T4 slip explained — every box and what it means

What a T4 is

A T4 — officially the Statement of Remuneration Paid — is the slip your employer uses to tell both you and CRA what you earned and what was deducted during the tax year. If you worked for more than one employer during the year, you get a separate T4 from each one.

CRA already has a copy of your T4 before you file. Employers submit T4 information electronically by the same February deadline they have to get your copy to you. When CRA compares your return to its records and the numbers do not match, it will follow up. This is not an audit — it is a routine automated review — but it triggers a reassessment and potentially a request for more information.

If your T4 shows income, you must file a return. There is no minimum below which employment income is non-reportable.

The boxes that matter most

Box 14 — Employment income

Box 14 is your total employment income before any deductions — but it is not necessarily the same as your gross pay from every cheque. Some amounts are excluded (for example, certain employer-paid benefits paid separately) and some are added (like taxable benefits reported in boxes 30–40, which flow into Box 14). This is the number that goes on Line 10100 of your T1 return.

Box 16 — Employee's CPP contributions

This is what you paid into the Canada Pension Plan. In 2026, the maximum employee CPP1 contribution is $3,867.50, based on insurable earnings up to $68,500. You get a non-refundable tax credit for CPP contributions on Line 30800 of your return — not a deduction, but a credit worth roughly 15% of the amount federally, plus the provincial rate.

Box 16A — Employee's CPP2 contributions

This box has appeared on T4s since the 2024 tax year, when the second tier of CPP enhancement took effect. CPP2 covers earnings between $68,500 and $73,200 at an additional contribution rate. Like Box 16, the amount is deductible on Line 30800. If your earnings did not exceed $68,500, this box will be blank or zero.

Box 17 — Employee's EI premiums

Employment Insurance premiums deducted from your pay. In 2026, the employee rate is 1.66% of insurable earnings, with a maximum annual contribution of $1,161.47 — unless you participate in a reduced premium plan (typically available through some employer-sponsored short-term disability plans). Like CPP, EI premiums generate a non-refundable credit, claimed on Line 31200.

Box 22 — Income tax deducted

The total of federal and provincial income tax your employer withheld and remitted to CRA on your behalf throughout the year. This is the number CRA compares to your actual tax owing when it processes your return. If your employer withheld too much, you get a refund. Too little, and you owe the difference. Box 22 flows to Line 43700 of your T1.

Box 26 — CPP/QPP pensionable earnings

Usually the same as Box 14, but there are situations where they diverge. If you were 70 or older during the year and opted out of CPP, your pensionable earnings would be zero or reduced. If you received certain types of pay that CRA exempts from CPP — for example, if you experienced a period of disability — Box 26 will differ. Discrepancies between Box 14 and Box 26 are normal in these situations.

Box 24 — EI insurable earnings

The earnings that EI premiums were calculated on. Like Box 26, this usually matches Box 14. It differs when some of your pay was not EI-insurable — for example, directors' fees from a corporation you control, certain commission structures, or wages paid to close family members under some circumstances.

Box 44 — Union dues

Union dues deducted by your employer and remitted to your union. These are fully deductible on Line 21200 of your T1 return — a deduction, not a credit, which means they reduce your taxable income directly.

Box 46 — Charitable donations

If your employer runs a payroll giving program and you donated to registered charities through it, those donations appear here. Add Box 46 to your other charitable donation receipts when you complete Schedule 9. The total generates the federal charitable donation tax credit.

Box 52 — Pension adjustment

If you belong to a registered pension plan (RPP) or a deferred profit-sharing plan (DPSP), your pension adjustment reduces your RRSP contribution room for the following year. It reflects the value of pension benefits you accumulated during the year. The calculation is done by your employer and plan administrator — you cannot change it. You do not enter it on your return directly; it has already been factored into the RRSP deduction limit shown on your Notice of Assessment.

Box 50 — RPP or DPSP registration number

The registration number of your pension plan with CRA. You may need this if you contact your pension administrator or CRA about your pension entitlement or pension adjustment calculations.

Employment benefit boxes

Employers must report certain non-cash benefits they provide to employees as taxable income. These amounts are included in Box 14, but they are also broken out individually so CRA can confirm the calculation. Here is what each one means.

Box 30 — Housing, board and lodging

The value of employer-provided housing or meals. If your employer pays for your accommodation or meals (other than at a remote worksite under specific rules), the benefit is taxable and reported here.

Box 32 — Travel in a prescribed zone

A deduction available to people who live and work in designated northern or remote areas. If your employer paid a travel allowance for you to travel to and from those areas, it appears here.

Box 34 — Personal use of a company vehicle

If your employer provides a vehicle and you use it for personal travel, you have a taxable benefit consisting of a standby charge (for having the car available) and an operating cost benefit (for personal kilometres driven). These are combined and reported in Box 34, then included in Box 14. This is one of the more complex benefit calculations in the system — if you think the amount is wrong, ask your employer's payroll department to show you the calculation.

Box 36 — Interest-free or low-interest loans

If your employer lent you money at below the CRA prescribed interest rate, the difference is a taxable benefit. The prescribed rate changes quarterly. Box 36 will show the deemed interest benefit on the loan for the year.

Box 38 — Security options benefit

If you exercised employee stock options, the employment benefit (the difference between the option exercise price and the market value of the shares on the date you exercised) is reported here. Stock option taxation is complicated — there is a deduction available in some cases that effectively reduces the inclusion rate — and material stock option income is worth discussing with a tax advisor before you file.

Box 40 — Other taxable allowances and benefits

The catch-all box. If your employer provided a benefit that does not fit into any other specific box — gym memberships, personal financial planning services, gifts over the annual $500 threshold — it goes here. If Box 40 shows a number you do not recognize, ask payroll what it represents.

Box 42 — Commission income

If you earn commissions as part of your employment, that income is broken out here. Commission employees have access to additional deductions on Form T777 (Statement of Employment Expenses) that salary-only employees do not — including advertising and promotion expenses, and sometimes a portion of home office costs, if your employer certifies them on Form T2200.

Other T4 variants you might receive

The T4 family of slips covers most income Canadians receive. If you have income from sources other than employment, you will get a different slip for each one.

A T4A covers pension income, retirement income, annuities, self-employment payments, freelance contract income, certain scholarships, and RESP educational assistance payments. If a company paid you as a contractor or freelancer (rather than as an employee), you typically get a T4A, not a T4. Your income from a T4A goes to different lines of your return depending on the type.

A T4E is for Employment Insurance benefits — regular EI, maternity, parental, and special benefits. EI is taxable income.

A T4RSP reports withdrawals from an RRSP. If you converted your RRSP to a RRIF on retirement or withdrew funds early, this slip reports the amount withdrawn. RRSP withdrawals are fully included in income in the year of withdrawal.

A T4RIF reports annual minimum withdrawals (and any excess withdrawals) from a Registered Retirement Income Fund.

A T4A-OAS comes from Service Canada and reports your Old Age Security pension payments for the year. A T4A-P reports CPP benefits — retirement pension, disability pension, or survivor benefits.

A T4PS covers payments from an employer's profit-sharing plan, which are taxable in the year you receive them.

What to do if your T4 is wrong

Errors on T4s happen — transposed numbers, wrong province of employment, a benefit that was calculated incorrectly. Your first step is always to contact your employer's payroll department. If the error is confirmed, they will issue an amended T4 (sometimes called a T4 amendment or a corrected T4) and file the correction with CRA.

If your employer disputes the error or is unresponsive, you can still file your T1 using the amounts you believe to be correct. Use the numbers you can substantiate — your pay stubs, offer letter, or benefit documentation. Include a note with your return explaining the discrepancy and that an amended T4 is expected. CRA will flag the difference when processing your return, but filing on time protects you from late-filing penalties while the employer sorts out their records.

If you simply do not receive a T4 by late February — which sometimes happens with year-end employer accounting delays — estimate your income from your final pay stub of the year and file on time. Once the T4 arrives, compare it to your estimate and file an adjustment if needed (using a T1 Adjustment Request, or through CRA My Account).

Where T4 numbers go on your return

Most tax software handles this automatically when you enter your T4, but it is useful to understand the mapping — especially if you are reviewing your return before filing or catching a data entry error.

If your employer filed the T4 with CRA, your CRA My Account will typically show it pre-populated in the Auto-fill my return (AFR) service within a few weeks of the February deadline. Using AFR through certified tax software pulls in your T4 data directly, eliminating transcription errors — though you should still compare it to the paper slip you receive to confirm everything matches.