Is long-term disability insurance taxable in Canada?

It depends on who paid the insurance premium. The CRA rule is straightforward: if your employer paid the LTD premiums entirely, your LTD benefits are fully taxable income when you collect them. If you paid the LTD premiums entirely with after-tax dollars, your LTD benefits are completely tax-free. If premiums were cost-shared (employer paid some, you paid some), the taxable portion of benefits is proportional to the employer's share of total premiums paid. For example, if the employer paid 60% of premiums and you paid 40%, then 60% of your LTD benefit is taxable and 40% is tax-free.

How do I know if my employer pays or I pay the LTD premium?

Check your pay stub and T4. If you see a deduction for "LTD" or "disability insurance" on your pay stub, you are paying some or all of the premium with after-tax dollars — which means some or all of your future benefits will be tax-free. If there is no LTD deduction on your pay stub and your employer mentions LTD in your benefits package, your employer is likely paying the entire premium — your future benefits will be fully taxable. Review your group benefits booklet or ask your HR department directly: "Who pays the LTD premium — is it fully employer-paid, fully employee-paid, or cost-shared?" A clear answer to this question determines your tax outcome if you ever need to collect.

What is the net benefit difference between taxable and non-taxable LTD?

The difference is significant. A taxable LTD benefit of $5,000/month effectively becomes $3,500–$4,000/month after federal and provincial income tax (at a 20–30% marginal rate). A non-taxable LTD benefit of $5,000/month is the full $5,000. Most group LTD plans replace 60–70% of your pre-disability gross income. If that benefit is taxable, your net benefit may only replace 40–55% of your previous net (after-tax) income — a meaningful shortfall during an illness that may also generate significant extra costs. This is one of the strongest arguments for electing to pay LTD premiums yourself if your employer offers a cost-sharing choice.

Can I choose to pay my LTD premium to make benefits tax-free?

Some employers offer a premium election choice: you can elect to pay the LTD premium personally (from your after-tax pay) rather than having the employer include it as part of their benefit contribution. If your plan allows this, electing to pay the premium yourself makes any future LTD benefits you collect completely tax-free. The monthly premium cost is modest — typically $30–$80/month for standard salary replacement coverage — and the tax-free benefit if you ever need to collect is substantially more valuable. If your employer offers this election, paying the premium yourself is almost always the better financial decision.

Are short-term disability benefits also taxable?

Yes — the same premium-payer rule applies to short-term disability (STD) benefits. Employer-paid STD premiums = taxable benefits when collected. Employee-paid premiums = tax-free benefits. Additionally, EI sick benefits (Employment Insurance sickness benefits — up to 26 weeks at 55% of insurable earnings) are always taxable income, regardless of how EI premiums are paid (EI is a mandatory government program). If your employer top-ups your EI sick benefits through an SUB (Supplemental Unemployment Benefit) plan, the top-up may also be taxable depending on the plan structure. Group plan disability benefits and EI sick benefits are separate programs — your private disability plan coordinates with EI to avoid double-paying.

Is Long-Term Disability Income Taxable in Canada? 2026 Guide

The Key Rule: Who Pays the Premium Determines Taxability

Premium Payer	LTD Benefit Tax Status
Employer pays 100%	LTD benefits are fully taxable income
Employee pays 100%	LTD benefits are completely tax-free
Cost-shared (e.g., 50/50)	Proportional: 50% of benefit is taxable, 50% is tax-free
EI sickness benefits	Always taxable (government program — different rules)

CRA authority: Income Tax Act s. 6(1)(a) — employer-paid premiums are an employment benefit; benefits from employee-paid premiums are excluded from income under ITA s. 6(1)(f).

Net Benefit Comparison — Tax-Free vs Taxable LTD

Assumption: pre-disability gross salary $90,000; LTD benefit 65% = $58,500/year = $4,875/month gross LTD benefit.

Scenario	Gross Monthly LTD	Estimated Tax	Net Monthly	% of Pre-Disability Net
Employee-paid (tax-free)	$4,875	$0	$4,875	~78%
Employer-paid (taxable)	$4,875	~$1,100	~$3,775	~60%
Cost-shared 50/50	$4,875	~$550	~$4,325	~69%

Pre-disability net salary on $90K ≈ $6,250/month after tax. Employee-paid LTD replaces ~78%; employer-paid replaces ~60%.

How Cost-Shared Plans Are Calculated

If your employer pays 60% of the LTD premium and you pay 40%:

Component	Calculation	Amount
Monthly LTD benefit	65% of $7,500/month salary	$4,875
Taxable portion (employer’s 60%)	$4,875 × 60%	$2,925
Tax-free portion (employee’s 40%)	$4,875 × 40%	$1,950
Tax on taxable portion (at ~25% marginal)	$2,925 × 25%	~$731
Net monthly benefit		~$4,144

How to Determine Your Plan’s Premium Structure

Step	Action
1	Check your pay stub for LTD/disability deduction line
2	If deduction exists → you are paying some premium → get the % split from HR
3	Review your group benefits booklet — premium contribution section
4	Ask HR directly: “Who pays the LTD premium?”
5	Check your T4 — employer-paid group insurance premiums may appear as a taxable benefit in Box 40

The Premium Election Strategy

Some employers offer employees a choice:

Option	Monthly Cost to You	Future Benefit Tax Status
Employer pays premium	$0	Taxable — lose 20–30% to tax
You pay premium	~$30–$80/month	Tax-free — keep 100%

The math at a $5,000/month benefit: If employer pays premium, you net ~$3,750/month after tax. If you pay a $50/month premium, you net $5,000/month. Over a 12-month disability period: tax-free saves you approximately $15,000. The premium cost is $600. Net benefit of paying yourself: ~$14,400 per year of disability.

If your employer offers this election, paying the premium yourself is almost always the right financial decision.

Short-Term Disability and EI Sick Benefits — Tax Rules

Program	Who Funds It	Taxable?
Employer-paid STD plan	Employer	Yes
Employee-paid STD plan	Employee	No
EI sickness benefits	Government / mandatory contributions	Always yes
Employer SUB top-up (on EI)	Employer	Depends on plan structure
WSIB / WCB (workers’ compensation)	Government	Generally tax-free

What to Do If You Are About to Go on LTD

Confirm with HR whether your LTD benefit will be taxable
If taxable, request that your employer remit tax at source (avoid a large April tax bill)
Alternatively, make installment payments to CRA if taxable LTD is your primary income
Notify ServiceCanada — if you first collected EI sick benefits, confirm coordination
Keep LTD payments in a separate account for tax planning purposes if taxable