Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Tax questions come one at a time, so these guides do too. Each one takes a single topic, such as how income tax is worked out, how to file a return, or how sales tax is split between Ottawa and the provinces, and walks through it in plain English from the top. They’re written for people who have never read a CRA page for fun, which is most of us.
Start where your question is. If you aren’t sure how the whole system hangs together, begin with the guide to how Canadian income tax works, because the difference between your marginal rate and your average rate comes up everywhere else. A few weeks from the deadline? Go straight to the filing guide. Working for yourself, or thinking about it? There’s a guide for the day nobody withholds your tax any more.
Every guide links on to the calculators and articles behind it, so you can read how a rule works and then try it on your own numbers. Nothing you type leaves your browser, and nothing needs signing up for. By the end of a guide you should know what the rule is, which forms and dates go with it, and what to ask if your own case is a bit unusual. We don’t prepare or file returns here. This is a place to understand your taxes, not to hand them over.
Most read right now
- Types of taxes in Canada
Income, sales and property tax have different collectors, and this shows who charges what.
- Tax credits in Canada
A credit cuts your bill by 14% federally, while a deduction saves your top rate.
- Marginal tax rate in Canada
What your next dollar costs, set beside your average rate, with examples for Ontario, BC and Nova Scotia.
- Filing a tax return in Canada
The dates, the papers to gather and a refund example on $75,000.
- Tax help in Canada
Free clinics, CRA chat and phone help, or a paid preparer, and what to ask first.
Where do you want to start?
- How Canadian income tax works
Federal and provincial tax, and the gap between your marginal rate and your average rate.
- How to file your tax return
What to gather, when it’s due, and what happens after you send it.
- GST, HST, PST and QST
Who charges which tax, and when a business must register.
- Self-employed and small business
What changes when nobody withholds your tax.
- How to choose a tax preparer
When to file yourself, what to ask a preparer, and what a fee should cover.
- RRSP, TFSA, FHSA and retirement income
How the accounts differ, and what comes out of them.
- Tax credits and government benefits
What lowers your tax and what gets paid to you.
- Property and tax
Buying, owning, renting out and selling.
- Dealing with the CRA
Letters, reviews and what to do if you owe.
- RRSP guide
Limits and deadlines.
- CPP guide
What you pay in and what you get out.
- Taxes by province and territory
What’s different where you live.
Looking for a number or a date?
The limits and rates page has the figures people look up most, like this year’s RRSP limit and the federal brackets, with the source printed next to each. The tax calendar has the dates.
Not sure which guide fits? The life events pages start from what’s happening to you, such as a new job, a baby or a move, and the checklists print on one sheet. If a word stops you mid-sentence, the glossary explains it in a line or two.
Would you rather work it out than read about it? The calculators cover pay, income tax, sales tax, mortgages and savings for every province. Nothing you type leaves your browser, and nothing needs signing up for.
What we are and aren’t
We’re an independent publisher. We don’t prepare or file tax returns, and we can’t advise on your own situation because we’ve never seen it. The figures come from the CRA, Revenu Québec and provincial pages, and the how we check rates page describes the routine.
Tax rules change, rates get indexed, and a page that was right in January can be a little off by autumn, which is why every page shows the date it was last checked and the source behind each figure.
Who writes and checks all of this? The editorial team page has the answer.
Prefer to start with a topic?
- Hiring help and paying staff in Canada
Nannies, payroll deductions, remittances, vacation and holiday pay in one place.
- Buying a home in Canada: the taxes and costs
Down payment, mortgage insurance, closing costs, transfer tax and the first-time buyer programs.
- Retirement income and benefits in Canada
CPP, OAS, RRSP, TFSA and how each is taxed when you stop working.
Frequently asked questions
Are these guides tax advice?
No. They are general information. Your own situation can change the answer, and the notice of assessment from the CRA is what settles what you owe.
Where do the figures come from?
From CRA, Revenu Québec and provincial government pages. Each calculator and the limits page lists the source and the date we checked it.
How often are the guides updated?
The date at the top of each page shows when it was last checked. Rates and limits are checked again every January.
Do you offer tax services?
No. We don't prepare or file returns, and we don't offer tax, legal or accounting services. The guide on choosing a preparer explains what to ask the people who do.
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.