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Income tax quick reference

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5 min.

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Find out what you should have on your checklist for submitting your 2023 taxes.

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Did you know?

You must make your RRSP contributions in the first 60 days of the year for them to be deductible on your tax return for the year before.
You must file a federal and a provincial income tax return.
You must retain any and all supporting documents for six years.

Employment expenses

The detailed method, in summary:

Employees must have received the form or T2200 signed by their employer
Allows you to deduct expenses incurred for office supplies and a reasonable portion of your home office expenses
Eligible expenses include expenses for office supplies used within the context of your work (paper, ink, etc.) and a reasonable portion of utilities, internet access at home, rent payments for tenants (but not mortgage payments for owners) and maintenance and minor repair costs
You cannot ask for a deduction for expenses reimbursed by your employer

You will need to know the size and percentage of time you use the space for work in order to calculate the reasonable proportion for the deduction The website for the Canada Revenue Agency describes how to calculate this.

What information do you need to submit your tax return?

Employment income (T4 and RL-1)
RRSP contributions
RRSP or RRIF withdrawals (T4RSP and T4RIF)
Medical expenses (dentist, prescription drugs, eyewear, etc.)
Charitable donation receipts
Investment income (T5/RL-3, T3/RL-16, T5008/RL-18)

Political contributions (federal or provincial parties)
Union and professional dues
Federal and provincial notices of assessment from the previous year
Employment insurance (T4E)
Pension and annuity income (T4A/RL-2)
Deductible student loan interest
Deductible financial costs

Do you own or rent?

Information about a leased dwelling (Relevé 31)
Homebuyer’s credit (federal and provincial)
Home Buyer’s Plan (HBP) repayment
Declaration of sale of a home

Do you have children?

Amount transferred to an adult child for post-secondary education (provincial)
Childcare receipts (Relevé 24)
Revenu Québec advance childcare payments (Relevé 19)
QPIP Benefits (Québec Parental Insurance Plan) (Relevé 6)

For the detailed list of refundable and non-refundable tax credits, visit the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec websites.

Are you self-employed?

You can deduct your expenses and purchases as well as the amortization on your expenses. Visit the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec websites for more information.

Optimize your refund with deductions and tax credits

There are many different tax credits and deductions you can take advantage of to get the best possible tax refund. For an overview, see our article Optimizing your tax refund.

A helpful tip

It’s a good idea to prepare the tax returns for your whole family at the same time. Why? Because some deductions may not give any advantages to some people but can be transferred to another member of your family who could benefit from them.

Need help filing your taxes?

For people with a modest income and a simple tax situation who aren’t able to fill out their tax returns themselves, the Canada Revenue Agency has a team of volunteers to help. To find a volunteer near you, call 1-800-959-7383 or visit their website: Community Volunteer Income Tax Program website.