Tariff relief and federal support for Canadian businesses

Highlights: 

To support businesses, the CRA will:

• Defer GST/HST remittances and corporate income tax payments from April 2 to June 30, 2025
• Waive interest on GST/HST and corporate (T2) instalment and arrears payments that are required to be paid between April 2 and June 30, 2025
• Provide interest relief on existing GST/HST and corporate (T2) balances between April 2 and June 30, 2025

Note that interest will resume starting July 1, 2025.

The CRA also reminds businesses that they must continue to file any GST/HST returns or T2 returns by their due dates to remain compliant with filing requirements.

Full details of the CRA announcement can be found here.

Provincial announcements 

Quebec to harmonize with CRA on corporate income tax and QST

Revenu Québec has announced its intent to harmonize with the CRA’s temporary tax relief for businesses.

Full details of the Quebec government announcement can be found here.

Ontario to provide select tax relief for businesses

On April 7, 2025, the Ontario government announced it will grant interest and penalty relief under 10 business-focussed tax programs, including:

• Employer Health Tax,
• Insurance Premium Tax,
• Gasoline Tax,
• Fuel Tax,
• Mining Tax,
• Tobacco Tax,
• International Fuel Tax Agreement,
• Beer, Wine & Spirits Tax,
• the Retail Sales Tax on Insurance Contracts and Benefit Plans and
• the Race Tracks Tax.

Remittances under these provincially administered tax programs will be deferred for six months, from April 1, 2025, to October 1, 2025. All taxes owed must be paid by October 1, 2025.

The Ontario government also announced that an additional $2 billion in rebates will be issued through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) for safe employers, consistent with rebates distributed in March.

Full details of the announcement can be found here.

Manitoba extends tax payment deadlines

On March 10, 2025, the Manitoba government announced an interest and penalty-free payment deferral for retail sales tax (RST) return remittances until June 20, 2025. The deferral is for the February, March and April 2025 return periods and does not apply to debts established prior to February. All returns must continue to be filed by the standard due dates. Businesses that file on a quarterly basis are also eligible to defer the March quarterly RST return due April 22, 2025, until June 20, 2025.

The government announced a similar deferral for Health and Post-Secondary Education Tax Levy (HE Levy) return remittances until June 15, 2025. The deferral applies for February, March, and April 2025 monthly return periods. Returns for these periods must continue to be filed by the required due dates.

Any amounts owing on filing of a 2024 HE Levy Annual Report are not included in the deferral. Moreover, the deferral does not apply to outstanding amounts established before February.

For additional information on federal and provincial tariff support programs, see here: Federal and provincial tariff support programs