A T4 slip, the Statement of Remuneration Paid, is the form Canadian employers use to report each employee's employment income, tax deducted and CPP and EI amounts for the calendar year. Employers must give employees their T4 slips and file the T4 return with the CRA by the last day of February, moved to the next business day if it falls on a weekend.
If you employ anyone in Canada, even one person on a few shifts, the T4 is part of your year-end. It's also the slip your employees need to file their own returns. Here's what the CRA's employers' guide, RC4120, says.
Who needs a T4 slip
You fill out a T4 slip to report remuneration, which includes:
- Salary or wages, including pay in lieu of termination notice
- Tips or gratuities, bonuses and vacation pay
- Employment commissions, and taxable benefits or allowances
- Retiring allowances and certain wage loss replacement plan payments
You must also file a T4 if you were required to deduct CPP or QPP contributions, EI premiums, PPIP premiums or income tax, if the remuneration is more than $500, or if there's a pension adjustment. Taxable group term life insurance for current employees goes on a T4 even when total pay for the year is under $500.
When you don't use a T4
| Payment | Slip to use instead |
|---|---|
| Fees or other amounts paid to self-employed people, pensions, lump sums or annuities | T4A |
| Fees to a non-resident for services rendered in Canada, outside employment | T4A-NR |
| Retiring allowance paid to a non-resident | NR4 |
| Payments to construction subcontractors, if construction is your main business | T5018 |
| Death benefits to a surviving spouse or heir | T4A |
The deadline
The CRA says you have to give your employee their T4 slip and file your T4 return on or before the due date. It's the last day of February after the calendar year, and if that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the next business day. For the 2025 tax year, the guide gives the due date as 2 March 2026, because 28 February 2026 was a Saturday. A return is on time if the CRA receives it, or it's postmarked, by the due date.
Here's a detail employers often get wrong: when an employee stops working for you, the filing due date doesn't change. But if your business stops operating, you must file all T4 slips and the summary within 30 days of the date it stops, or within 90 days of a partner's or sole proprietor's death.
The main boxes
| Box | What it reports |
|---|---|
| Box 14 | Employment income |
| Boxes 16 and 16A | Employee's CPP contributions and second CPP (CPP2) contributions, outside Quebec |
| Box 18 | Employee's EI premiums |
| Box 22 | Income tax deducted |
| Box 24 | EI insurable earnings |
| Box 26 | CPP/QPP pensionable earnings |
| Box 29 | Employment code |
| Box 44 | Union dues |
| Box 52 | Pension adjustment |
Income goes on the slip for the year it was paid, regardless of when it was earned. If an employee worked in more than one province or territory, you fill out a T4 slip for each one.
The penalties: two separate ones
This is the insight most small employers miss: the CRA can charge you twice for the same late T4. One penalty is for filing the return late, and another is for not giving the slips to your employees on time.
| Number of T4 slips filed late | Penalty per day (as of October 2026) | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 50 | $10 | $1,000 |
| 51 to 500 | $15 | $1,500 |
| 501 to 2,500 | $25 | $2,500 |
| 2,501 to 10,000 | $50 | $5,000 |
| 10,001 or more | $75 | $7,500 |
Separately, if you don't give employees their T4 slips by the last day of February, the CRA may charge $25 per day for each slip not given, with a minimum penalty of $100. And if you file more than 5 information returns of a type for a year, you must file electronically: filing 6 to 50 slips on paper can bring a $125 penalty, and the guide's example shows that 6 T4 slips and 6 NR4 slips filed on paper means two $125 penalties.
Giving slips to employees electronically
You can distribute T4 slips electronically, but the guide sets conditions. You must have written consent from employees before sending T4 slips by email, and slips have to be accessible on a secure portal with a secure printer. Keep a copy of the slips and the summary for your records.
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A year-end T4 checklist
- Confirm each person is an employee, not a contractor who needs a T4A.
- Reconcile payroll totals for income, CPP, CPP2, EI and tax with your remittances.
- Check every employee's SIN; if you can't get one, the CRA says you still file on time without it.
- Prepare a slip for each province of employment where needed.
- File electronically if you have more than 5 slips, and give employees their copies by the due date.
- Don't send your regular payroll remittance with the T4 return.
New employer? Make sure you have a payroll account through your CRA business number, and point staff to NETFILE for filing their own returns once the slips are out.
My verdict
The T4 is routine once you've done it once, but the penalties stack: late filing, late slips and paper filing are three separate charges. Put the last day of February in the diary, file electronically, and if you're closing the business, remember the 30-day rule. Most payroll software produces T4s automatically, which is the easiest way to get them right.
Frequently asked questions
What is a T4 slip?
The Statement of Remuneration Paid, which reports an employee's employment income, tax deducted and CPP and EI amounts for the calendar year in Canada.
When are T4 slips due?
By the last day of February after the calendar year, or the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday. For 2025 it was 2 March 2026.
Do I need a T4 for an employee paid under $500?
Yes, if you had to deduct CPP, EI or income tax, or there's a pension adjustment or taxable group term life insurance. Otherwise the $500 threshold applies.
What is the penalty for filing T4s late?
For 1 to 50 slips, $10 a day up to $1,000, as of October 2026, with higher daily rates and maximums for more slips.
Can I email T4 slips to employees?
Only with their written consent, and slips must be accessible on a secure portal with a secure printer.
Do contractors get a T4?
No. Fees paid to self-employed people are reported on a T4A, not a T4.
