Year-end hub · US and Canada · 2026 to 2027
Closing 2026 and filing in 2027
One page for the whole season: the checklists to close the year, a guide to every year-end form, each deadline from January to June, and calculators for what a late filing costs.
As of , for a calendar year ending December 31, 2026. Dates already move weekends and holidays to the next business day. General information, not tax advice.
Start here
Close the year first
The forms are only as good as the books behind them. Work through these before January.
United States
US year-end forms
Payroll returns, wage statements and information returns for 2026, each with a box-by-box guide.
Canada
Canadian year-end slips and returns
Slips, summaries and remittances for 2026, from the T4 to the T5018.
US deadlines, January to April 2027
Every other federal date is in the 2027 US small business tax calendar. State W-2, 1099 and unemployment deadlines vary; check your state revenue and labor department sites.
Canadian deadlines, January to June 2027
For the rest of the year, see the 2027 Canadian small business tax calendar and the tax calendar tool. Quebec employers also file RL-1 slips with Revenu Québec, which these guides do not cover.
Calculators for filing season
- W-2 and 1099 late-filing penalty calculator: IRS penalties per return by how late, with small-business caps.
- T4 and T4A late-filing penalty calculator: CRA penalties by number of slips and days late.
- Self-employment tax calculator for the January 15 estimate and your return.
- Depreciation and CCA calculator for assets bought in 2026.
- Mileage calculator with the 2026 IRS and CRA rates, and the mileage log template.
- Payroll tax rates and the US paycheck and Canadian payroll calculators for the first 2027 pay run.
Further reading
- 1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC and the new $2,000 threshold and 1099 vendors: from the W-9 to filing
- Form 941 vs Form 940 and what changed in US payroll for 2026
- What changed in Canadian payroll for 2026 and CRA remittance schedules
- What your accountant needs from your books and backing up before you close the year
- Glossary: closing the books, fiscal year, retained earnings
What AcboBooks does at year-end
AcboBooks is desktop accounting software for US and Canadian small businesses. As of version 0.2.1, it prepares these year-end figures from the paychecks, bills and cheques already in your company file:
- US: Form 941 and Form 940 worksheets, W-2 totals per employee with an SSA EFW2 file export, and the 1099-NEC Wizard with plain-paper statements for contractors.
- Canada: T4 slips and T4 Summary figures, the PD7A remittance summary, a Record of Employment worksheet, T4A and T5018 statements for contractors, and the GST/HST return worksheet.
It does not file or pay for you, and it does not prepare Forms 944, 941-X, W-2c, 1096, 1099-MISC or 1099-INT, or T5 slips; each form guide says what it gives you instead. See year-end forms in AcboBooks, or try it free for 15 days.
Questions
What are the first year-end deadlines for 2026?
In the US, the fourth-quarter estimated tax payment on Friday, January 15, 2027, then W-2s, 1099-NECs and the fourth-quarter Form 941 on Monday, February 1, 2027. In Canada, the December payroll remittance on January 15, 2027 for most employers, then T4, T4A and T5 slips on Monday, March 1, 2027.
What happens if I file W-2s, 1099s or T4s late?
US information returns cost $60, $130 or $340 per return for 2026 forms, depending on how late, with separate penalties for the recipient copies. Late Canadian T4 and T4A returns cost $100 for up to 5 slips and more for larger returns. The two calculators on this page estimate both.
Does AcboBooks file my year-end forms?
No. AcboBooks 0.2.1 prepares the figures from your own payroll and vendor records: Form 941 and 940 worksheets, W-2 totals with an SSA EFW2 export, plain-paper 1099-NEC statements, T4 slips and T4 Summary figures, and T4A and T5018 statements. You file and pay through the IRS, SSA and CRA yourself.
Last reviewed . General information, not tax or legal advice. Each form guide lists the IRS, SSA and CRA sources it was checked against; confirm with them or a tax professional before you file.
Get started
Close the year in books you own.
AcboBooks keeps payroll, contractors and sales tax in one file on your own PC, so the year-end figures agree with each other. Bought once, with a free 15-day trial.
No card. No account. Nothing to cancel.