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Make changes to your GST/HST account

You must update your information with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) if you make changes to your business information or GST/HST account options.

Update your account information

Depending on the type of change, you may be able to update the information in to your CRA account or you may have to contact the CRA.

Available options

You can change certain account options to make it is easier to manage your business taxes in a way that makes sense for you. There is different eligibility criteria for each of these options.

  • Fiscal year

    You may want to make the following changes to your GST/HST fiscal year:

    • Use a calendar fiscal year
    • Use a non-calendar fiscal year
    • Change your previously chosen GST/HST fiscal year

    If you qualify, you can change your GST/HST fiscal year using one of the following options:

    For selected listed financial institutions (SLFI)

    If you are a SLFI for GST/HST or QST purposes, or both, and you to elect to change your fiscal year for GST/HST and QST purposes, fill out Form RC7270, Election or Revocation of an Election to Change a GST/HST and QST Fiscal Year for Certain Selected Listed Financial Institutions.

  • Reporting period

    You have to send GST/HST returns for each of your reporting periods to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Your reporting period is usually based on your annual revenue from taxable supplies of property and services made in Canada during the preceding fiscal year.

    Assigned reporting periods

    This chart shows the assigned reporting periods based on your revenues.

    Assigned reporting periods based on annual taxable supplies
    Annual taxable supplies Assigned reporting period
    $1,500,000 or less Annual
    More than $1,500,000 up to $6,000,000 Quarterly
    More than $6,000,000 Monthly
    Charities Annual
    Listed financial institutions (other than corporations deemed to be a listed financial institution because they have elected to have certain taxable supplies deemed to be financial services) Annual
    Calculating your total revenue

    When calculating annual taxable supplies, include:

    When calculating annual taxable supplies do not include:

    • supplies made outside Canada
    • zero-rated exports of property and services
    • zero-rated supplies of financial services
    • exempt supplies
    • taxable sales of capital real property
    • supplies of goodwill

    File an election to change your reporting period

    If you are assigned an annual or quarterly reporting period, you can file an election using Form GST20, Election For GST/Reporting Period, to choose a more frequent reporting period.

    If you are assigned a monthly or quarterly reporting period, you can only file an election to choose a less frequent reporting period if, after 12 months, your taxable supplies fall below the thresholds of your assigned reporting period.

    Your reporting period will not automatically adjust if your annual taxable supplies fall below the thresholds of your assigned reporting period. If you do not file an election, you will keep the previously assigned reporting period.

    If you qualify, you can change your GST/HST reporting period using one of the following options:

    For selected listed financial institutions (SLFI)

    If you are a SLFI for GST/HST or QST purposes, or both, and you are a QST registrant, you may:

    If you want to revoke a previously made election to file monthly or quarterly, fill out Form GST20-1, Notice of Revocation of an Election for GST/HST Reporting Period by a Listed Financial Institution.

  • Accounting periods

    Some businesses use accounting periods that are different from calendar months or quarters for tax reporting purposes.

    If your business wants to use accounting periods instead of calendar months or quarters to file GST/HST returns, you need to get approval from the CRA before the first day of each fiscal year of the related accounting periods. To make this change, you can use one of the following options:

    If you are a selected listed financial institution (SLFI) for GST/HST or QST purposes, or both, and you want to notify the CRA of your business’s accounting periods or request approval to use fiscal months that are not within standard guidelines for GST/HST and QST purposes, fill out Form RC7271, Notification of GST/HST Accounting Periods for Selected Listed Financial Institutions.

    Usually, your accounting periods have to meet the following guidelines:

    • Each fiscal month has to be shorter than 36 days and, except for the first and the last month in a fiscal quarter, longer than 27 days. You can apply to have one fiscal month per quarter that is longer than 35 days. You can also apply to have fiscal months, other than the first or last month of the quarter, that are shorter than 28 days
    • A fiscal quarter has to be shorter than 120 days and, except for the first and last fiscal quarters in the fiscal year, longer than 83 days

    If you do not notify the CRA of your accounting periods, the CRA will assign calendar months and calendar quarters, and you will have to wait until your next fiscal year to have the option to choose your accounting periods.

    Note: You have to file a new notification for each fiscal year for which you want to use your accounting periods. If you do not tell the CRA your accounting periods, the CRA will revert your GST/HST return and payment due dates to calendar months or calendar quarters, as appropriate.

  • Branches or divisions

    You may want to keep track of your GST/HST accounts separately if your business has any of the following:

    • More than one location
    • More than one business activity (for example, gas station and pizza parlour)
    • Offices in different provinces
    • Divisions
    • Different departments (for example, manufacturing and sales)

    To qualify to file separately, your branches or divisions have to be separately identified either by their location or the nature of their activities. They must also keep separate records. The branches and divisions have to keep the same reporting periods as the parent company.

    How to apply or revoke
    Applicant Explanation Form to use
    Most businesses

    Although you have to register your business as a single entity, as the head office, you can apply for, or revoke, the authorization for:

    • your branches or divisions to file their own GST/HST returns
    • an eligible public service body that is entitled to rebates to file separate rebate applications for your branches or divisions
    		 Form GST10, Application or Revocation of the Authorization to File Separate GST/HST Returns and Rebate Applications for Branches or Divisions
    Unincorporated organization This application may be made jointly by one unincorporated organization and another unincorporated organization that is a member of the main organization.  Form GST32, Application to Deem One Unincorporated Organization to be a Branch of Another Unincorporated Organization
    Public service body If your public service body has branches or divisions, you may also apply to have each branch or division with $50,000 or less in annual taxable supplies designated as a small supplier division. Form GST31, Application by a Public Service Body to Have Branches or Divisions Treated as Eligible Small Supplier Divisions

Zero-rated supplies

Taxable supply

Associated person

Exempt supplies

Real property

Goodwill

Public service body

Calendar quarter

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