Published by Beaver Ledger · Edited
T4 slips for recent tax years. Unusual codes, work outside Canada and other income need more than this guide covers.
The question
Which T4 boxes belong in an employment-tax estimate?
Box 14 is your employment income and box 22 is the income tax taken off your pay. They answer different questions: box 14 helps decide how much tax you owe, and box 22 is what you've already paid toward it.
Box 14 isn't your take-home pay
Your pay after deductions is lower than box 14. CPP or QPP contributions, EI premiums and other deductions also come off each paycheque. They have their own boxes: 16 and 17 for CPP and QPP, and 18 for EI.
Example: two jobs in one year
Say one T4 shows $42,000 in box 14 and $6,000 in box 22, and another shows $8,000 and $1,000. For a simple employment estimate, enter $50,000 of income and $7,000 of tax deducted. Don't add CPP or EI to the $7,000; they aren't income tax.
Those totals don't tell you your refund on their own. Your return still has to include all your income, deductions and credits.
Check the slip first
Make sure it's for the right year, has your details, and hasn't been replaced by an amended slip. If a number looks wrong, ask your employer to correct it. If box 22 is missing, don't guess what payroll took off.
What our calculator does with a T4
Nothing automatically: you type in the figures, and nothing is uploaded or read from your slip. The model leaves out CPP and EI credits and many provincial adjustments, so its result can be quite different from filing software. Entering T4 figures doesn't make it a full return.
- Gather every slip you received.
- Read income and tax deducted separately.
- Check for other income and read what the calculator leaves out.
Sources checked for this editorial revision on October 17, 2026. Educational content from Beaver Ledger; no professional review is claimed. Methods and limitations · Editorial practices and corrections.