When Should I File My First T2 After Incorporating?
$300.00 Plus HST Per Tax Year
We are a registered EFILE electronic filer. Your return is transmitted to the Canada Revenue Agency electronically.
Written and reviewed by Sharad Gondaliya, CPA (Ontario), CPA Ontario Membership 61040184.
The first T2 is due within six months of the first fiscal year-end, and the corporation chooses that year-end itself when it files. The first tax year starts on the incorporation date and cannot run longer than 53 weeks. A first return also carries Schedule 24.
When Should I File My First T2 After Incorporating?
| Point | Rule |
|---|---|
| First tax year starts | The incorporation date |
| Longest a first tax year can run | 53 weeks |
| First T2 due | Within 6 months of the first fiscal year-end |
| Schedule required on a first return | Schedule 24 |
| Fee to file a nil first return | $300.00 plus HST per tax year |
A true nil return carries no percentage late-filing penalty, because that penalty is a percentage of tax owing and the corporation owes $0.00. The unfiled year still stays open forever, invites a demand to file and an arbitrary assessment, blocks a clearance certificate and dissolution, and costs a non-resident-owned corporation $25.00 per day up to $2,500.00.
The year-end is chosen once and then fixed, so the choice made on the first return sets every due date after it. A first year in which nothing happened is still a filing year.
Filing a Nil Return
This service is for a corporation with no activity in the tax year. A corporation with investment income, rental income, or dividends paid or received is not nil.
We are a registered EFILE electronic filer. Your return is transmitted to the Canada Revenue Agency electronically, and your CRA confirmation is emailed within 3 business days. You sign Form T183CORP before we transmit. The fee is $300.00 plus HST per tax year. See the full nil T2 filing cost, every T2 filing deadline, and catch-up nil T2 filing for outstanding years.
For the whole subject in one place, see the complete guide to the nil T2 return.
Related Questions
- When is a short first year due
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Last reviewed: October 26, 2026