T4 Slips and T4 Summary
T4 slips (Statement of Remuneration Paid) must be distributed to employees and filed with CRA by the last day of February following the calendar year. Employers who file 5 or more T4 slips must file electronically. The T4 Summary accompanies the individual slips and reconciles total payroll to CRA's records.
Who this applies to
- All employers who paid employment income, commissions, taxable benefits, or other remuneration to employees during the calendar year
- Corporations paying salaries to owner-employees
- Employers of part-time and seasonal employees
- Any employer who deducted CPP, EI, or income tax from an employee's pay
What to file
T4 slip for each employee (showing Box 14 employment income, Box 16 CPP contributions, Box 18 EI premiums, Box 22 income tax deducted, and any taxable benefits in Box 40 or other applicable boxes), plus the T4 Summary reconciling all slips. Quebec employers also file the RL-1 slip with Revenu Quebec.
How to file
Electronically via CRA My Business Account (5 or more slips: electronic filing mandatory). Smaller employers may use paper forms. T4s and the Summary are filed together as one submission. Employees must receive their copy by 28 February.
Payment due
No payment made on this deadline; payroll deduction remittances are made throughout the year on the regular remittance schedule. The T4 filing reconciles the year's remittances.
Penalties for missing this deadline
Late filing penalty: CAD 25 per day, minimum CAD 100, maximum CAD 2,500 for most employers. Employers with 50 or more T4 slips who fail to file electronically face an additional penalty of CAD 250. Additional penalties apply for incorrect or omitted information on filed slips.
Filing checklist
- Reconcile total gross pay per payroll records to total employment income to be reported on T4 slips
- Calculate and verify CPP, EI, and income tax deductions for each employee
- Add all taxable benefits (company car, group life insurance premiums, employer-paid health benefits over limits) to Box 14
- Generate T4 slips via payroll software or CRA Online T4 service
- Distribute employee copies by 28 February
- File T4 Summary and all T4 slips electronically via My Business Account
Common mistakes to avoid
- Omitting taxable benefits from Box 14 (company car personal use, group insurance premiums above limits)
- Reporting only cash wages without adding taxable allowances and benefits to employment income
- Filing paper T4s when 5 or more slips are required to be filed electronically
- Not filing the Quebec RL-1 slip separately from the T4 for Quebec employees
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