01 · The PrincipleIn April, you have no choices left. In October, you have all of them.
In the middle of tax season, a firm stops deciding and starts executing. You don’t hire a technician in the third week of April. You don’t renegotiate fees with a client whose return is already underway. You don’t switch software the night before the deadline.
Everything structural — capacity, pricing, filing access, how documents reach you — has to be settled before February 1. After that, you are no longer fixing problems; you are compensating for them, with late nights, lost weekends, and clients you turn away.
This checklist follows the order in which decisions must be made. Every step ends with one simple test: “it’s done when…”. If you can’t tick the test, the step isn’t done.
Whatever isn’t settled by December gets paid for in April, in late nights and lost weekends.
02 · The CalendarThree phases, five dates to circle.
The 2027 season covers the 2026 tax year. It breaks into three phases, and five dates set the pace.
October to December
Decide: review, pricing, access, staffing, tools.
January and February
Open client files and collect documents.
March and April
Prepare, review, sign, transmit.
- 1
Late October 2026
The CRA sends the EFILE renewal invitation. Processing can take up to 30 business days.
- 2
Late February 2027
EFILE opens for the season (February 23 in 2026; the CRA will confirm the 2027 date).
- 3
March 1, 2027
RRSP deadline for the 2026 tax year, and T4 / RL-1 slips due (February 28 falls on a Sunday).
- 4
Friday, April 30, 2027
T1 and TP1 filing and balance-owing deadline for all individuals.
- 5
Tuesday, June 15, 2027
Filing deadline for self-employed individuals and their spouses. Any balance is still due April 30.
03 · The StepsEight steps, in the order they get decided.
For each one: why now, what to do, and the test that proves it’s done.
- 01October
Run a post-mortem on the 2026 season
Your best data isn’t in an industry report — it’s in your last season. Put numbers on it while memories are still fresh.
To do
- Count returns completed, declined, and filed late, by type: employee, self-employed, rental property, senior.
- Measure the real time per return, from the first document received to transmission.
- Name the three pain points that cost the most hours: missing documents, “where’s my return?” calls, manual data entry…
It’s done when…
You have one number — hours per return — and a list of three pain points to eliminate.
- 02October – November
Rethink your offer and your fees
A price is set before the client sends documents, not after. Once a file is underway, every negotiation is a losing one.
To do
- Build a fee grid by return type from the hours measured in step 1 — not last year’s price plus 3%.
- Update your engagement letter: what’s included, what’s billed extra, what the client must provide and by when.
- Decide when you get paid: a deposit when the file opens, or full payment before transmission.
It’s done when…
Every client can know their price before sending a single document.
With ClicBook: The invoice goes out from the client file, and the client pays online before processing.
- 03November
Renew your e-filing access
No valid access, no transmission. The CRA sends the EFILE renewal invitation around late October, and an application can take up to 30 business days.
To do
- Renew your EFILE registration as soon as the invitation arrives: renewal is yearly and mandatory.
- Check each staff member’s access to Represent a Client (CRA) and to Mon dossier pour les représentants professionnels (Revenu Québec).
- List the new clients for whom you’ll need an authorization or power of attorney.
If you prepare more than 5 returns for a fee in a year, electronic filing is mandatory federally. In Quebec, the threshold is 10.
It’s done when…
EFILE number renewed, access confirmed for every staff member, list of authorizations to obtain.
- 04November
Plan capacity, then hire
The real question isn’t “how many clients do we want?” but “how many hours will we have in March and April?”. And the best seasonal staff are hired before the holidays.
To do
- Project your volume: 2026 returns, plus expected new clients, minus departures.
- Multiply by the hours per return from step 1, then compare with the hours actually available in March and April.
- Hire for the gap now, and assign return types according to each person’s specialty.
It’s done when…
You know how many returns you can accept, and who handles what.
With ClicBook: Each file goes to the right person, based on specialty and workload.
- 05December
Secure and update your tools
December is the last quiet month. It’s the time to plug the leaks (email attachments, former employees’ access) and to test your tools before you depend on them.
To do
- Run a Law 25 check: two-factor authentication, former employees’ access revoked, incident register, secure document exchange.
- Confirm your tax software licences; certified versions for the 2026 tax year arrive early in the new year.
- Push a dummy file through the entire workflow: invitation, upload, invoice, preparation, signature, transmission.
It’s done when…
A test file has gone end to end without a single email or sheet of paper.
With ClicBook: Access audit trail and installation on your own server: you know who opened what, and where your data lives.
- 06January
Open the season for your clients
A client who knows what to send, and where, doesn’t call. One who doesn’t will email you slips one at a time until April.
To do
- Send each client their invitation, engagement letter, and consent form in a single message.
- Attach a document list tailored to their profile: RL-31 for tenants, investment slips, childcare, donations, medical expenses.
- Set your reminder rules in advance: when, through which channel, how many times.
It’s done when…
Every client has received a tailored list before their first slip arrives.
With ClicBook: Each client receives an invitation and a list of documents to upload to their portal.
- 07February
Collect before you produce
A file started incomplete is a file you open three times. In February the rule is simple: collect, sort, and only produce what is complete.
To do
- Track incoming slips: employers have until March 1, 2027 to issue T4 and RL-1 slips.
- Remind contributing clients of the March 1, 2027 RRSP deadline.
- Sort every file into three piles: complete, incomplete, waiting on a slip. Only complete files move to production.
It’s done when…
A single dashboard shows, for every file, what’s missing and who is following up.
With ClicBook: ClicBook detects the missing document and reminds the client according to your rules.
- 08March – April
Produce at a steady pace, not a rush
The peak always comes. What changes is whether it hits a team that kept some margin, or a team that is already exhausted.
To do
- Move every file through clear statuses: prepared, reviewed, signed, transmitted. No file is ever “almost done”.
- Have the T183 and TP-1000.TE signed online before transmission.
- Hold capacity in reserve for the final week: April 30, 2027 is a Friday. Self-employed clients have until June 15, but their balance is due April 30.
It’s done when…
At 5 p.m. on April 30, no complete return is sitting on anyone’s desk.
With ClicBook: The robot enters validated returns, even overnight, and the client signs online.
04 · Your TurnWhere do you stand? 16 items to tick.
Tick what your firm has already settled. No data is stored or transmitted.
Season 2027
0 out of 16 items settled
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s already November, or December. Is it too late?+
No, but prioritize. Steps 3 (access) and 4 (capacity) have lead times you can’t compress: do them first. The step 1 review can fit into a one-hour meeting and three numbers.
Why renew EFILE in November if transmission only opens in February?+
Because processing can take up to 30 business days — longer if the applicant’s own tax file isn’t in order. A delay in November becomes a firm that can’t transmit during the first week of the season.
Should we really get paid before transmission?+
It isn’t an obligation; it’s a cash-flow decision. Billing after transmission means financing your clients through the season and chasing receivables in May, when the team is exhausted. A deposit when the file opens is a good compromise.
Does this checklist apply to firms outside Quebec?+
Yes — just drop the Revenu Québec items: TP1, RL-1, RL-31, TP-1000.TE, and Mon dossier pour les représentants professionnels. The steps and the federal calendar are the same across Canada.
SourcesOfficial References & Further Reading
- Mandatory electronic filing for tax preparersCanada Revenue Agency
- EFILE yearly renewalCanada Revenue Agency
- EFILE news and program updatesCanada Revenue Agency
- Important dates for individualsCanada Revenue Agency
- Filing an income tax return online (TP-1000.TE)Revenu Québec
This article is a planning tool. It does not replace official CRA and Revenu Québec publications, which may confirm some dates early in the new year. Sources last verified: October 1, 2026.