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T-slips are the tax slips that payers send you each year to report what they paid you: a T4 for employment income, a T4A for pensions and other income, a T5 for interest and dividends, and a T3 for trust income. Most arrive by the end of February, and the CRA gets a copy of each. So if a slip exists, the CRA already knows about it, and it will notice if your return leaves it out.
Which T-slips will you get?
You’ll likely see one to three of these in a typical year. The last column is the timing the CRA gives in its 2026 filing-season tips.
| Slip | What it reports | Usually issued |
|---|---|---|
| T4 | Employment income and tax deducted | End of February |
| T4A | Pension and other income | End of February |
| T5 | Interest and dividends | End of February |
| T3 | Income from a trust | End of March |
The T3 is the late one, which is one more reason not to file the moment your first slip lands. Some other slips exist too, and we haven’t listed them all here.
What do the boxes on a T4 mean?
Two numbers matter most. Box 14 is your employment income: salary, wages, commissions, bonuses, vacation pay and taxable benefits, before anything comes off. Box 22 is the income tax your employer already withheld. The tax you owe is worked out on the total, and box 22 is what gets credited against it.
An employer has to issue a T4 if CPP, EI or income tax was deducted, or if pay went above $500 (the CRA’s administrative rule, with a few exceptions). So a small side job can produce a slip even if you barely noticed the cheques.
How much can a T5 add to your tax?
More than people expect, because interest isn’t taxed lightly. Take an Ontario employee with $70,000 on a T4. Our income tax calculator shows $11,134 of federal and Ontario tax, plus $5,080 of CPP and EI. Add a T5 with $1,200 of interest and the tax becomes $11,490. That’s $356 more, or about 30 cents on each extra dollar.
Dividends work differently, because of a credit. If your T5 or T3 shows dividends, try the dividend tax calculator instead of treating them like interest.
Where to find your slips, and when to file
Payers send slips to you directly, and you can also see many of them in your CRA account. Certified software can pull them in with Auto-fill My Return. Here’s the catch. That feature only brings in what the CRA already has on file, so anything missing must be typed in by hand, along with things like rent, medical costs and childcare.
The CRA’s advice is to wait until you have all your slips, documents and receipts. It’s boring advice that works. Filing early and finding a forgotten T5 in April means an amended return, and possibly a reassessment.
Not sure what your pay should look like against the T4? Compare it with the payroll deductions calculator. If box 22 looks far off what the tool expects, ask your payroll department why.
What slips don’t cover
A slip only shows what somebody reported about you. Self-employment income has no T4. Your tax return uses your own records for it, which is why keeping them matters. The self-employed tax calculator gives a rough figure once you know your net income.
Another trap is a slip that’s wrong. If a T4 shows the wrong income, ask the payer for a corrected one before you file. Don’t just fix the number on your return and hope, because the CRA compares your figure with its copy.
Where the numbers come from
Slip types, timing and the Auto-fill My Return limits come from Canada Revenue Agency pages on tax slips and the T4 slip, read in 2026. The tax examples use our own calculator with 2026 Ontario and federal rates. Dates for slips covering the 2026 tax year haven’t been published, so the timing shown is what the CRA gave for the 2025 year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a T4 slip?
It reports the pay an employer gave you in a calendar year, with box 14 for employment income and box 22 for income tax deducted.
When do I get my T-slips?
T4, T4A and T5 slips are usually out by the end of February, and T3 slips by the end of March, based on the CRA's 2026 tips.
What if a slip is missing?
Ask the payer for it. Auto-fill My Return only loads slips the CRA already has, so you may have to enter it by hand.
Do I report income that has no slip?
Yes. Side income and self-employment income are yours to report even when nobody issues a slip.
Should I file as soon as filing opens?
The CRA suggests waiting until all your slips, documents and receipts are in hand, which avoids errors and reassessments.
- Self-employed taxes in Canada: income, CPP and GST
How tax works when you are self-employed in Canada: reporting income and expenses, paying both halves of CPP, instalments and when to register for GST
Information only. This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns or offer tax services, and we have no connection with the CRA, Revenu Québec, any government or any company named on this page. Check the figures that matter with an official source or a qualified professional.