Tax season can feel straightforward when you have a T4 slip and a few receipts ready to go. But an accurate personal tax return depends on more than entering the numbers from your employer.

A missing investment slip, a duplicate entry, or an overlooked receipt can affect your tax balance and create extra work later. For individuals and families across Alberta, getting organized before filing can make the process easier and help ensure your return reflects your complete financial picture.

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Understand Where Your T4 Fits In

Your employer prepares a T4 slip to report your employment income and payroll deductions for the year. As an employee, you use that information to complete your personal income tax return. Preparing and submitting T4 slips as an employer is a separate responsibility.

Some common T4 boxes include:

- Box 14: Employment income.

- Box 16: Canada Pension Plan contributions.

- Box 16A: Second CPP contributions, where applicable.

- **Box 18: Employment Insurance premiums.

- **Box 22: Income tax deducted.

- **Box 44: Union dues.

Check the tax year, your personal information, and the amounts reported. If something looks incorrect, contact your employer before filing.

Be careful with the “Other information” section. Certain taxable benefits are shown to be already included in Box 14. Adding them to your income a second time can overstate your earnings.

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Gather Documents From Every Income Source

Your main job may account for most of your income, but it may not be the whole picture. If you changed employers, worked a seasonal position or had more than one job, check that you have the relevant slips from each employer.

Other documents you may need include:

Documents and What it may report

T4A pension, retirement, annuity, or other income, depending on the payment

T4E Employment Insurance and Other Benefits

T4A(P) and T4A(OAS) CPP and Old Age Security benefits

T5 Investment income, such as interest and dividends

T3 Trust income allocations, including certain investment distributions

T4RSP or T4RIF withdrawals or income from registered retirement plans

T2202 Eligible tuition and enrollment information

Not every slip arrives at the same time. Most T4, T4A, and T5 slips are sent by the end of February, while some slips, including T3 and T5013 slips, may arrive near the end of March.

Create a checklist based on your employers, investments, and other income sources so you know what you are still waiting for.

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Use CRA Information as a Cross-Check

our CRA account can help you locate slips that issuers have submitted. Auto-fill My Return can also import available information into compatible tax software.

However, an imported return still needs a careful review. The CRA may not have received every slip when you access the service, and receipts for expenses such as child care or medical costs generally need to be added separately.

Compare imported information with your own records. If you enter a slip manually and later import it, check that it appears only once.

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Organize Receipts Alongside Your Slips

Income slips are only one part of preparing your return. Set aside receipts and supporting records for potential deductions and credits, including:

- RRSP contributions.

- Charitable donations.

- Medical expenses.

- Child care expenses.

- Tuition and education information.

- Professional or union dues.

- Other expenses you would like your accountant to review.

Having a receipt does not automatically make an expense deductible. Use this folder to flag potential claims for review and confirm which rules apply to your circumstances.

Separate documents by tax year and label them clearly. For RRSP receipts in particular, distinguish contributions made during the calendar year from those made in the first 60 days of the following year.

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Tell Your Accountant What Changed

A stack of slips does not always explain what happened during your year.

Along with your documents, provide a short summary of changes such as starting a business, earning rental income, selling investments, moving, retiring, or changing your family situation. Let your accountant know about income earned outside your regular employment, even if you did not receive a slip.

For Alberta households, a useful preparation habit is to keep a shared checklist while maintaining a separate document folder for each person. This makes it easier to identify whose slip or receipt you are reviewing and which documents are still missing.

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Address Missing or Incorrect Slips Early

If a slip has not arrived, contact the employer, financial institution, or other issuer. You can also check whether a copy is available through your CRA account.

A missing slip should not simply be left out of your return. If you cannot obtain it before you need to file, CRA guidance allows you toestimate the income and related amounts using pay statements or financial records. Keep the calculations and details of your efforts to obtain the slip.Paper returns require the supporting copies and explanatory note described by the CRA; electronic filers should retain those records.

If an amount appears incorrect, ask the issuer to review it and discuss the next step with your accountant.

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Review Your Return Before Filing

Before authorizing your return, take a few minutes to review the overall picture:

• Have all expected slips been included?
• Are any slips entered twice?
• Have you provided receipts for potential claims?
• Have you explained any significant changes during the year?
• Do the income and tax deducted amounts look reasonable?

Ask about anything you do not understand. A brief conversation before filing can help resolve questions while your documents are still in front of you.

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Keep Your Records After Tax Season

Filing your return does not mean you can discard the paperwork. The CRA generally requires tax records to be kept for at least six years, and some circumstances require longer retention.

Keep your slips, receipts, supporting calculations, filed return, and notices of assessment or reassessment together. Electronic filing does not remove the need to retain supporting documents.

If you discover a missing slip or error after filing, wait until you receive your notice of assessment before requesting a change. Depending on your circumstances, corrections may be available through Change my return, ReFILE, or a mailed adjustment request. Do not submit a second original return to correct the first one.

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Make Personal Tax Filing Easier With Stoutenberg &Company

Accurate tax filing starts with organized records and a clear understanding of what needs to be reported. Whether you have one T4 or several sources of income, preparing your documents early gives you time to address questions and review your potential claims.

Stoutenberg & Company can help you make sense of your tax documents and prepare your personal income tax return with confidence.

Contact Stoutenberg & Company to get started with your personal tax preparation.