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Tax refund estimator

Enter your income and the tax already withheld on your T4 and RL-1 slips: the tool estimates whether you'll get a refund or owe a balance. To understand your pay deductions, read understanding your pay stub.

T4 box 14 / RL-1 box A

$

T4 box 22

$

RL-1 box E

$

Federal (CRA)

+$1,494 refund

Tax owed: $4,506

Quebec (Revenu Québec)

+$1,921 refund

Tax owed: $5,079

Estimated refund

$3,414

Author's note: a large refund isn't a gift — it's money you loaned interest-free to the government all year. If yours is high every year, ask your employer to adjust withholdings.

What this calculator includes

  • Tax already withheld on your slips
  • The income tax due for your situation
  • The difference: refund or balance owing
  • An estimate based on the amounts you enter

Sources and references

Revenu Québec — personal income tax returnrevenuquebec.ca
Canada Revenue Agency — income tax for individualscanada.ca

Simplified estimate based on the basic personal amount, with no additional RRSP, credits or deductions. For an exact figure, file your T1 and TP-1 returns.

Keep going

What to do next

Three useful next steps:

01 — Read

Understanding Your Pay Stub in Quebec

Decoding your pay stub: gross, net, federal and provincial deductions.

4 min · Audio · PDF
02 — Calculate

Net salary calculator

How much of your gross pay is left once taxes and deductions come off?

Free · No signup
03 — Read

Understanding GST and QST in Quebec

GST and QST explained: why the sticker price is never the price you pay in Quebec, the rates, what is taxed and how to calculate the total.

6 min · Audio · PDF

Frequently Asked Questions

Your questions about this tool

Answers to the questions readers ask most often about this calculator — what it computes, the figures used, and how to use it.

Open the full FAQ →
How does this estimator calculate my refund?+
It compares the income tax already withheld from your pay (boxes on your T4 and RL-1 slips) to the tax you actually owe for the year, calculated with the same 2026 tax engine as our net-salary calculator. If too much was withheld, you get a refund; otherwise, a balance owing.
Where do I find the amounts to enter?+
Your employment income is in box 14 of the T4 (and box A of the RL-1). Federal tax withheld is in box 22 of the T4. Quebec tax withheld is in box E of the RL-1. In Quebec, federal and provincial returns are filed separately, hence the two distinct amounts.
Why is the result only an estimate?+
The calculation applies the basic personal amount but ignores RRSP contributions, dependent credits, medical expenses, donations, tuition and other deductions. QPP, QPIP and Employment Insurance are not refundable income tax and are excluded. For an exact figure, file your returns or use certified tax software.
Why do people get a refund?+
Your employer withholds tax each pay based on an estimate. If that estimate exceeds your actual tax — often because of credits or a partial year worked — the difference is refunded to you after you file your returns.
Is my data saved?+
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser: no information is sent to or stored on our servers.