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💵 Tax Tip - Stay Current on Changes And Updates that Might Affect Your Business Taxes

Monday, 23 March 2026 12:00.PM

Running a business means keeping up with tax changes, new services, and important reminders from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Staying informed can help you avoid delays, access services faster, and manage your tax obligations with confidence.

Here are some recent updates and reminders for businesses.

Register online for a business number and for CRA program accounts

Do you need a business number or a CRA program account like GST/HST or payroll? You must now use the Business Registration Online (BRO) portal. It's a fast and secure way to register, giving you instant confirmation and a simple setup process.

We've improved our online content to make https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/business-registration.html easier. With step-by-step instructions and self-serve options, you can prepare, register, and open CRA program accounts online. This saves time and reduces the need to call us.

Reporting fees for service payments in the trucking industry

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has lifted the moratorium on the penalties for failure to report fees for service transactions in the trucking industry.

Trucking businesses are required to report on a T4A slip (box 048) any fees for services paid to a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CCPC) that exceed $500 in a calendar year. Starting with the 2025 tax year, these businesses will be subject to penalties if they fail to issue the T4A slip by the last day of February of the following year. A business is considered to be operating in the trucking industry if its primary source of income comes from trucking activities.

The deadline to file T4A slips for the 2025 tax year was February 28, 2026. Since this date fell on a Saturday, information returns were considered on time if the CRA received them or they were postmarked on or before March 2, 2026.

CCPCs that received more than $500 in payment for services from a hiring business in 2025 should have received a completed T4A slip reporting the amounts paid to them.

For more details, visit Compliance requirements for the trucking industry.

Reminder: Add or update your email address now to avoid missing important CRA changes

The CRA now sends most business correspondence online.

To make sure you don't miss important updates:

• Sign in to your CRA account to access My Business Accoun
• Add or update your email address

This allows the CRA to notify you when new mail is available or when changes are made to your account. Without a current email address you could miss key information.

For more information visit Businesses: Businesses: Add or update your email address now to avoid missing important CRA messages.

The CRA's official Taxology podcast – Episode 11: Helping small businesses across the country through the Liaison Officer service

Did you know that the CRA has an official podcast, called Taxology? Recent episodes focused on topics such as the CRA's digital services, and tax information for newcomers, students and youth.

Episode 11 discusses the CRA's Liaison Officer service, a free program where small business owners and self-employed individuals, and those earning rental income can get personalized support to help understand their tax obligations. In this episode, a CRA liaison officer talks about the program and explains what's involved in a typical meeting, what help a liaison officer provides and how to schedule a personalized visit.

New and improved digital services

The CRA continues to improve its digital services to make it easier to manage your taxes online. Recent updates include:

• A new online portal called Non-Resident Withholding Tax allows non-resident tax account holders and their authorized representatives access to their information by signing in to their CRA account and adding their non-resident tax account number from the Welcome page
• When a user signs in or registers for a CRA account, they will be prompted to add a backup multi-factor authentication (MFA) option if they do not already have one. Users will have the option to skip this step
• A dedicated webpage showcasing our commitment to service enhancements and continuous service improvements

Stay informed

The CRA regularly shares updates, reminders, and resources to help businesses stay compliant and take advantage of available services.

To stay up to date on the latest tax information for businesses, consider subscribing to the CRA Businesses – Tax information newsletter.

SOURCE: Canada Revenue Agency