Your income tax owing after deductions and credits (line 43500 minus your withholdings). Not your total income.
Quebec residents use a lower $1,800 threshold (the rest of Canada uses $3,000).
Per quarter
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Enter your expected net tax owing to see your per-quarter amount.
If your net tax owing is more than $3,000 this year and in either of the two previous years, the CRA expects quarterly instalments.
2026 quarterly due dates
Q1
March 15, 2026
Q2
June 15, 2026
Q3
September 15, 2026
Q4
December 15, 2026
Downloads an .ics file with all four 2026 dates and a 3-day-before reminder. Opens in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook.
Estimate only — the per-quarter figure is the CRA's simple “no-calculation” option (one-quarter of your net tax owing). The CRA may instead send you instalment reminders with their own figures. Instalment interest compounds daily at the 2026 prescribed rate of 7%, and a penalty can apply only if that interest tops $1,000. Not tax advice; confirm specifics with a Canadian accountant.
Never miss an instalment date.
Your dates are yours free. Join early access — VRITTI tracks your set-aside and flags each CRA instalment automatically.
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What a CRA instalment actually is
An instalment is a prepayment toward this year's tax — the same way an employee has tax taken off every paycheque. When most of your income has no tax withheld at source (self-employment, rental, investment, or pension income), the CRA asks you to pay your tax in four pieces during the year instead of one lump sum at filing time. It is a payment you initiate, not a bill that lands in your mailbox.
You may have to pay instalments when your net tax owing is more than $3,000 (more than $1,800 if you live in Quebec) in the current year and in either of the two previous years. If you only cross the line once, you generally don't have to pay instalments — you just settle up when you file.
The three ways to calculate what you owe
The CRA gives you three options — and you can pick whichever results in the lowest payments without ever owing interest:
- The no-calculation option — pay one-quarter of last year's net tax owing each quarter. This is the simple option the calculator above uses, and the figures on the CRA's instalment reminders.
- The prior-year option — base your payments on last year's tax, split across the quarters.
- The current-year option — estimate this year's tax and pay one-quarter each time. Best if your income dropped this year, but if you underestimate you can owe interest.
Interest and penalties, in plain terms
If you were required to pay and you paid late or paid too little, the CRA charges instalment interest that compounds daily at the prescribed rate — 7% for 2026. Paying an instalment early or over the required amount earns you offsetting interest, so a missed quarter isn't always a disaster if you catch up. A separate instalment penalty applies only if your instalment interest for the year is more than $1,000 — under that, there's no penalty, just the interest itself.
The easiest way to never owe a cent of it: have the money already set aside, and the dates already in your calendar. See how much tax to set aside, or read why a CRA instalment reminder isn't a bill.
People also ask
Do I have to pay quarterly tax instalments?
You may have to pay quarterly instalments if your net tax owing is more than $3,000 (more than $1,800 if you live in Quebec) in the current year and in either of the two previous years. If you cross that threshold this year but not in a prior year, you can usually just pay your balance when you file. The CRA also mails instalment reminders if their records suggest you should be paying.
What happens if I do not pay instalments?
If you were required to pay and you paid late or paid too little, the CRA charges instalment interest, which compounds daily at the prescribed rate (7% for 2026). On top of that, an instalment penalty can apply — but only if your instalment interest for the year is more than $1,000. There is no penalty for instalment interest of $1,000 or less; you would still owe the interest itself.
What are the instalment due dates for 2026?
For individuals, the 2026 quarterly instalment due dates are March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15, 2026. An instalment is a CRA payment you initiate — it is not a bill that arrives in the mail. Use the calendar (.ics) download above to add all four dates with a reminder.
How is instalment interest calculated?
Instalment interest compounds daily at the CRA prescribed rate (7% for 2026) on any instalment you paid late or short, from the day it was due until the day you pay it (or until your balance-due date). The CRA also credits you "contra" interest for instalments paid early or over the required amount, which can offset what you owe. A separate instalment penalty applies only when total instalment interest exceeds $1,000.
VRITTI tracks the dates for you.
The app keeps a growing CRA set-aside with your instalment dates on the home screen — so the money is already there, and the reminder is never a surprise.
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