package can be more significant than trustees expect.

Because the 90-day window applies regardless of whether the trust owes any tax, a trustee should calendar the deadline as soon as the trust's tax year is set, gather beneficiary and trustee information early, and not assume a quiet trust with little activity gets more time to file.