Important reminders to ensure a successful year-end
It’s time to start on year end processes. The year end process guideline below provides recommended due dates. We appreciate you providing everything by the recommended date to ensure a successful year end.
Contributions
To ensure your contributions are deposited, files and payment (or wire confirmation) must be received in good order by 11:00 a.m. ET on December 24 and December 31.
The contributions will not process into the plan member accounts if:
- Contributions are not in good order
- Payment or wire confirmation number is not received by Sun Life
- Contributions are received after 11 a.m. ET
December 31 is the cutoff date for:
- March to December 2025 RRSP contribution receipt
- TFSA contribution reporting
We recommend you send your contributions by December 19, 2025. This will ensure we have the time to process the following, before the year end deadlines:
- Any rejects, corrections, or contributions not in good order
- Negative contribution corrections
- Missing enrolments
- Age 71 members’ cash/transfer requests
- Stock contributions*
*Stock transactions take 2 business days to process. Contributions processed on December 31, 2025 that include stock will report in 2026 tax year.
Age 71 Members
Action needed for plan members that will be 71 years of age by year-end 2025. They can't participate in a registered product as of December 31, 2025. This means all contributions, withdrawals, and transfers must be processed by December 31, 2025. We recommend that you plan to submit the final contribution by December 19, 2025. This allows time to complete all processing before year end.
If you have plan members turning 71 this year, you’ll receive a separate email notification with a list of plan members.
Forfeiture accounts (Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)/Deferred Profit-Sharing Plan (DPSP))
If you have DCPP or DPSP products, and didn’t provide direction on the 2024 forfeiture balance, the default actions have or are being taken. If you had prior year forfeiture, you would’ve received emails beginning in April requesting direction with the subject line: Forfeiture Action Required.
Enrolments for new members
Contributions for new plan members require enrolment before December 19, 2025. Please send their enrolment as soon as possible.
For online enrolment, the employee must enrol before December 31, before 4 p.m. ET to report in the 2025 tax year.
Address Updates / Incorrect Addresses
Please send address updates before December 19, 2025. This is to ensure statements, tax slips and tax receipts arrive on time.
If the plan allows, plan members can submit an address change online until December 31, 2025, before 4 p.m. ET.
Payroll deduction files
Payroll deduction files will be delayed on December 31, 2025. This means that payroll deduction files won’t be available until January 2, 2026.
Closures
GRS Administration and the GRS Client Care Centre will both be closed on December 25, 26, and January 1 for the holidays.
Year-end quick reference checklist
Process |
Recommended Date** |
Official Due Date |
Time Due |
|---|---|---|---|
Contributions (not pre-authorized withdrawal payment) |
December 19 |
December 31 |
11 a.m. ET |
Contributions (pre-authorized withdrawal payment) |
December 19 |
December 31 |
1 p.m. ET |
Age 71 Contributions |
December 19 |
December 31*** |
11 a.m. ET |
Member Contributions |
December 19 |
December 31 |
1 p.m. ET |
Enrolments |
December 19 |
December 31 |
11 a.m. ET |
Address Updates |
December 19 |
December 31 |
11 a.m. ET |
**Submissions by December 19 allows us to identify any errors and follow up. This will ensure processing by December 31. Processing after December 31 won’t be reported on the member statement, or for the 2025 tax year.
***CRA guidelines have a deadline date of December 31. However, withdrawals and transfers out of the registered products need to process by December 31, as well. Please plan to send the final contribution before December 31.
Questions? We’re here to help.
Please contact your Sun Life Group Retirement Services representative.