What to bring for your personal tax return

Start with the slips that report your income

Most of the numbers on a personal return come from slips prepared by an employer, payer or financial institution: T4 slips for employment income, T4A slips for pensions, self-employed commissions and other amounts, T5 slips for investment income, T3 slips for trust and mutual fund distributions and T4E or T4A(P) slips for benefits. The CRA says most slips should arrive by the end of February, while T3 and T5013 slips can arrive as late as the end of March.

If a slip is missing, ask the issuer for a copy first. Slips the issuer has already sent to the CRA may also be visible in your CRA account. If you still cannot get a slip in time, the CRA allows you to estimate the income from pay stubs or statements and to explain what you did to obtain the slip, so keep those records rather than leaving the income out.

Bring last year’s notice of assessment as well. It shows carry-forward amounts such as RRSP deduction room, unused tuition and capital losses that affect this year’s return, and it flags any instalments the CRA expected you to pay.

Gather receipts for deductions and credits

Common items include RRSP contribution receipts (receipts for contributions made in the first 60 days of the year can arrive as late as May), child care receipts, medical expense receipts, charitable donation receipts, union or professional dues, moving expenses and tuition certificates (T2202). Keep receipts in the name of the person who will claim them, and note when an expense was shared with a spouse or partner.

Employment-related claims need supporting paperwork. Home-office and other employment expenses generally require a signed T2200 from the employer, and the rules for what qualifies change from year to year, so check the current CRA guidance for the tax year you are filing.

Do not discard a receipt because you are unsure whether it qualifies. It is easier to set aside a questionable receipt than to reconstruct a claim later during a CRA review.

Tell your preparer what changed

A change in marital status, a new child, a move, a home purchase or sale, a new rental property, self-employment income, a death in the family or a period living outside Canada can all affect a return and the benefits calculated from it. List these changes with dates even if you do not think they matter.

If you sold a home, bring the closing documents, because a sale of a principal residence is reported on the return even when it is fully exempt. If you hold foreign property or receive income from outside Canada, say so, because separate reporting rules can apply.

Provide personal details and account information

Your preparer needs your current address, date of birth, social insurance number, marital status and your spouse or partner’s net income, plus the same details for dependants. If you want direct deposit or if your banking has changed, bring the account details. Do not send a social insurance number or banking information through an ordinary email or a general web form; use the firm’s secure channel.

If someone else will speak to the CRA on your behalf, that person must be authorized through your CRA account or the CRA’s representative process. Ask about this before the deadline rather than during a review.

Know the deadlines before you start

For the 2025 tax year the CRA lists April 30, 2026 as the filing and payment due date for most individuals, with a June 15, 2026 filing date for self-employed individuals and their spouses or partners while the balance owing was still due April 30. Dates for the 2026 tax year follow the same pattern; check the current CRA guidance for the exact dates when you file in 2027.

Missing the filing date when you owe tax leads to a late-filing penalty and daily compound interest, so if records are incomplete it is usually better to file on time with the best information available and correct the return afterward. Use the personal tax checklist tool on this site to build a list that matches your own situation.