What Is a T4A Slip in Canada and When Do You Get One?

You may expect one tax slip from every job, then suddenly find a T4A in your CRA account or inbox and wonder whether you missed something important. That is a very normal reaction, especially if you are a student who received a scholarship, did freelance work on the side, got an RESP payment, or started drawing money from a retirement account. A T4A is not automatically bad news, and it does not always mean you owe more tax. It is simply a record of certain payments you received outside a regular employee paycheque.

The important part is understanding why you received it, which box contains the amount, and where that amount belongs on your return. Once you know that, filing becomes much less intimidating—and you are less likely to leave money, credits, or a refund on the table.

Quick answer: A T4A slip is a Canadian tax slip that reports payments such as scholarships, bursaries, RESP educational assistance payments, pension income, commissions, and some self-employment fees. You usually receive it by the end of February after the tax year, then use the amounts in its numbered boxes to prepare your income tax return.

What is a T4A slip in Canada?

A T4A slip is a tax form that reports several types of income that are not usually shown on a regular T4 employment slip. Your employer gives you a T4 for wages, salary, CPP contributions, and tax deducted from a job. A T4A, officially called the Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income, comes from an institution, school, government program, former employer, or client that paid you a different kind of amount.

For people in their late teens and twenties, the most common T4A situations are scholarships, bursaries, research grants, RESP withdrawals for school, honorariums, and freelance or contract fees. For example, a university may issue a T4A showing a $3,000 bursary in box 105. If your parents withdraw money from a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and $4,500 of it is an educational assistance payment, you may receive a T4A for that $4,500.

A T4A can also report pension payments, Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) withdrawals in specific situations, death benefits, and commissions. The form itself does not decide your tax bill. The type of payment and the box number determine whether the amount is taxable, exempt, or eligible for a deduction.

When do you get a T4A slip?

You get a T4A slip when an organization paid you a reportable type of non-employment income during the previous calendar year. The issuer generally has to send your copy and file it with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) by the last day of February. If that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

For the 2025 tax year, for example, many T4A slips would be available by March 2, 2026, because February 28, 2026 falls on a Saturday. You may receive it by mail, email, through your student portal, or directly in your CRA My Account. Do not assume it will arrive with your T4; schools and financial institutions often release slips at different times.

Common reasons you may receive a T4A include:

• You received a scholarship, bursary, fellowship, or research grant from a college, university, or program.
• You received RESP educational assistance payments while attending school.
• You earned fees, commissions, or an honorarium as a contractor, speaker, tutor, or gig worker.
• You received money from a pension, annuity, RRSP, Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF), or Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).
• You received a one-time payment from a former employer or another organization.

A $700 freelance design payment from a local business can trigger a T4A, while your $700 shift-work pay from a café belongs on a T4. If you are mixing jobs, school, and side income, keep a simple record of every payer. It is one of the easiest ways to avoid tax-time surprises and one of the money mistakes Canadian students can avoid.

Quick tip: Check CRA My Account before filing your return, but still compare its slips with your own records—an issuer can send or correct a T4A after the first version appears online.

Is the income on a T4A always taxable?

No, income shown on a T4A is not always taxable, because the tax treatment depends on the specific payment and box number. This is why you should never see a T4A amount and immediately assume you owe tax on all of it.

Scholarships, fellowships, and bursaries reported in box 105 are often tax-exempt when you are enrolled in an eligible program at a designated educational institution. For many full-time students, that means a $5,000 bursary can appear on a T4A but not increase taxable income. Part-time students may also qualify for an exemption for scholarship and bursary income connected to their program, although the rules can be more limited depending on the payment and education expenses.

RESP educational assistance payments are different. The amount shown on your T4A for an RESP payment is generally taxable to you, the student beneficiary. That can still be a good deal because students often have low income and may pay little or no federal tax after using credits such as the basic personal amount. Read what the basic personal amount is and how it lowers your taxes to understand why taxable income does not always equal tax owing.

Fees for services, commissions, and honorariums are generally taxable. If you made $2,000 creating social media content, tutoring, or doing photography as a contractor, report the income even if tax was not taken off first. You may be able to deduct reasonable business expenses, such as a portion of supplies, software, or mileage, if they were genuinely used to earn that income.

How do you report a T4A on your Canadian tax return?

You report a T4A by entering each amount using the box number shown on the slip, either through tax software or with help from a tax preparer. Most Canadian tax software, including Wealthsimple Tax, guides you through this by asking what type of T4A you have and prompting you to enter the relevant boxes.

Start by checking the payer’s name, your SIN, and every populated box. Then enter the slip exactly as it appears. Do not combine every number into one “other income” total unless your software specifically tells you to. A box 105 scholarship, a box 042 RESP educational assistance payment, and a box 048 fee-for-service amount can have different places on your return and different tax results.

If you have a box 048 amount for self-employed commissions or fees, you may also need to complete Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities. This is where you report your income and eligible expenses. Keep receipts and records for at least six years in case the CRA asks questions later.

You should file even if the amount seems small. Filing can help you receive GST/HST credit payments, provincial benefits, or the Canada Workers Benefit if you qualify. It also creates RRSP contribution room based on earned income, though scholarship money and RESP educational assistance payments do not create RRSP room. If you are setting money aside from side income, a high-interest account can keep it accessible; compare options in this guide to high-interest savings accounts in Canada.

What should you do if your T4A is missing or wrong?

If your T4A is missing or incorrect, contact the organization that issued it and ask for a copy or an amended slip. The CRA cannot usually fix an issuer’s reporting error for you, so the school, bank, RESP provider, client, or former employer needs to correct the form and submit the update.

Do not make up numbers just because a slip has not arrived. Check your email spam folder, student account, online banking documents, and CRA My Account first. If you know you received reportable income but still cannot get the slip before your filing deadline, you can generally report the income using your own records and keep proof of the amount. Add a note in your records explaining what happened.

If a T4A overstates what you received—for example, it says $6,000 but you received $4,000—do not ignore it. Ask for a corrected T4A, sometimes called an amended slip. Once corrected information reaches the CRA, your tax return may need an adjustment too. Taking screenshots of payment confirmations and keeping bank statements makes this process much easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a T4A the same as a T4 slip?

No, a T4A is not the same as a T4 slip. A T4 reports employment income from a job, including income tax, CPP, and EI deductions, while a T4A reports other payments such as scholarships, RESP educational assistance payments, pensions, honorariums, and some contract fees. You can receive both slips in the same tax year.

Do I have to report a T4A on my tax return?

Yes, you should report every T4A you receive on your Canadian tax return. Some amounts, such as eligible scholarships or bursaries, may be exempt from tax, but they still need to be entered correctly so your tax software and the CRA can apply the right rules. Skipping a slip can lead to a CRA review or reassessment.

Is a scholarship on a T4A taxable in Canada?

A scholarship on a T4A is often tax-free if it qualifies for the scholarship exemption and you are enrolled in an eligible educational program. The amount is commonly reported in box 105, but the exact tax treatment depends on your student status and the nature of the award. Enter the slip in your tax software rather than assuming you should leave it off.

Why did I get a T4A for my RESP withdrawal?

You got a T4A for your RESP withdrawal because the educational assistance payment portion is generally taxable income to the student beneficiary. Your own original contributions are not taxable when withdrawn, but grants, investment growth, and certain incentives paid as educational assistance are. Students often pay little tax on these amounts if their total income is low.

What happens if I do not receive my T4A by the end of February?

If you do not receive your T4A by the end of February, first check CRA My Account, your email, and the issuer’s online portal. If it is still missing, contact the payer and request a copy. You are still responsible for reporting income you received, so use your records if necessary and keep documentation showing how you calculated the amount.

Ready to stop reading and start practising? Finnav is a free guided money app for Canadian students and new grads. Daily 5-minute missions. No jargon. No spreadsheets.