RRSP deadline 2027: March 1 is the last day for 2026 contributions

When is the RRSP deadline for the 2026 tax year?

The RRSP deadline for the 2026 tax year is Monday, March 1, 2027. Money that reaches your RRSP issuer on or before that date can be deducted on the 2026 return you file in spring 2027. The date comes from the rule that contributions made in the first 60 days of a year can be applied to the year before.

As of October 22, 2026 the CRA has not yet posted the 2027 date: its RRSP important-dates page still lists only March 2, 2026, the deadline for the 2025 tax year, and it usually adds the next date in January. Because the 60th day of 2027 falls on a weekday, no weekend shift is expected.

How does the 60-day rule work?

Each RRSP tax year runs from the day after the previous deadline to the 60th day of the following calendar year. For the 2026 tax year that window is March 3, 2026 to March 1, 2027. Contributions in that window can be deducted for 2026, carried forward to a later year, or split between the two.

• January 1 to March 1, 2027: can go on the 2026 return or a later one.
• March 2 to December 31, 2027: can go on the 2027 return or a later one, but not the 2026 return.
• Age 71 exception: if you turn 71 in 2026, your own RRSP must be closed or converted by December 31, 2026, so the 60-day window is not available for your own plan. Contributions to a spousal RRSP for a younger spouse can still be made.

How much you can put in before the deadline depends on your personal room. Your 2026 RRSP deduction limit is printed on the notice of assessment for your 2025 return and shown in CRA My Account; if it changed after that notice, a notice of reassessment or Form T1028 shows the newer figure. From that limit, subtract any unused contributions from earlier years shown on the notice and everything you have contributed since March 3, 2026. See our RRSP contribution limit page for the formula and the $33,810 cap for 2026.

What if the RRSP deadline falls on a weekend?

When the 60th day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline moves to the next business day. That is why the deadline for 2025 contributions was Monday, March 2, 2026: the 60th day, March 1, 2026, was a Sunday. In leap years the 60th day is February 29.

What time is the RRSP deadline?

The CRA sets a deadline date, not a time of day. What matters is that the contribution is made to the plan on or before March 1, 2027. In practice, your financial institution decides when a deposit counts as received, and many set earlier cut-offs on the deadline day for online transfers, cheques and in-branch deposits.

1. Check your issuer's posted RRSP deadline hours a week or two ahead.
2. Move cash into the account holding your RRSP a few business days early, since transfers between different banks can take one to three days.
3. Make the contribution itself, not just a deposit into a non-registered account at the same institution.
4. Save the confirmation showing the date. It is your proof if the receipt shows the wrong period.

Can I contribute after the RRSP deadline?

Yes, but a contribution made after March 1, 2027 cannot be deducted on your 2026 return. It counts toward the 2027 RRSP year, and you can deduct it on your 2027 return, filed in 2028, or any later year. There is no late-contribution process that moves it back.

If you missed the date, you still have options:

• Contribute anyway. The room does not expire, and the 2027 dollar limit of $35,390 adds to what you have left.
• Hold the deduction for a higher-income year. Undeducted amounts are tracked on Schedule 7 and carry forward.
• If you are buying a first home, remember that an FHSA contribution must be made by December 31 to count for that year; the 60-day window does not apply to it. See the RRSP, TFSA and FHSA comparison.

Which receipts arrive for the first 60 days?

Issuers usually send a separate receipt for contributions made from January 1 to March 1, 2027, marked as the first 60 days of 2027. It arrives after the deadline, often in March. You need it before filing if you plan to deduct those amounts on your 2026 return.

Our RRSP contribution receipt page explains how to match each receipt to the right return. If a receipt is late, file by the April 30 tax deadline using the amounts from your account statement, and keep the receipt when it arrives.