Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Nobody publishes one clean number for the average tax return in Canada, and we couldn’t find an official figure we trust, so there isn’t one here. A refund is the tax your employer already took off your pay, minus the tax you owe. On $75,000 of Ontario employment income with $14,000 withheld, that is about $1,295.
Why the average tax return says little about yours
Three things decide it: what was withheld, what you owe, and what you claim. Your employer withholds tax from each paycheque based on a rough guess of your year, and the return then replaces that guess with the real figure. If the guess ran high, you get money back, and if it ran low you owe the difference when you file, which is a nasty surprise if you didn’t set anything aside for it.
So a big refund isn’t a prize. It means you lent the government money for a year at no interest. A refund near zero is often the better sign.
How the refund moves on $75,000 of pay
We ran an Ontario employee on $75,000 through the tax refund calculator. Income tax for the year comes to $12,705. That excludes CPP and EI, which come off your pay separately and don’t affect this comparison.
| Tax withheld in the year | Result on the return |
|---|---|
| $12,000 | Owe about $705 |
| $13,000 | Refund about $295 |
| $14,000 | Refund about $1,295 |
| $15,000 | Refund about $2,295 |
The estimate is federal plus Ontario tax on employment income only. Benefits, other credits and side income aren’t in it. Notice the pattern: every extra $1,000 withheld turns into exactly $1,000 more refund. That’s why the table moves in clean steps.
Which deductions change it most?
Deductions lower your taxable income, so they act at your top rate. Take the same $14,000 withheld and add an RRSP deduction. With $5,000 deducted, income tax falls to $11,072 and the refund climbs to $2,928. With $10,000 deducted it reaches $4,410.
That’s the reason people who contribute to an RRSP often see bigger refunds. It’s your own money coming back, though, not a bonus. The RRSP calculator shows the saving for your own income.
Credits work differently. They cut the tax itself, dollar for dollar at their rate. The tax credits calculator covers the federal ones, and it’s federal only, so provincial credits need a separate check.
Is a big refund a good thing?
Not really, though it feels great. Say Amira in Hamilton gets $2,295 back at tax time and spends it on a weekend away. She also handed over about $190 a month all year, which she could have used to pay down a credit card or tuck into a savings account. If you’d rather have that money through the year, look at what’s being withheld and why, since a regular deduction such as an RRSP contribution is a common reason it runs high. A refund close to zero means your paycheque matched your real tax bill.
How long does a refund take?
The CRA’s tax refunds page gives a processing time of within 2 weeks for electronic returns and reassessments and within 16 weeks for non-resident filers. Those times apply only if the CRA receives your return on or before the due date, and the page gives no fixed number for paper returns. If your refund hasn’t arrived within the processing time, check its status in your CRA account. Our page on when you will get your tax refund covers the timelines in more detail.
A refund can also be held back if you owe the CRA something. And when a return gets picked for a closer look, expect more delay.
For a 2025 refund, the CRA may pay compound daily interest, starting on the latest of May 30, 2026, the 30th day after you filed, or the day you overpaid. It’s small money, but it’s real.
What goes wrong with refund estimates?
The usual trap is a bonus or a second job. Those get withheld at a different rate, and the total can land far from your guess. The bonus tax calculator shows how much comes off a lump sum.
The second trap is treating last year’s refund as a promise. Change jobs, move province or lose a deduction and the number shifts. If you owe instead, the balance for the 2025 return was due on April 30, 2026. The CRA had not posted dates for the 2026 return when we checked on November 13, 2026. Under the usual rules it’s April 30, 2027 (June 15, 2027 if you or your spouse is self-employed), but check the CRA’s important dates page before you plan around it, and see our 2027 tax calendar.
Then there’s the online average, which tells you nothing about your withholding.
How were the figures checked?
Tax rates, brackets and credit amounts are the 2026 federal and Ontario figures published by the Canada Revenue Agency and the Ontario government. The refund timing and interest points come from the CRA refunds page, rechecked on November 13, 2026. No government body has reviewed or endorsed what you read here.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official average tax refund in Canada?
We could not find one we would trust, so we do not quote a figure. Your own refund depends on what was withheld, what you owe and what you claim. On $75,000 of Ontario employment income, $14,000 withheld leaves a refund of about $1,295, and $12,000 withheld leaves a balance of about $705.
Is a big refund good?
Not really. It means too much tax came off your pay during the year, which is money you lent the government at no interest. Getting close to zero means you kept more of your money along the way. A regular deduction such as an RRSP contribution is a common reason for a large refund.
How long should I wait before asking about my refund?
The CRA's refunds page gives processing times of within 2 weeks for electronic returns and reassessments and within 16 weeks for non-resident filers, and says they apply only if the return arrives by the due date. If the refund has not come within that time, check its status in your CRA account first.
Does an RRSP deduction raise my refund?
It lowers taxable income, so it usually does. On $75,000 in Ontario with $14,000 withheld, a $5,000 deduction lifts the estimated refund from $1,295 to $2,928, and a $10,000 deduction lifts it to $4,410. It is your own money coming back, not a bonus, so it is not extra income.
When is the 2026 tax return due?
The CRA had not posted dates for the 2026 return when we checked on November 13, 2026. Under the usual rules it is April 30, 2027 for most people, and June 15, 2027 if you or your spouse is self-employed, though any balance owing is still due April 30. Check the CRA's important dates page.
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