Printable tax checklists for Canadian taxpayers

A checklist won’t do your taxes for you. What it will do is stop you from sitting down to file and finding out the one slip you need is still in the mail, which trips people up far more often than any hard tax rule. Each page here prints on a single sheet, and you can tick the boxes on screen first.

These pages cover the practical part of tax time, the gathering. First-timers often don’t know which slips exist yet. People who’ve filed for years still forget the receipt that turns out to matter. And if you work for yourself, the list of costs you can claim is long enough that something always slips through.

Pick the sheet that matches your situation, tick off what you already have, and the gaps show up before the deadline does. Print it and pin it somewhere, or keep it open in a tab while you dig through the filing cabinet.

We don’t prepare or file returns, and a checklist isn’t advice for your own case. It’s a prompt, nothing more.

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• First time tax filing in Canada

  The slips to gather, the dates and the late penalty, with a worked example.

• T4 Canada: what each box means

  Pay sits in box 14 and tax withheld in box 22, and here is what to do if yours is wrong.

• Home office expenses

  Your employer must sign Form T2200 before the claim counts.

• Self employed tax deductions

  What you can claim, and how the 50% meals rule works.

• Last day to file taxes in Canada

  April 30 for most people, June 15 for the self-employed, and the penalty if you miss it.

Which checklist do you need?

• Documents to gather for your tax return

  The slips, receipts and personal details to have ready before you file.

• Self-employed expenses you can claim

  The costs of running a business that people most often forget.

• Before you file your tax return

  A last check of your details, slips, claims and payment.

• Newcomer tax steps

  What to arrange in your first months in Canada.

• Student tax return

  The slips and receipts students should gather.

• Buying a home

  The costs and taxes to plan for at closing.

When is everything due?

For most people the filing deadline is April 30. If you or your spouse or common-law partner are self-employed, the filing deadline moves to June 15, but any tax you owe is still due April 30. The CRA’s due dates page lists the dates for each year, and the tax calendar here keeps the rest in one place.

What if a slip is missing?

Look in your CRA My Account first, because many slips are listed there. If one still hasn’t shown up, ask the employer or payer for it. Just don’t let a missing slip push you past the deadline. The CRA’s late-filing penalty page sets the penalty at 5% of your balance owing, plus 1% for each full month late, up to 12 months. Owe $1,000 and file three full months late, and that’s $80 on top of interest.

Once you’ve filed, keep the pile. The CRA’s page on how long to keep your records says to hold on to your records for at least six years.

Where do these come from?

They’re our own plain-English summaries of what the CRA asks for. They aren’t the CRA’s forms, and they don’t replace the filing guide, which explains what to do with each item. Start with how to file your tax return if you haven’t filed before, and keep the tax calendar nearby for the dates.

If a checklist is tied to a big change, such as a move, a new job or a first home, the life events pages explain the tax side behind it. Stuck on a word, like T2202 or notice of assessment? The glossary has it in a line or two.