How to Read Your Canadian Pay Stub

A line-by-line guide to understanding your Canadian pay stub. Learn what each deduction means — federal tax, provincial tax, CPP, EI, and more.

Common Pay Stub Lines

• Gross Pay: Your total earnings before any deductions.
• Federal Tax: Income tax withheld for the federal government based on your TD1 form.
• Provincial Tax: Income tax for your province of residence.
• CPP/QPP: Canada (or Quebec) Pension Plan contributions.
• EI/QPIP: Employment Insurance premiums (or Quebec Parental Insurance).
• RRSP: Employer-matched or employee contributions to a group RRSP.
• Union Dues: Deducted if you're in a unionized workplace.
• Net Pay: What you actually receive — gross pay minus all deductions.

Your employer must provide a pay stub with every payment showing all deductions. Keep these for your records and tax filing.