After Tax Canada / Tax refundVersion française
Tax refund calculator (2026)
A refund is the difference between what was withheld from your pay and what you actually owe. Enter your income and the total withheld in 2026 to see your refund, or your balance owing, for every province.
Your total employment income for the year, before tax. The calculator assumes this is your only income: other income changes the tax you owe, and the refund with it.
Everything deducted from your paycheques in 2026, not income tax alone: income tax + CPP/QPP + EI (+ QPIP in Quebec). Add T4 boxes 22 + 16 (+ 16A) + 18 (+ 55 in Quebec), or 17 (+ 17A) in Quebec. In Quebec, the provincial tax withheld is on your RL-1, not on the T4: add it to the T4 boxes.
Ontario · 2026
Your refund
$1,926$1,926 back on $20,000 withheld
Effective tax rate on your income: 24.1%
What you owe
| Federal income tax | $8,259 |
| Provincial income tax | $4,446 |
| CPP | $4,246 |
| EI premiums | $1,123 |
| Total tax owed | $18,074 |
| Total withheld from your pay | $20,000 |
| Your refund | $1,926 |
Your employer withholds tax as if your pay ran all year at the same rate, so the amount withheld and the tax you actually owe rarely match. The refund (or balance owing) is the difference between the two totals above.
Why refunds happen
Payroll withholds tax on each paycheque as if you earned that pay all year, so any change during the year moves the result: a raise partway through the year, a job change, unpaid leave, or RRSP contributions made outside payroll all leave the withheld amount above or below the tax on the year's actual income. A refund is the excess coming back, not free money: it is tax you already paid.
How the refund works
File your return and the CRA (and Revenu Quebec, in Quebec) compares the tax withheld against the tax on your total income for the year, after credits. If you withheld more than you owe, the excess comes back as a refund. If you withheld less, the shortfall is a balance owing, due April 30. This calculator uses the 2026 brackets and the standard credits the engine models, and it assumes the income above is your only income: other income, and credits beyond the standard ones (donations, medical expenses, tuition, pension and age amounts), change the result.
Make your take-home work harder
Your paycheque is only half the story. These are the account types Canadians use to put after-tax money to work. What follows is factual information, not financial advice.
High-interest savings account
A savings account that pays a higher rate than a chequing account. Money stays liquid and earns interest while you keep it.
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Investment account
An account for buying investments such as ETFs and stocks. It can be registered (TFSA, RRSP, FHSA) or non-registered.
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Bank account
A chequing account for daily spending and bill payments, often bundled with savings and credit products.
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Disclosure: if partner offers are listed here in the future, they will be clearly labelled, and we may earn a commission. Account descriptions are factual information, not financial advice.
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Worked examples: 2026
| Income · province | Withheld | Tax owed | Refund / owing |
|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 · ON | $20,000 | $18,074 | $1,926 refund |
| $75,000 · ON | $15,000 | $18,074 | $3,074 owing |
| $75,000 · QC | $22,000 | $20,658 | $1,342 refund |
| $100,000 · BC | $25,000 | $24,627 | $373 refund |
| $60,000 · AB | $12,000 | $12,309 | $309 owing |
2026 tax tables · verified 2026-09-20 · how we calculate
FAQ
How much tax refund will I get on a $75,000 income?
In 2026, on a $75,000 Ontario income with $20,000 withheld from pay, you get a $1,926 refund. The tax owed is $18,074 ($8,259 federal + $4,446 provincial income tax + $4,246 CPP + $1,123 EI), so $20,000 withheld minus $18,074 owed leaves $1,926.
How does a tax refund work in Canada?
Your employer withholds tax from every paycheque and sends it to the CRA (and Revenu Quebec, in Quebec) during the year. When you file your return, the CRA compares the total withheld against the tax on your total income for the year, after credits. If you withheld more than you owe, the excess comes back as a refund. If you withheld less, the shortfall is a balance owing, due April 30. This calculator does the same comparison for one employment income: enter the income and the total withheld, and it shows the refund or the balance owing.
Where do I find the total tax withheld from my pay?
Add the boxes on your T4 slip: box 22 (income tax deducted) + box 16 (CPP contributions) + box 16A (CPP2, if any) + box 18 (EI premiums). In Quebec, use box 17 (+ 17A) for QPP instead of box 16, add box 55 for QPIP premiums, and add the provincial tax withheld on your RL-1: box 22 on the T4 covers federal tax only in Quebec. Before you have a T4, your last pay stub of the year shows the same year-to-date totals.
Why would I get a refund?
Payroll withholds tax on each paycheque as if you earned that pay all year, so any change during the year moves the result. The common reasons are a raise partway through the year, a job change, unpaid leave, or RRSP contributions made outside payroll: each leaves the withheld amount above the tax on the year's actual income. A refund is the excess coming back, not free money: it is tax you already paid.
What if I owe money instead of getting a refund?
On a $75,000 Ontario income with only $15,000 withheld, the tax owed is still $18,074, so you owe $3,074 when you file. A balance owing is due April 30, and interest starts May 1. If you owe more than $3,000 for the year, and you also owed more than $3,000 in either of the two previous years, the CRA may ask you to pay by instalments next year.
How is the refund different in Quebec?
Quebec's higher provincial brackets mean more tax owed on the same income: on a $75,000 income with $22,000 withheld, the tax owed is $20,658 in Quebec ($6,856 federal + $8,088 provincial + $4,495 QPP + $896 EI + $323 QPIP) versus $18,074 in Ontario, so the refund is $1,342 instead of $3,926, an effective tax rate of 27.5% instead of 24.1%.
Does the calculator include tax credits like donations or medical expenses?
No. It uses the 2026 brackets and the standard credits the engine models, and it assumes the income entered is your only income. Credits beyond the standard ones (donations, medical expenses, tuition, pension and age amounts) lower the tax you owe, so they raise the refund. Other income has the opposite effect. Use the donation calculator on this site for the donation credit, and treat this refund as the payroll-withholding comparison only.