Tax document checklist: what to gather for a T1 return

Before you start

• Last year’s notice of assessment, especially if you’re changing accountants
• Your social insurance number and your spouse’s or partner’s
• Any change during the year: a move, marriage, separation, birth or death
• Dates of birth of dependent children

Employment income

• T4: one for each employer during the year
• T4A: fees, scholarships and certain other income
• T4E: employment insurance benefits
• T2200, signed by your employer, if you deduct employment expenses such as a home office

Retirement and benefits

• T4A(P): Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan benefits
• T4A(OAS): Old Age Security pension
• T4A: pension from a former employer
• T4RSP and T4RIF: withdrawals from an RRSP or a RRIF
• T5007: social assistance and workers’ compensation benefits

Investments

• T5: interest and dividends
• T3: income from trusts and mutual funds
• T5008: sales of securities (shares, funds), with what you originally paid
• T5013: partnership income
• Year-end statements for non-registered accounts if you sold investments

RRSP and FHSA

• RRSP contribution receipts, including those for the first 60 days of this year
• T4FHSA: contributions to and withdrawals from a first home savings account
• Home Buyers’ Plan or Lifelong Learning Plan repayment amounts, shown on your notice of assessment

Family and home

• Child care receipts, with the provider’s name and social insurance or business number
• Support payments paid or received: the court order or agreement and the amounts
• Moving expenses if you moved for work or school
• Rent paid or property tax for the year, in provinces with a credit based on it, such as Ontario and Manitoba

Health

• Medical expense receipts: prescriptions, dental, glasses, physiotherapy. A yearly statement from your pharmacy or insurer often does the job
• Premiums you paid yourself for a private health or dental plan
• A disability tax credit certificate (T2201) if it’s new this year

Education

• T2202: tuition and months of study
• Interest paid on a government student loan

Donations and dues

• Official receipts for charitable donations and political contributions
• Union or professional dues (often already on the T4)

If you live in Quebec

Quebec residents file a second return with Revenu Québec, and most federal slips come with a Quebec relevé (RL). Send both.

• RL-1 with the T4, RL-2 with pension and RRSP slips, RL-3 with the T5, RL-16 with the T3
• RL-6: Quebec parental insurance plan benefits
• RL-8 with the T2202, RL-10 for a labour-sponsored fund
• RL-24: child care expenses
• RL-31: if you were a tenant on December 31 (solidarity tax credit)
• RL-19: advance payments of tax credits received during the year

If you are self-employed or own a rental property

Add a summary of your business income and expenses, bank statements, your vehicle log and your GST/HST returns. For a rental property: rent received per unit, property tax bills, the mortgage interest statement, insurance and receipts for repairs.

For accountants: send this checklist to your clients

This checklist is ready to use in AccountantPortal as a template, in English and French. Send it to each client with a private link: they upload each document from their phone, line by line, and reminders go out on their own until everything is in. See the full method for collecting documents.

Sources

• Canada Revenue Agency: Filing due dates for the tax return
• Canada Revenue Agency: Distribute the slips (T4 by the last day of February)
• Canada Revenue Agency: Line 20800, RRSP deduction (contribution deadline)
• Revenu Québec: Income tax return (filing with Québec and Canada)
• Revenu Québec: Filing deadline for RL slips and summaries

Official pages, last checked on November 11, 2026. Rules change: re-read them before each tax season.