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Guides to donations, tax and borrowing in Canada
Start with giving and potential tax credits. Explore supporting tax, borrowing and everyday-money questions when you need them.
- 19 guides
- Official sources cited
- For education only
01 / 6 guides
Giving
Donation credits, receipts, claims and how to check a charity.
Guide 01
How donation tax credits work in Canada
Learn how the federal and provincial donation credits are worked out, how the $200 tiers work, and why the credit you can use may be smaller.
Guide 02
Donation credits vs. deductions vs. refunds
See why a personal donation claim is a non-refundable credit, how it can still change your refund, and why the gift still costs money.
Guide 03
Eligible donations and official receipts
Check who can issue a receipt, which amount to claim and what an official receipt must show before you enter a donation in a calculator.
Guide 04
When to claim donations in Canada
Learn the 75% of net income limit, the five-year carryforward, claiming a spouse's gifts and the records that stop you claiming a gift twice.
Guide 05
Giving to charity before December 31
Make a gift count on this year's return: the December 31 deadline, combining gifts with a partner, monthly giving and the receipts to keep.
Guide 06
Registered charity vs. non-profit in Canada
Learn the difference between registered charities and non-profits, look a charity up in official records and check who is behind a donation link.
02 / 9 guides
Tax foundations
How income tax, brackets, credits and your slips fit together.
Guide 01
Canadian tax documents: a beginner’s guide
Sort your income slips, receipts and donation records, and see which of them a simple employment-income tax estimate can use.
Guide 02
How income tax works in Canada
Follow a personal tax return from income and deductions to federal and provincial tax, credits, payments and your final refund or balance owing.
Guide 03
How Canadian tax brackets actually work
Worked 2025 and 2026 federal examples show why moving into a higher bracket only raises the rate on the income above the line.
Guide 04
Why tax refunds happen
See how the tax taken off your pay, instalments and credits compare with your final tax bill to give a refund or a balance owing.
Guide 05
Deductions vs. tax credits
Learn how a deduction lowers your taxable income while a credit lowers the tax itself, using simple made-up numbers to compare them.
Guide 06
Understanding your T4
Find your employment income and tax deducted on a T4, add up more than one T4 correctly, and see what our tax refund calculator leaves out.
Guide 07
Understanding your T4A
A T4A can report very different kinds of income. Learn why the box number and the type of payment matter more than the name of the slip.
Guide 08
How RRSP contributions affect taxes
Learn the difference between contributing to an RRSP and claiming the deduction, check your room, and see why the saving isn't a refund.
Guide 09
What is a marginal tax rate?
Learn the difference between the tax rate on your next dollar and your average tax rate, and when a single rate is too simple.
03 / 4 guides
Borrowing and spending
Mortgages, vehicle financing and the sales taxes on everyday purchases.
Guide 01
GST vs. HST vs. PST in Canada
Learn how GST, HST and the provincial sales taxes fit together, and how to take sales tax out of a total that already includes it.
Guide 02
How mortgage payments work in Canada
Learn what principal, interest, payment frequency and Canadian semi-annual compounding mean for your mortgage payment.
Guide 03
How mortgage amortization works
See why your balance shrinks slowly at first, how amortization differs from your term, and what a longer amortization changes.
Guide 04
Financing a vehicle for gig work in Canada
Keep vehicle financing and business deductions apart, track personal and work driving, and see why the whole car payment isn't an expense.
Put it into numbers
Try the calculators with your own numbers
Every guide points to a matching calculator, so you can test the idea with your own figures.