CRA Payroll Remittance Due Date: August 2026 Guide

» Quick Answer: August 2026 Payroll Remittance in 30 Seconds

» Why August 2026 Trips Up Ontario Employers

August looks like a quiet payroll month until the calendar is checked closely. The regular remittance date falls on a Saturday, summer vacations thin out the finance desk, and any employer who crossed a new threshold in 2024 may find their 2026 schedule has quietly changed.

Payroll remittance is one of the few CRA obligations where a delay of a single day can trigger a penalty. There is no grace period built into the rules for source deductions, and a single late installment can cost a mid-size Ontario employer thousands.

The good news is that August is a predictable month if you know your remitter type. This guide walks through every category, the exact August 2026 dates, how to pay, and what to do if a payment slips. For deeper background on the full-year payroll picture, see our ultimate guide to managing payroll in 2026 in Canada.

» Quick Start: Pick Your Remitter Path

Use this four-step check to find your path in under a minute:

• →New employer with no prior year AMWA: you are a regular remitter by default. Your July 2026 deductions are due by Monday, August 17, 2026.
• →2024 AMWA under $3,000 with a perfect 12-month compliance history: you may qualify as a quarterly remitter. Your July, August, and September 2026 deductions are due together by October 15, 2026.
• →2024 AMWA between $25,000 and $99,999.99: you are an accelerated Threshold 1 remitter and pay twice per month.
• →2024 AMWA of $100,000 or more: you are an accelerated Threshold 2 remitter and pay up to four times per month within three working days of each pay period.

Your CRA remitter classification, along with your payment history and any PD7A statements, is visible inside CRA My Business Account. If you have not signed up yet, our walkthrough on how to set up and use CRA My Business Account takes about ten minutes end to end.

» Four Remitter Types Compared

Each category has a different pace and a different level of administrative burden. The table below gives you the shape of all four in one view:

Threshold 2 employers are also required to pay through a Canadian financial institution — a cheque or a CRA My Payment transfer from a personal account will not satisfy the rule. This is one of the most common surprises for growing Ontario businesses that cross the $100,000 AMWA line for the first time and can quietly compound with the kind of hidden cost drag we covered in how payroll taxes weigh on Canadian business growth.

» Your August 2026 Remittance Calendar

The Saturday shift on August 15 is not an extension. Under the CRA’s standard practice, when a payment due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday, a payment is considered on time if it is received on the next business day. That places the regular-remitter deadline on Monday, August 17, 2026.

Threshold 2 employers should also watch the Ontario Civic Holiday on Monday, August 4, 2026. It counts as a non-working day when the three-business-day window is measured, which can push a payment out by one day. Build a one-day buffer into your August 4 to August 7 window so nothing slips.

» Step-by-Step: How to Pay Your Remittance

1. 1
   CalculateUse the CRA Payroll Deductions Online Calculator to work out federal and provincial income tax, CPP contributions, and EI premiums for each employee. Add employer-side CPP and EI to the withheld amounts to get the total remittance.
2. 2
   ConfirmReconcile against the PD7A statement the CRA issues each period. The PD7A shows the amount the CRA expects along with the remittance period and voucher number. Resolve any gap before paying.
3. 3
   Choose a methodOptions include business online banking (add "Federal — Payroll Deductions" as a payee), CRA My Payment, pre-authorized debit inside CRA My Business Account, or a cheque with the PD7A voucher. Threshold 2 employers must use a Canadian financial institution.
4. 4
   SubmitSend the payment at least one business day before the deadline. Financial-institution processing time counts against you, not the CRA.
5. 5
   RetainKeep the confirmation number, bank stamp, or CRA My Payment receipt for six years as evidence if the installment is later flagged.

» What Happens If You Miss the August Deadline

The penalty structure is designed to escalate quickly, which is why even a short delay can be expensive on a large remittance. For a business remitting $80,000 in a period, a one-day delay generally translates to a $2,400 penalty on top of interest.

If you have missed a payment, the fastest recovery is to pay in full through CRA My Payment the same day you discover the miss, then follow up through CRA My Business Account. Where a pattern of late installments exists, the CRA’s Voluntary Disclosures Program may reduce penalties on prior periods, though it does not remove interest. Our guide on what to do about a missed tax deadline in Canada covers the disclosure route.

» Common Payroll Remittance Mistakes to Avoid

Most late or under-paid remittances trace back to a small number of recurring errors. Watch for these six:

• →Assuming the deadline is the 15th every month, without checking whether the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday.
• →Paying only the employee-side deductions and forgetting the employer’s matching CPP and EI amounts.
• →Continuing on the same remitter schedule after your AMWA has pushed you into a higher category — the CRA updates your classification each January.
• →Misclassifying an independent contractor as being outside payroll altogether, which our article on CRA penalties for worker misclassification covers in detail.
• →Using a personal bank account or personal CRA My Payment transfer for a Threshold 2 remittance, which does not satisfy the financial-institution requirement.
• →Remitting Quebec-resident employee deductions to the CRA instead of Revenu Québec, which operates on a parallel but separate schedule.

» Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

1. Canada Revenue Agency — Remitter types and due dates. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency
2. Canada Revenue Agency — Failure to remit source deductions and penalties. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency
3. Canada Revenue Agency — Payroll Deductions Online Calculator. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency
4. Canada Revenue Agency — When a payment due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency
5. Canada Revenue Agency — Quarterly remitting for eligible small employers. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency
6. Government of Canada — Voluntary Disclosures Program. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency