My T4 is missing. Should I wait to file my taxes?

Arsen Accounting Services · Question 102 · Sources checked October 29, 2026

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A missing T4 does not automatically extend your filing deadline. Contact the employer, check your CRA account, and gather payroll records early enough to work out a supported filing approach. The objective is to report the income accurately while managing the deadline.

Reconstruct the missing information

CRA instructs taxpayers who cannot obtain a slip by the due date to use available pay stubs to estimate income and related deductions. Keep an explanation of the missing slip, the payer, and the steps taken to obtain it. Electronic filers retain their supporting documents rather than attaching them to the return.

Your last pay statement may show useful year-to-date totals, but check whether it covers the entire year. Bonuses, taxable benefits, payments after termination, and payroll corrections can make the final T4 different from an earlier statement.

Official guidance: [1].

Avoid reporting the same wages twice

Suppose you file using supported payroll totals and later receive the T4. Compare its boxes with what was filed. Do not simply add the new slip as another job: it may represent exactly the income already reported. Prepare a reconciliation showing any actual difference.

What to send your preparer

• The employer's legal name and your employment dates.
• Your final pay statement and any later payroll adjustments.
• Copies of requests for the missing slip.
• A list of amounts already included in the draft return.

Agree on which figures are estimates and how they will be checked when the slip arrives. If payroll deductions are uncertain, flag that uncertainty explicitly; do not assume the net amount deposited into your bank account is gross employment income. After assessment, a genuine difference may require a return adjustment.