Time limits for claiming ITCs

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Time limits for claiming ITCs

Registrants generally claim their input tax credits (ITCs) when they file their GST/HST return for the reporting period in which they made their purchases. However, you may have ITCs that you did not claim when you filed the return for the corresponding reporting period.

Most registrants can claim those ITCs in any future reporting period that is within four years of the reporting period in which the ITC could have first been claimed.

Example

You are a quarterly filer and you buy office furniture in the reporting period October 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, for which you can claim an ITC.

The latest that you can claim an ITC for the tax you were charged on the office furniture is on the return for the reporting period October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, which is due on January 31, 2019. This means that you can claim the ITC in any return filed by January 31, 2019.

The time limit for claiming ITCs is reduced to two years for:


  • a listed financial institution (unless you are considered to be a financial institution only because of an election you filed);
  • a person with annual revenues from taxable supplies of property and services of more than 6 million dollars in both of the two preceding fiscal years, except for charities and persons whose supplies of goods and services (other than financial services) during either of those two years are at least 90% taxable supplies.

Under the two-year limit, you can claim your ITCs on any future return that is filed by the due date of the return for the last reporting period that ends within two years after the end of your fiscal year. This two year period must include the reporting period in which the ITC could have first been claimed.

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Date modified:
2015-12-07