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Tax slips decoder: what each Canadian slip means

Slips arrive from different places at different times, and the names are not exactly friendly. Type a slip name or a word like “pension” to narrow the list.

Which slip is which?

Slip What it reports Who sends it
T4 Employment income, tax withheld, CPP and EI Your employer
T4A Pension, retirement, self-employed commissions, scholarships and other income The payer
T4A(OAS) Old Age Security pension Service Canada
T4A(P) Canada Pension Plan or QPP benefits Service Canada
T4E Employment Insurance benefits, including maternity and parental Service Canada
T4RSP Money paid out of an RRSP The RRSP issuer
T4RIF Money paid out of a RRIF The RRIF issuer
T5 Interest, dividends and other investment income Banks and investment firms
T3 Income from a trust, which includes most mutual funds and ETFs held outside a registered plan The trust or fund
T5008 Securities you sold or transferred, such as stocks and funds Your broker or bank
T5007 Social assistance and workers compensation The province or board
T5013 Your share of a partnership income The partnership
T4PS Employee profit sharing plan allocations The plan
T2202 Tuition for a college or university program The school
T5018 Payments to contractors in construction The payer
RRSP contribution receipt Contributions you can deduct The RRSP issuer
RL-1 Quebec employment income, the Quebec counterpart to the T4 Your employer in Quebec
RL-3 Quebec investment income, the counterpart to the T5 Quebec banks and issuers
How a tax slip gets onto your returnFour steps: the payer sends the slip, you check it in your CRA account, you enter it in your tax software, and you file by the deadline.1Payer sendsthe slip2Check yourCRA account3Enter it inyour software4File bythe deadline

When do slips arrive?

Most are due by the end of February, which in 2027 means Monday, March 1. Some, like the T3 and T5013, can come as late as the end of March. Slips can arrive on paper, by email link or in your CRA account, and the numbers do not change depending on how they reach you.

What if a slip is missing?

  • Check your CRA account. The tax information slips area often shows a slip before the paper copy arrives.
  • Ask the payer. Employers, banks and brokers can reissue it.
  • Do not skip the income. You are still responsible for reporting it, and the CRA gets its own copy.

Our documents checklist helps you find what is missing before you file, and the glossary explains terms like ACB and gross-up.

Where does this information come from?

It comes from the public pages of the Canada Revenue Agency and other open sources, checked in October 2026. This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, and we do not guarantee that anything here is accurate or current. We accept no liability for decisions based on it. Check the official source before you rely on it. See the full disclaimer.

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