- A T4, formally the "Statement of Remuneration Paid," is issued by every employer to every employee who received salary, wages, commissions, or other employment income during the year.
- It's common to look at a T4 and think the number is too high, too low, or otherwise doesn't add up against what landed in your bank account.
- A T4 breaks your year into a series of categories, each covering a specific type of income or deduction.
If you worked as an employee in Ontario, your employer owes you a T4 slip — the CRA's standard record of your employment income and the amounts withheld from your pay over the year. Most people glance at it, plug the numbers into tax software, and move on. But when the total doesn't match what you remember earning, or a slip is missing entirely, it helps to understand what the form is actually reporting and why.
This guide walks through what a T4 covers, why the figures on it can look different from your take-home pay, and what steps make sense if something seems off.
What a T4 Slip Is and Who Issues It
A T4, formally the "Statement of Remuneration Paid," is issued by every employer to every employee who received salary, wages, commissions, or other employment income during the year. Employers prepare one per employee and file copies with the CRA, generally in the early part of the following year.
You should receive a separate T4 for each employer you worked for during the year. If you changed jobs partway through, or held two jobs at once, expect more than one slip — don't wait for a single combined document that won't arrive.
Why Your T4 Total Might Not Match Your Pay Stubs
It's common to look at a T4 and think the number is too high, too low, or otherwise doesn't add up against what landed in your bank account. A few reasons this happens:
- The slip reports gross employment income — before income tax, CPP, and EI were deducted — not your net take-home pay.
- Taxable benefits are added in. If your employer covered something the CRA treats as a taxable benefit — certain insurance coverage, personal use of a company vehicle, or a similar perk — the value gets added to your reported income even though you never received it as cash.
- Timing matters. Income is generally reported in the year it was paid, not necessarily the year you earned it. A shift worked in late December but paid out in a January cheque may land on next year's slip instead of this one.
- Pre-tax deductions, such as contributions to a registered pension plan, can lower the taxable income figure relative to your gross salary.
None of this means the slip is wrong — it means the T4 is answering a different question than "what hit my bank account this pay period."
What the Slip Generally Reports
A T4 breaks your year into a series of categories, each covering a specific type of income or deduction. In general terms, expect figures for:
| Category | What It Generally Covers |
|---|---|
| Employment income | Your total salary, wages, and any taxable benefits for the year |
| Income tax deducted | The federal and provincial tax your employer withheld and remitted on your behalf |
| CPP contributions | The Canada Pension Plan amount deducted from your pay |
| EI premiums | The Employment Insurance premium deducted from your pay |
| Other amounts | Union dues, pension plan contributions, or employer-specific items, where they apply |
The CRA assigns each category its own numbered box, and the layout can shift slightly from year to year. Match the categories on your slip to the current legend printed on the form (or ask your accountant) rather than relying on a box number you remember from a prior tax season.
What to Do If Your T4 Looks Wrong
- Compare it to your final pay stub of the year, which should show year-to-date totals for income and each deduction.
- Check for a taxable benefit you may have forgotten about — a company phone plan, insurance premium, or similar perk that got added to your income.
- Contact your employer's payroll department first. If there's a genuine error, your employer can issue an amended slip.
- Keep records of the discrepancy — pay stubs, payroll correspondence — in case you need to explain a mismatch later.
- If your employer won't correct a clear error, or can't be reached, the CRA can advise on reporting employment income without an accurate slip.
Multiple Employers, Multiple Slips
If you worked more than one job during the year, you'll receive a T4 from each employer — you don't ask one employer to consolidate another's figures. Tax software totals the slips automatically once you've entered each one. Where things get more complicated is when CPP or EI was deducted by more than one employer on combined income that runs past the annual program limits; that reconciliation is best left to your tax software or accountant using the current year's figures, not estimated by hand.
Frequently asked questions
My employer never gave me a T4. What now?
Ask payroll directly first — slips are sometimes delayed rather than missing. If the employer is unresponsive or no longer exists, the CRA can help you report the income using your own records, such as final pay stubs or bank deposits.
Can I file my taxes without waiting for a T4?
You're still required to report all your income, whether or not you have the slip in hand. If a T4 is late, use your own pay records to estimate the figures, and be ready to correct your return once the official slip arrives if the numbers differ.
Does receiving a T4 mean I was definitely an employee?
Generally, yes — a T4 signals the payer treated you as an employee and withheld deductions accordingly. If you think that classification doesn't match the actual working relationship, that's worth looking into separately, since it affects more than which slip you receive.
Why does my T4 show a benefit I never saw as cash?
Certain employer-paid perks — some insurance coverage, personal use of employer property, and similar benefits — are added to your reported income because the CRA treats them as a form of compensation, even though no cash changed hands.
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