What if you can’t get the tax slips you need?

Where to check for tax slips

Tax slips can come from a number of different sources—your employer, your school, your bank, your investment advisor, the government—and so they tend to arrive separately and often in different ways. Some slips may come through the mail, and others via email—or occasionally both ways. 

“It can be a lot to organize,” says Natalija Andronikova, a tax expert with TurboTax Canada. “Once they start coming in, keep them together in a file folder or a digital folder on your desktop.”

Here are some common places to find tax slips:

• CRA My Account: Many slips should appear in this centralized location, including T4s, T4As, and RRSP contribution receipts. If you don't have a CRA account yet, it's free to open one.
• Auto-fill My Return: If you use this service when filing your taxes, you can automatically fill in information from many slips.
• Online portals: Your employer, bank, financial institution, or investment advisor might have a website you can log into to find and download slips.
• Email: Sometimes, tax slip issuers send either the slips or download/login links to your email. Check your junk mail folder to see if you've missed any important messages.

One important note: make sure not to enter the same slip twice when filing your taxes.

How to get missing tax slips

So, you've looked in all the places and are still missing key slips. What do you do next? Here are some ideas.

• Contact the issuer directly: They can probably send you a replacement and help figure out why you didn't get the first one they sent (for example, maybe your mailing address is outdated).
• Call the CRA: For certain forms, such as the T4, the CRA should have received its own copy. If nothing else, it can give you the correct figures to enter into your tax return.

Be sure to keep records of any requests, and to check that each issuer (and the CRA) has your correct mailing and email addresses for the future.

What to do if the tax deadline is close

Let's say life got overwhelming and you're filing right at the deadline. You discover you're missing forms. There's no need for panic. Here are some key steps to help you file on time:

1. Check your CRA My Account to see if any slips or forms have been uploaded there.
2. Use pay stubs, year-end summaries or other available information to estimate your income, deductions, and other key amounts.
3. File your taxes with the information you have, and include a note to the CRA about any missing forms. (Submit a file online through your CRA account or attach a note to your paper return.) Include the issuer's name and address, the type of income (or other category), and the action you're taking to get the slip.
4. Once you receive your slips, check them against your tax return. If necessary, correct the return.

Missing tax slips or not, filing on time should be the priority. “The best way to avoid penalties and fees is to file and pay on time,” says Andronikova. “You can complete your tax return without your T4 slip.” File with the information you have, supplemented by estimates, and correct your tax return later if necessary.

Remember that there are many reasons to file and pay your taxes on time. If you owe, you'll avoid late-filing penalties and interest. And whether or not you have a balance owing, you'll ensure you keep getting any benefit payments you're entitled to.

Watch out for tax slip scams

While we're thinking about tax slips, it's worth thinking about potential tax scams, too. Watch for things like fake T4 emails or fraudulent texts “from the CRA” about upcoming refunds. Don't click links you aren't sure you can trust, and don't give out personal information to callers claiming to be from the CRA or your bank. Instead, contact organizations directly, check your CRA My Account to verify information, and make any payments through verified channels such as your bank's app.

Missing tax slips aren't a catastrophe

It's annoying to not have all your tax slips on hand when you're ready to file your taxes, but it's not the end of the world—and it doesn't have to mean late tax filing. Check your email and your CRA My Account, contact the issuer or the CRA and, if you need to, estimate the numbers you're looking for. With a little legwork, you can meet the tax deadline with time to spare.