A T4A slip is a Canadian tax information slip that reports income you received outside of regular employment pay, such as pension and superannuation payments, self-employed commissions, scholarships, annuity income, and RESP withdrawals. The payer (a pension administrator, business client, government department, RESP promoter, or insurer) sends one copy to you and another to the Canada Revenue Agency, so the income appears on both sides of the ledger when you file your return. Payers must issue a T4A when total payments exceed $500 in the calendar year, or whenever any tax was withheld, whichever comes first.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers
You should receive the slip by the last day of February following the year of payment, which gives you time before the April 30 personal filing deadline.2Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Due Dates and Payment Dates – Personal Income Tax
How the T4A Differs From a T4, T4RIF, and NR4
The T4A is often confused with other slips that look similar on paper. The standard T4 covers employment income: salary, wages, payroll deductions, and (since 2012) retiring allowances such as severance. The T4A picks up income that is still taxable but is not traditional employment pay.
Regular withdrawals from a Registered Retirement Income Fund go on a separate T4RIF, not a T4A. The T4A only enters the picture for RRIF-related income when you receive annuity payments purchased with RRIF proceeds, which appear in Box 024.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers
Non-residents of Canada do not receive a T4A for pension, annuity, or similar income. They get an NR4 instead, which the payer must issue whenever at least $50 is paid or credited to a non-resident, or whenever Part XIII withholding tax was deducted on any amount.3Canada.ca. NR4 – Non-Resident Tax Withholding, Remitting, and Reporting The standard withholding rate on those payments is 25%, often reduced by a tax treaty with the recipient’s country.4Canada.ca. Rates for Part XIII Tax
What Each T4A Box Reports
Every income type has its own numbered box, and each box eventually connects to a specific line on your T1 return. These are the ones you are most likely to see.
Box 016 — Pension and Superannuation
The taxable portion of periodic payments from a registered pension plan, whether paid to a retiree, a surviving spouse, or a beneficiary.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers This income is generally fully taxable, though it may qualify for the pension income amount tax credit at Line 31400 if you are 65 or older, or if the pension came to you because your spouse or common-law partner died.5Canada Revenue Agency. T4A Slip – Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income
Box 018 — Lump-Sum Payments
One-time payments from a pension fund or plan, usually triggered by withdrawing from the plan, retiring, a plan member’s death, or the plan being terminated or amended.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers The payer usually withholds tax before the money reaches you.
Box 020 — Self-Employed Commissions
Commissions or fees paid to you as an independent contractor rather than an employee.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers The figure is gross revenue. You deduct business expenses on Form T2125 and report only the net profit.6Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Completing Form T2125
Box 022 — Income Tax Deducted
Not an income type, but the total federal, provincial, and territorial tax the payer already withheld during the year.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers You claim it as a credit at Line 43700, which lowers the tax you owe or increases your refund.7Canada Revenue Agency. Line 43700 – Total Income Tax Deducted Forgetting this line means overpaying tax.
Box 024 — Annuity Payments
Annuity payments from several sources: life annuities purchased with RRIF or life income fund proceeds, advanced life deferred annuities, income-averaging annuity contracts, and deferred profit sharing plan instalments.1Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). T4A Slip – Information for Payers Only the taxable portion appears; any return of capital is excluded.
Box 028 — Other Income
A catch-all for taxable payments that do not fit elsewhere, including certain government grants or amounts paid to former employees. When a payer uses Box 028 for more than one kind of payment, they should include a breakdown so each component gets the right tax treatment.5Canada Revenue Agency. T4A Slip – Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income
Box 105 — Scholarships, Bursaries, and Fellowships
Box 105 shows the total paid, not the taxable amount. That distinction catches people out every year. Full-time qualifying students generally pay no tax on scholarships related to their program. Part-time qualifying students can exempt an amount equal to their tuition plus the cost of program-related materials. If you were not enrolled at all, only the first $500 is exempt.8Government of Canada. Line 13010 – Taxable Scholarships, Fellowships, Bursaries, and Artists’ Project Grants You calculate the taxable portion yourself and report only that figure.
Box 106 — Death Benefits
When an employer pays a death benefit to an estate or beneficiary, the first $10,000 across all recipients and all years is tax-free. Only amounts above that threshold are reported as income. The Canada Pension Plan death benefit is a separate payment and does not qualify for this exemption.9Government of Canada. Death Benefits – Prepare Tax Returns for Someone Who Died
Boxes 040 and 042 — RESP Payments
Educational Assistance Payments (Box 042) go to the student beneficiary and include the investment earnings, Canada Education Savings Grant, and Canada Learning Bond portions of the RESP. The student reports them as income, which usually means little or no tax.10Government of Canada. Registered Education Savings Plans Payments, Transferring and Rolling Over
Accumulated Income Payments (Box 040) usually go to the subscriber when the beneficiary does not pursue post-secondary education. These get taxed twice: once as regular income, and again at an additional 20% (12% for Quebec residents), calculated on Form T1172.10Government of Canada. Registered Education Savings Plans Payments, Transferring and Rolling Over Many subscribers do not expect that extra layer.
Where Each Box Goes on Your Return
Box 016 pension income, together with qualifying Box 024 annuity payments, goes on Line 11500. For Box 024, that line applies when you are 65 or older at year-end, or when the annuity came to you because your spouse or common-law partner died.11Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Line 11500 – Other Pensions and Superannuation
Box 020 self-employed commissions take a detour. The gross figure does not go directly on the T1. You record it as business revenue on Form T2125, subtract eligible expenses, and bring the net income to Line 13500.12Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Lines 13499 to 14300 – Self-Employment Income
Taxable scholarship amounts from Box 105 go on Line 13010, after you subtract your exemption. If the whole amount is exempt, enter zero.8Government of Canada. Line 13010 – Taxable Scholarships, Fellowships, Bursaries, and Artists’ Project Grants
Tax withheld in Box 022 goes on Line 43700 as a credit against your total tax.7Canada Revenue Agency. Line 43700 – Total Income Tax Deducted
The Self-Employment Catch: CPP on Both Halves
If you receive Box 020 commissions, you owe Canada Pension Plan contributions on the net income, and as a self-employed person you pay both the employee and employer halves. For 2026, the combined base rate is 11.90% on net earnings up to $74,600 (after the basic exemption), to a maximum base contribution of $8,460.90.13Canada.ca. CPP Contribution Rates, Maximums and Exemptions A second-tier contribution (CPP2) applies to earnings between $74,600 and $85,000 at a self-employed rate of 8%, adding up to $832 more.14Canada.ca. Second Additional CPP (CPP2) Contribution Rates and Maximums The whole thing is calculated on Schedule 8. Half the total is deductible from income; the other half becomes a non-refundable credit.
Pension Income Splitting
If your T4A shows Box 016 pension income, you may be able to split up to 50% of it with your spouse or common-law partner, regardless of their age. Box 024 annuity and RRIF-sourced payments also qualify if you are 65 or older at year-end, or if you received them because your spouse or common-law partner died. Both of you complete Form T1032 and file it with your returns. Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan benefits, and foreign pension income exempt under a treaty do not qualify.15Canada.ca. Pension Income Splitting
Penalties for Missing or Unreported T4A Income
Filing a return late when you owe tax triggers a penalty of 5% of the balance owing, plus 1% for each full month the return is late, up to 12 months.16Government of Canada. Interest and Penalties on Late Taxes – Personal Income Tax The 5% hits immediately, so even a single day late is costly.
Repeated failures to report income are treated more harshly. If you miss reporting $500 or more on your 2025 return and also failed to report income in any of the three preceding years, the penalty is the lesser of 10% of the unreported amount (federal and provincial combined), or 50% of the difference between the understated tax and any tax already withheld on that income.17Canada.ca. False Reporting or Repeated Failure to Report Income Because the CRA matches payer-filed T4As against your return, unreported amounts usually surface within a year or two.
Missing or Incorrect T4A: What to Do
If your slip has not arrived by early March, contact the payer. A pension administrator or business client can send a duplicate or confirm what was filed with the CRA.
If the filing deadline is close and the slip still has not arrived, file on time with your best estimate from bank statements, payment records, or contract terms. A late return with perfect numbers costs more than an on-time return with a reasonable estimate. Include a note that your figures are based on available records because the slip was not received.
When a slip you did receive is wrong, ask the payer to issue an amended T4A. They are responsible for sending the correction to both you and the CRA. If you have already filed, submit a T1 Adjustment Request (Form T1-ADJ) once the corrected slip is in hand.18Government of Canada. Changing a Tax Return – Personal Income Tax Adjustments filed online through My Account are typically processed within about two weeks; mailed adjustments take several weeks.
The obligation to report the income is yours, not the payer’s. If a correction never comes, the right figure still needs to be on your return, and waiting for a slip does not shield you from penalties on unreported income.