How to do your taxes

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How to do your taxes

What’s new

Find out what major tax changes and improvements are new this tax year.

What is a T4 slip

After each calendar year, your employer gives you a T4 slip which summarizes your earnings and deductions for the year. You need this information to complete your tax return. Your employer must give you your T4 slip by the end of February.

Activity 1 – Fill out a T4 slip

Students fill out a T4 slip as if they are an employer. Have them enter the following information:

  1. a business name
  2. an employee name and address
  3. 123 456 789 as the employee’s SIN
  4. the tax year and the province of employment
  5. employment income of $26,275.00
  6. CPP or QPP contributions of $1,127.36
  7. EI premiums of $493.97
  8. union dues of $165.00
  9. income tax of $2,917.68

Students save the completed T4 slip to use in Activity 5.

Activity 2 – If you do not get your T4 slip

Students visit Get a copy of your tax slips and answer the following questions:

  1. What should you do if you do not receive your T4 slip from your employer?
  2. Can you complete your tax return without your T4 slip?
  3. How do you calculate your total income if you do not have your T4 slip?

Ways to file your return

There are several ways to file or send your tax return.

Use tax preparation software

Complete your return online. Use tax preparation software certified for NETFILE. Tax software is easy to use and many products are free.

Use a tax preparation service

Take your documents to a tax preparation business to complete your return for you.

Complete a paper return

Fill in a paper return and mail it to your tax centre.

Introduce students to the different ways to file a return.

Activity 3 – Ways to file

Prompt students to consider the pros and cons for each method.

Activity 4 – Auto-fill my return

Students go to auto‑fill‑my‑return to learn about the Auto-fill my return service.

Completing a return online

If you use tax preparation software to file your return online, and choose direct deposit, you can get your refund in as little as eight business days.

You can find the information you need to complete your return online at:

Tax preparation software is:

  • easy to use
  • will do most of the work for you
  • will ask you questions about your tax situation and you check off anything that applies to you
  • will calculate your refund or balance owing after you enter your income information and any other necessary information
  • will allow you to send your return to the Canada Revenue Agency online
Activity 5 – Complete a return online

Students go to certified software for the NETFILE program and select a free tax preparation software product to learn how it works. Students practice filling in a tax return based on the information from the T4 slip they filled in.

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Date modified:
2020-02-25