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Methodology & sources

Where the 2026 rates come from

Federal brackets, the basic personal amount and the Canada employment amount: Canada Revenue Agency, “Canadian income tax rates for individuals — current and previous years” and the CRA indexation announcement for 2026. Payroll rates and maximums (CPP, CPP2, EI): CRA payroll deductions formulas T4127 and tables T4032 for 2026. Provincial and territorial brackets and basic personal amounts: CRA provincial/territorial tax pages and provincial finance ministries. Quebec pension and parental plan rates (QPP, QPIP): Retraite Québec and Revenu Québec. Mortgage insurance premiums: CMHC premium tables. Stress test (minimum qualifying rate): OSFI Guideline B-20 and the Department of Finance rules for insured mortgages. RRSP/TFSA limits: CRA registered plans limits table. Rates on this page were verified for the 2026 tax year in November 2026.

How the tax engine calculates

  1. Payroll deductions first: CPP at 5.95% of pensionable earnings between the $3,500 exemption and the $74,600 YMPE (maximum $4,230.45), plus CPP2 at 4% between $74,600 and $85,000 (maximum $416); EI at 1.63% to $68,900 of insurable earnings (maximum $1,123.07). Quebec: QPP 6.30% (maximum $4,479.30) plus QPP2, EI at the reduced 1.30% rate, and QPIP at 0.430% to $103,000.
  2. Taxable income = income − your deductions (e.g. RRSP) − the enhanced portion of CPP/QPP contributions, which is deductible (the base portion earns a credit instead).
  3. Federal and provincial bracket tax is calculated slice by slice, then non-refundable credits (basic personal amount, Canada employment amount, base CPP/QPP and EI/QPIP amounts) are subtracted at each jurisdiction’s lowest rate. Quebec residents receive the 16.5% federal abatement. Ontario adds its surtax (20% of Ontario tax over $5,818 plus 36% over $7,446) and the Ontario Health Premium.

What the engine leaves out

Basic credits only. Not modelled: age and pension amounts, tuition, medical and charitable credits, Ontario’s low-income tax reduction (LIFT), BC’s tax reduction credit, Manitoba’s basic personal amount phase-down at very high incomes, income splitting, capital gains and dividend gross-ups, and employer-specific deductions. Results are estimates for planning; your Notice of Assessment is the official figure.

Corrections

Found a rate that looks wrong? Email [email protected] with the CRA page you are looking at — accuracy is the whole product, and verified corrections are made promptly.