Tax Documents Checklist: What You Need to File Your Canadian Tax Return

Most filing delays and missed claims come from missing paperwork, not from the tax rules themselves. CRA groups what you need into four areas:

1. personal information
2. information slips
3. income that isn’t reported on a slip
4. supporting documents for your deductions and credits

Use the checklist below to get everything together before you file, or before you send your documents to us.

1. Personal information

• Your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
• If you have a spouse or common-law partner: their SIN and their net income for the year.
• Your most recent Notice of Assessment. It shows your RRSP deduction limit and any amounts carried forward.
• Any change in your situation during the year: marriage or separation, a new child, a move, or arriving in or leaving Canada.

Keep your information safe. Never send your SIN, banking details or CRA passwords by email or through a website form, including ours. When you book with us, we’ll confirm how to provide what we need securely.

2. Tax slips

Slips are issued by your employer, payer, plan administrator or financial institution. Common ones:

Slip	What it reports
T4	Employment income
T4A	Pension, retirement, annuity and other income
T4E	Employment Insurance benefits
T4A(OAS) / T4A(P)	Old Age Security / Canada Pension Plan benefits
T5	Investment income: interest and dividends
T3	Trust income
T5008	Securities transactions
T4RSP / T4RIF	RRSP and RRIF withdrawals
T2202	Eligible tuition
RRSP contribution receipts	Contributions you plan to deduct

When they arrive:

• Most slips (T4, T4A and T5) are sent by the end of February.
• T3, NR4 and T5013 slips may not arrive until the end of March.
• OAS, EI and CPP slips are available through your My Service Canada Account.

If you use CRA My Account, you may also be able to view your slips there once the issuer has sent them to CRA.

3. Income that isn’t on a slip

You must report income even when no slip is issued. Have records for:

• self-employment, freelance or gig-platform income, and the related expenses
• rental income and rental expenses
• foreign income
• tips and other cash income

4. Receipts for deductions and credits

Gather receipts for whatever you intend to claim, for example:

• RRSP contributions (and FHSA contributions, if you have one)
• child care expenses
• medical expenses for you, your spouse and dependent children
• charitable donations
• moving expenses, if you moved for work or school
• union or professional dues
• tax instalments you paid during the year

Keep receipts even if you file electronically. CRA can ask to see them later. For an overview of what you may be able to claim, see our guide to tax deductions every Canadian should know.

Extra records for self-employed people and landlords

If you run a business or rent out property, you’ll also need:

• a summary of income for the year (invoices, platform statements, sales records)
• expense receipts, organized by category
• a vehicle logbook, if you claim vehicle expenses
• details of any GST/HST you collected and paid, if you’re registered
• the business-use share of your home, if you claim home office expenses

Our small-business tax deductions guide explains which expenses are commonly claimed. Our self-employed tax team can prepare the return.

What to do if a tax slip is missing

First, check the timing. Most slips aren’t due to you until the end of February, and some not until the end of March. If a slip still hasn’t arrived, CRA’s options are:

1. Ask the issuer for a copy. Contact your employer, former employer or financial institution.
2. Get the slip from CRA. If the issuer has already sent it to CRA, you may be able to see it in My Account. CRA can’t provide a slip until the issuer has sent it.
3. Estimate the income. If you can’t get the slip in time to file, add up your pay stubs or financial statements to estimate the income and any related deductions and credits. Include a note with your return giving the issuer’s name and address, the type of income, and what you’re doing to get the slip. If you file electronically, keep your pay stubs and statements in case CRA asks for them.

Missing one slip is not a reason to miss the April 30 deadline. Filing late when you owe tax costs more than estimating carefully and filing on time. See our Canadian tax deadlines guide.

Sending your documents to us

You can bring your documents to our Scarborough office or file with us remotely from anywhere in Canada through our remote tax filing service. Not sure what applies to you? Call (437) 410-7999 and we’ll tell you exactly which documents we need.

Sources: Canada Revenue Agency — Preparing to do your taxes (Documents you will need); Tax slips: get a copy of your slips.