The T4A, or Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income, reports income you received that isn’t regular employment pay: pension payments, contractor fees and commissions, scholarships, RESP withdrawals, pandemic benefits and more than a dozen other income types. You report every T4A on your return even when no tax was withheld at source. Payers have until the last day of February to issue them, the same as most slips in the tax slips table.
If you were an employee, your pay is on a T4 instead; the T4 slip guide covers it, and the T4 vs T4A vs T4E comparison explains which slip goes with which kind of work.
Who issues T4As
| Payer | What they report |
|---|---|
| Employer (for non-pay items) | Death benefit, group term life insurance premiums for former employees |
| Pension plan administrator | Periodic pension, annuity |
| CRA and other government payers | CERB, CRB, apprenticeship grants, research grants |
| Educational institution | Scholarships, bursaries, fellowships |
| RESP promoter | Box 042 Educational Assistance Payments |
| Business using contractors | Box 048 fees for services |
| Insurance company | Annuity payments |
Service Canada sends CPP and Old Age Security benefits on their own versions, the T4A(P) and T4A(OAS). EI benefits come on a T4E, and RRSP and RRIF withdrawals on the T4RSP and T4RIF.
Common T4A boxes and where they go
| Box | Description | Tax return line | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 016 | Pension or superannuation | 11500 | Fully taxable |
| 018 | Lump-sum payments | 13000 | Fully taxable; may be eligible for transfer |
| 020 | Self-employed commissions | 13500, with Form T2125 | Business income, less expenses |
| 022 | Income tax deducted | 43700 | Tax already paid |
| 024 | Annuity payments | 12900 | Fully taxable |
| 028 | Other income | 13000 | Fully taxable |
| 034 | Pension adjustment | Not income | Reduces next year’s RRSP room |
| 036 | Death benefits | 13000 | First $10,000 tax-free |
| 040 | RESP accumulated income payment (AIP) | 12900 | Taxed to the subscriber, plus an additional 20% tax |
| 042 | RESP Educational Assistance Payment (EAP) | 13000 | Taxed to the student |
| 048 | Fees for services | 13500, with Form T2125 | Business income, less expenses |
| 105 | Scholarships, fellowships, bursaries | 13010 | Often exempt for students in a qualifying program |
| 119 | Premiums paid to a group term life insurance plan (former employees and retirees) | 13000 | Fully taxable |
| 197 | CERB payments | 13000 | Fully taxable in the year received |
| 202 | Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) | 13000 | Fully taxable |
| 212 | Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) | 13000 | Fully taxable |
The main boxes in detail
Box 016: pension or superannuation
This box reports pension income from employer pension plans (defined benefit or defined contribution), superannuation plans and foreign pensions (which may also appear on an NR4). Report it on line 11500. If you’re 65 or older, it may qualify for the pension income amount, and up to 50% can be allocated to your spouse; pension income splitting explains the election.
Box 018: lump-sum payments
| Type | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Pension payout | Report as income |
| Accumulated sick leave | Fully taxable |
Retiring allowances (severance pay) are not reported on a T4A at all. CRA’s guide instructs payers to report them on the T4 instead, using codes 66 (eligible portion, for service before 1996, transferable directly to an RRSP without affecting contribution room) and 67 (non-eligible portion, fully taxable) in the T4’s “Other information” area.
Box 020 vs Box 048: commissions and fees for services
| Box | Type of income | CPP | Self-employment form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box 020 | Commissions (usually sales, real estate, finance) | Yes, on Schedule 8 | T2125 |
| Box 048 | Fees for services (consulting, contract and freelance work) | Yes, on Schedule 8 | T2125 |
Both boxes mean you were paid as a self-employed person, not an employee. You report the gross amount as business income on line 13500, deduct eligible expenses on Form T2125, and pay both the employee and employer shares of CPP when you file. EI coverage is optional for self-employed people, who can opt in. Box 020 is for commission income; Box 048 covers project and contract fees. Payers often don’t withhold tax on these amounts, so a balance can be owing at filing.
Box 024: annuity payments
| Source | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Life annuity | Fully taxable |
| Term-certain annuity | Fully taxable |
| Prescribed annuity | Only the interest portion is taxable |
Box 028: other income
A catch-all for miscellaneous income, including director’s fees, the part of a research grant not spent on eligible expenses, and wage-loss replacement plan payments.
Box 034: pension adjustment
Box 034 reports the pension adjustment for a multi-employer pension plan member during a period of leave or reduced services. It is not income and isn’t added to Box 016; like T4 Box 52, it reduces the RRSP contribution room you’ll have next year (see how a pension adjustment affects RRSP room).
Boxes 040 and 042: RESP payments
When a student withdraws from an RESP, the original contributions come out tax-free as a post-secondary education (PSE) withdrawal, and the grants and growth come out as an EAP in Box 042, taxed in the student’s hands. The student receives the T4A and reports the EAP on their own return; students often pay little or no tax on it because of the basic personal amount and their tuition credits. How to time EAP and PSE withdrawals is covered in RESP withdrawal strategies.
| Feature | Box 040 (AIP) | Box 042 (EAP) |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives it | Subscriber (parent or grandparent) | Student (beneficiary) |
| What it includes | Investment growth paid out when the beneficiary isn’t pursuing education | CESG grants and investment growth |
| Tax treatment | Fully taxable, plus an additional 20% tax; up to $50,000 can go to an RRSP if you have room | Taxed in the student’s hands |
| Other limits | Plan open 10+ years | $8,000 for the first 13 weeks, then no limit |
Box 105: scholarships, fellowships and bursaries
| Situation | Tax treatment |
|---|---|
| Full-time qualifying program | Fully tax-exempt |
| Part-time qualifying program | Exempt up to the cost of the program and materials |
| Not enrolled in a qualifying program | Fully taxable, $500 exemption |
| Research grants | Taxable; eligible expenses can be deducted |
A qualifying educational program lasts 3 or more consecutive weeks with at least 10 hours a week of courses or work. Report Box 105 on line 13010; tax software works out the exemption once your T2202 tuition slip and full-time months are entered. The tuition tax credit is claimed separately from the T2202.
Boxes 197 to 212: pandemic benefits
CERB, CRB and CRSB payments are taxable income on line 13000, and they often had no tax withheld. If you repaid one, the repayment can be deducted in the year you repaid it or carried back to the year you received it; the CERB repayment guide covers both options.
Why you got a T4A you didn’t expect
| What arrived | Why |
|---|---|
| A pandemic benefit T4A from the CRA | Income replacement benefits were taxable but often had no withholding; amended slips can arrive years later |
| A T4A from your school | Scholarship income, reported on line 13010 and usually exempt |
| A T4A for RESP payments | The EAP part of an RESP withdrawal is taxable to the student |
| A T4A from a client | The client reported the fees it paid you in Box 048 |
| A T4A for “other income” | Box 028 covers director’s fees, some grants and awards, and other miscellaneous payments |
Other common surprises are freelance or contract work you’d forgotten about, a research, art or writing grant, and fees for serving as a director of an organization. If you don’t recognize a T4A at all, log in to CRA My Account: the slip is there with the payer’s name. If it clearly isn’t your income, contact the issuer and the CRA.
Checking your T4As before you file
- Log in to CRA My Account. Every T4A a payer filed is listed there; compare it with the slips you received.
- Match each box to its line using the table above.
- Claim the expenses you’re entitled to. Box 020 and Box 048 amounts allow business expense deductions on T2125.
- Check whether tax was withheld. Many T4A payers don’t deduct tax at source, so you may owe when you file.
- Report every T4A. The CRA matches T4A data to your return, and an omission leads to a reassessment.
What to do if your T4A is wrong
- Contact the issuer (pension plan, school, client) as soon as possible.
- Request an amended T4A.
- If you can’t get a correction in time, file with the correct amounts.
- Keep documentation of the error and your communications.
Related pages
- Canadian tax slips at a glance, with every slip’s deadline and line
- The T4 slip, box by box
- The T4 vs T4A vs T4E comparison
- The T2202 tuition slip
- Self-employed tax deductions in Canada