When can we reassess your T2 return

There are different time limits for reassessing your T2 return, depending on the type of corporation and the nature of the reassessment.

• Normal reassessment period
• Extended reassessment period
• Unlimited reassessment period

Normal reassessment period

The normal reassessment period for a T2 return depends on whether or not the corporation was a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CCPC) at the end of the tax year.

We can usually reassess a return for a tax year:

• within three years of the date we sent the original notice of assessment for the tax year, if the corporation was a CCPC at the end of the year; or
• within four years of the date we sent the original notice of assessment for the tax year, if the corporation was not a CCPC at the end of the year.

The normal reassessment period can be extended for various reasons.

Extended reassessment period

The normal reassessment period can be extended for an extra three years for any of the following reasons:

• you want to carry back a loss or credit from a later tax year;
• a non-arm's length transaction involving the corporation and a non-resident affects the corporation's tax;
• the corporation pays an amount or receives a refund of foreign income or profits tax;
• a reassessment of another taxpayer's tax for any of the above reasons affects the corporation's tax;
• a reassessment of another tax year (it must be a prior tax year if the reassessment relates to a loss or credit carryback) for any of the above reasons affects the corporation's tax;
• the reassessment results from a non-resident corporation's allocation of revenue or expenses for the Canadian business, or from a notional transaction, such as "branch advance", between the non-resident corporation and its Canadian business; or
• to give effect to the application of the non-resident trust rules in section 94 or to the application of the foreign investment rules under sections 94.1 and 94.2.

If the reassessment results from a provincial income reallocation, the normal reassessment period can be extended for one year from the later of:

• the day on which the CRA is advised of the provincial reassessment; and
• 90 days after the notice of the provincial reassessment was sent.

Unlimited reassessment period

We can reassess a return at any time if:

• the corporation has made a misrepresentation because of neglect, carelessness, wilful default, or fraud in either filing the return or supplying information required by the Income Tax Act;
• the corporation filed Form T2029, Waiver in Respect of the Normal Reassessment Period or Extended Reassessment Period, with a tax services office before the normal reassessment period expires. The waiver can be filed up to three more years after the end of the normal reassessment period if the waiver applies to one of the situations described above under Extended reassessment period;
• the reassessment is to carry back losses or certain tax credits and deductions where a prescribed form requesting the amendment has been filed on time; or
• a court instructs us to reassess.

Forms and publications

• Guide T4012, T2 Corporation Income Tax Guide
• Form T2029, Waiver in Respect of the Normal Reassessment Period
• Form T652, Notice of Revocation of Waiver

Date modified:

2017-02-21