Business Tax Guides
T2 Schedule 50: shareholder information
Every private corporation lists its main shareholders on Schedule 50 with each T2. It takes five minutes, and it is wrong more often than any other page of the return.
Short answer: Schedule 50 is the shareholder information page of the T2 corporate income tax return. Every private corporation completes it for each shareholder holding 10% or more of its common or preferred shares, up to the ten largest, and files it with the T2 by the same six-month deadline.
What goes on it
| Field | What to enter | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Shareholder name | Legal name of the person, corporation or trust | Shareholders, not directors or officers |
| Identification number | Business number for a corporation, SIN for an individual, trust number (T + 8 digits) for a trust | Only one number per shareholder |
| Percentage of common shares | That shareholder's share of the issued common shares | Must agree with the share register |
| Percentage of preferred shares | That shareholder's share of the issued preferred shares | Easy to miss after an estate freeze |
On page 2 of the T2, the corporation also answers whether it has any shareholders holding 10% or more. A "yes" there with a blank or missing Schedule 50 is an easy flag for the CRA.
Who has to file it
All private corporations, including professional corporations and holding companies, whenever a shareholder holds 10% or more of either class. In an owner-managed company that is almost always the case, so in practice nearly every Ontario T2 includes one.
Three common structures
One owner
The owner, with their SIN, at 100% common. Nothing to report for preferred shares if none are issued.
Holding company
The operating company lists the holdco, with the holdco's business number. The holdco's own Schedule 50 lists you.
After an estate freeze
The parent appears with 100% of the preferred shares and the family trust (trust number) with the common shares. Both lines are needed.
The mistakes I see most
- Not updated after a change. Shares issued to a spouse, a section 85 rollover to a holdco, or a freeze changes the answer. Software rolls last year's schedule forward unless someone updates it.
- Directors listed instead of shareholders. Schedule 50 is about ownership, not who signs.
- Preferred shares left off. Fixed-value preferred shares still count, even when they carry no votes.
- Numbers that don't match the minute book. The CRA compares Schedule 50 across years and against related returns. If the minute book is out of date, fix that first.
Schedule 50 is also separate from the register of individuals with significant control that Ontario corporations keep in their minute book. That register is kept, not filed, but the two should tell the same story.
Why it matters beyond the form
Schedule 50 is where the CRA first sees who controls the corporation, which drives whether companies are associated and share one $500,000 small business limit. See what is a CCPC? Setting up the share structure correctly at incorporation makes every later Schedule 50 simple. See professional corporation setup.
Common questions
Is Schedule 50 required for a holding company?
Yes. A holding company is a private corporation, so it lists its own 10%-or-more shareholders with its T2.
Do I list every shareholder?
No. Only shareholders holding 10% or more of the common or preferred shares, up to the ten largest.
What if a shareholder is a non-resident?
They still go on Schedule 50. Non-resident shareholders can also affect CCPC status and trigger other T2 schedules, so raise it with your accountant.
When is Schedule 50 due?
With the T2 return, six months after the corporation's year-end. See the corporate tax return due date.
Want your T2 schedules checked?
Book a free consultation. I will review your share register, minute book and last T2 together, so Schedule 50 and the rest of the return agree.
General information, current as at November 2026. It is not advice on your situation, and reading it does not create a professional relationship. Rates and thresholds change, and the right answer depends on facts specific to you.