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Figures: 2026 tax year

T4 boxes 20 to 29: pension, tax deducted and earnings bases

Boxes 20 to 29 of a T4 report your registered pension plan contributions, the income tax already deducted in box 22, the earnings CPP and EI were charged on, and any exemptions.

Updated 24 July 2026 · 2 min read

These boxes explain the working behind boxes 16 and 18, and they carry the single most valuable number on the slip after box 14: the tax you already paid.

The boxes

BoxNameWhere it goes
20RPP contributionsLine 20700
22Income tax deductedLine 43700
24EI insurable earningsUsed to check box 18
26CPP/QPP pensionable earningsUsed to check boxes 16 and 16A
28Exempt: CPP/QPP, EI, PPIPExplains a zero elsewhere
29Employment codeExplains a special employment type

Box 22 is money back in your pocket

Box 22 is the income tax your employer already sent to the CRA on your behalf. It goes on line 43700 and is set against the tax your return works out. If box 22 is larger, the difference is your refund. Read tax already taken off your pay.

Box 24 and box 26 explain zeros

If box 18 looks low, check box 24. Insurable earnings stop at the yearly maximum, so EI premiums stop with them. If box 16 looks low, check box 26 for the same reason.

Where box 24 or box 26 is blank, the CRA treats the figure in box 14 as the earnings amount. A blank is not the same as a zero.

Box 28 and box 29

A tick in box 28 means you were exempt from CPP, EI or provincial parental insurance for the whole year. That is why the matching box is empty. Box 29 carries a code for a particular kind of work, such as placement agency or taxi driving. Some codes take a return outside Hypertax, and the eligibility questions will tell you.

Box 20 lowers your income

RPP contributions on line 20700 are a deduction. They come off your income before tax is worked out, so they are worth more than a credit of the same size.

Sources

Every figure and every procedure on this page was checked against the pages below on the date shown. The agencies revise these pages, so confirm anything you are about to act on.

  1. T4 slip: information for employers (opens in a new tab)canada.ca · checked 24 July 2026
  2. Line 20700 – Registered pension plan (RPP) deduction (opens in a new tab)canada.ca · checked 24 July 2026
  3. Line 43700 – Total income tax deducted (opens in a new tab)canada.ca · checked 24 July 2026
  4. CPP contribution rates, maximums and exemptions (opens in a new tab)canada.ca · checked 24 July 2026

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This article explains a form and a process. It is general information, not tax advice about your own situation, and Hypertax does not send your return to the CRA — you print it and mail it. See the not-tax-advice notice and the rest of the help centre.