Minute Book

A tax return is the annual filing that reports your income, deductions and credits to the CRA so the final tax for the year can be settled. Payers withhold tax during the year and the return reconciles that against what you actually owe, producing either a refund or a balance to pay. For 2025 returns filed in 2026, refunds usually arrive in about two weeks for an online return, while a paper return runs on a considerably longer standard because it is handled manually.

Canada taxes income in graduated brackets, so only the income above a threshold is taxed at that bracket's higher rate and moving up a bracket never reprices the income below it. There is one federal set of brackets and a separate set for each province and territory, and the thresholds are indexed to inflation every year. Look up the current figures for your province on the CRA rate tables rather than relying on an older list.

EI benefits are taxable income. Service Canada withholds income tax before each payment reaches you, and the total benefits plus the tax withheld appear on your T4E for the year. That withholding follows a basic calculation rather than your full marginal rate, so people who also worked during the year often end up with a balance owing at filing. Asking Service Canada to withhold more, or setting money aside yourself, avoids a surprise. Higher-income claimants can also have to repay part of their regular benefits through the return.

Start with total income from every source for the year, including employment, self-employment, investments and pensions. Subtract the deductions you qualify for, such as RRSP contributions, child care costs, union dues and deductible employment expenses, to reach net income. Take off any further deductions that apply at the next stage, losses carried forward among them, and what remains is taxable income, the figure the brackets are applied to. Credits reduce the tax calculated on that figure rather than the income itself.