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What Is an RL-1 Slip in Quebec?

Updated

Short Answer

The RL-1 is Quebec’s provincial employment income slip — issued alongside the federal T4. Quebec residents file both a T1 (federal) using the T4 and a TP-1 (provincial) using the RL-1. The RL-1 captures Quebec-specific deductions like QPP contributions and QPIP premiums that do not appear on a standard federal T4.

RL-1 Boxes and What They Mean

Box Description Federal T4 equivalent TP-1 line
A Employment income Box 14 Line 101
B QPP contributions (employee) Box 16 (CPP) Line 248
C EI premiums Box 18 (EI) Line 249
D PRPP employer contributions N/A
E Quebec income tax withheld Box 22 (federal tax) Line 451
F Union dues Box 44 Line 214
G QPP pensionable earnings Box 26 (CPP earnings)
H QPIP premiums No T4 equivalent Line 250
I QPIP insurable earnings No T4 equivalent
J Employer dental contributions No T4 equivalent
K Tips Special Quebec rules Line 101
L Other taxable benefits (Quebec) Box 40 (taxable benefits) Line 101
M Commissions Box 42 Line 101
N Charitable donations deducted Box 46
P Deferred profit sharing (DPSP) Box 52
Q Pension adjustment Box 52
R Housing value (clergy) Box 30 Line 101
S Volunteer firefighter allowance No direct equivalent
T RPP employer contributions Box 50
U QPP contributions on self-employment Schedule N
V Benefits from employee benefit plan
W Net commissions (self-employment) No equivalent
O Other income (code-based) Various Depends on code

Key Differences: RL-1 vs T4

Item T4 (Federal) RL-1 (Quebec)
Pension plan CPP (Box 16) QPP (Box B) — slightly different calculation
Parental insurance EI (Box 18) — includes parental component QPIP (Box H) — separate from EI
EI premiums (Quebec) Reduced rate vs rest of Canada Still shown on T4 Box 18 (Quebec-reduced rate)
Employer dental/health benefits Box 40 taxable benefits May appear in Box J or L
Charitable donations Box 46 Box N

QPP vs CPP: Quebec-Specific Pension Contributions

Feature CPP (all other provinces) QPP (Quebec)
2025 employee contribution rate 5.95% 6.40%
Enhanced (CPP2/QPP2) rate 4.00% 4.00%
Maximum pensionable earnings (first ceiling) $68,500 $68,500
Maximum employee contribution (base) ~$3,867 ~$4,160
Portability with CPP ✅ Fully portable ✅ Fully portable

Quebec workers contribute slightly more to QPP per dollar earned compared to CPP in other provinces.

QPIP: Quebec’s Parental Insurance Premium

Feature Federal EI (parental component) QPIP
Who administers Service Canada Revenu Québec
2025 employee premium rate 1.049% (Quebec reduced) 0.497%
What it insures Regular EI only (parental EI sent to QPIP) Maternity, paternity, parental, adoption
Benefit rate 55–33% of insurable earnings 70–75%
Extended to self-employed No Yes

Quebec employees pay both EI premiums (for regular/non-parental coverage) and QPIP premiums (for parental benefits). The combined load is slightly higher than standard EI elsewhere, but QPIP benefits are materially more generous for parental leave.

Box O Codes: The Most Common

RL-1 Box O Code Description
RB Group sickness or accident insurance premiums — employer portion is taxable in Quebec
RA RRSP employer contributions (if not already in Box A)
RZ Research grants net of expenses
RE Emergency volunteer allowance
RC Royalties
RE Emergency services volunteer income
RF Amounts received from a deferred profit-sharing plan
RG Income from a profit-sharing plan

Filing the TP-1 Using Your RL-1

Quebec residents file two returns:

Return Slip used Filed with Deadline
Federal T1 T4 CRA April 30 (or June 15 if self-employed)
Quebec TP-1 RL-1 Revenu Québec April 30

Quebec tax software handles both returns simultaneously using the same inputs. Enter both your T4 and RL-1 to ensure the provincial calculations use the correct Quebec-specific amounts (QPIP, QPP, taxable benefits unique to Quebec).

Bottom Line

The RL-1 is the Quebec provincial employment slip that works alongside the federal T4 — not instead of it. Quebec residents file both returns annually using the respective slips. Key Quebec-specific items are QPP contributions (Box B), QPIP premiums (Box H), and certain employer benefits taxable provincially in Quebec that may differ from the federal treatment. Use Quebec-specific tax software (or the francophone versions of major tax programs) to handle the TP-1 filing correctly alongside your T1.