# Canadian tax guides: how it works and how to file > Plain guides to Canadian income tax, filing, sales tax, self-employment and savings accounts, with the numbers and sources behind each one These guides explain how Canadian taxes work, one topic at a time: how income tax is worked out, how to file a return, how sales tax is split between Ottawa and the provinces, self-employment, and accounts like the RRSP, TFSA and FHSA. Each uses 2026 figures and names the official source behind its numbers. Not sure where to begin? Read the guide to how Canadian income tax works first. The gap between your marginal rate and your average rate comes up in nearly every other guide. Close to the deadline? Go straight to the filing guide. Working for yourself, or thinking about it? There is a guide for the day nobody withholds your tax any more. Every guide links on to the calculators and articles behind it, so you can read how a rule works and then try it on your own numbers. Nothing you type leaves your browser, and there is nothing to sign up for. Each guide covers the rule, the forms and dates that go with it, and what to ask if your own case is a bit unusual. We don't prepare or file returns here. This is a place to understand your taxes, not to hand them over. ## Which articles do people read most? - [Types of taxes in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/articles/types-of-taxes-in-canada)Income, sales and property tax have different collectors, and this shows who charges what. - [Tax credits in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/articles/tax-credits)A credit cuts your bill by 14% federally, while a deduction saves your top rate. - [Marginal tax rate in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/articles/marginal-tax)What your next dollar costs, set beside your average rate, with examples for Ontario, BC and Nova Scotia. - [Filing a tax return in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/articles/tax-return-canada)The dates, the papers to gather and a refund example on $75,000. - [Tax help in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/articles/tax-help)Free clinics, CRA chat and phone help, or a paid preparer, and what to ask first. ## Which Canadian tax guides are there? - [How Canadian income tax works](https://tax-services.ca/guides/how-canadian-taxes-work)Federal and provincial tax, and the gap between your marginal rate and your average rate. - [How to file your tax return](https://tax-services.ca/guides/file-your-taxes)What to gather, when it's due, and what happens after you send it. - [GST, HST, PST and QST](https://tax-services.ca/guides/gst-hst-pst)Who charges which tax, and when a business must register. - [Self-employed and small business](https://tax-services.ca/guides/self-employed-and-small-business)What changes when nobody withholds your tax. - [How to choose a tax preparer](https://tax-services.ca/guides/choose-a-tax-preparer)When to file yourself, what to ask a preparer, and what a fee should cover. - [RRSP, TFSA, FHSA and retirement income](https://tax-services.ca/guides/savings-and-retirement)How the accounts differ, and what comes out of them. - [Tax credits and government benefits](https://tax-services.ca/guides/benefits-and-credits)What lowers your tax and what gets paid to you. - [Property and tax](https://tax-services.ca/guides/property-and-tax)Buying, owning, renting out and selling. - [Dealing with the CRA](https://tax-services.ca/guides/dealing-with-cra)Letters, reviews and what to do if you owe. - [RRSP guide](https://tax-services.ca/rrsp)Limits and deadlines. - [CPP guide](https://tax-services.ca/cpp)What you pay in and what you get out. - [Taxes by province and territory](https://tax-services.ca/provinces)What's different where you live. Nobody needs to read all of these. Every guide points to the next step, so you can stop once your question is answered. Most people read two or three, and some only need a paragraph. ## Which guide should you read first? The one that matches what is sitting on your desk. Got a T4 and no idea what to do with it? Start with the [filing guide](https://tax-services.ca/guides/file-your-taxes). Just landed from abroad? The [new to Canada page](https://tax-services.ca/life-events/new-to-canada) covers the first-year surprises. Living on a modest income and wondering what you might be owed? The benefits and credits guide covers payments like the GST/HST credit, which became the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit in July 2026. If none of those fits, read the income tax guide. The other guides lean on it, and its ideas, like brackets and credits, come back in each of them. ## Where do I find a tax limit or a filing date? The [limits and rates page](https://tax-services.ca/tax-numbers) has the figures people look up most, like this year's RRSP limit and the federal brackets, with the source printed next to each. The [tax calendar](https://tax-services.ca/tax-calendar) has the dates. For most people, filing and paying are both due April 30. If you or your spouse is self-employed, the filing date is June 15, but any tax owing is still due April 30, as the [CRA's due dates page](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/important-dates-individuals.html) sets out. If you would rather start from what is happening to you, the [life events pages](https://tax-services.ca/life-events) cover a new job, a baby or a move, and the [checklists](https://tax-services.ca/checklists) print on one sheet. When a word stops you mid-sentence, the [glossary](https://tax-services.ca/glossary) explains it in a line or two. Prefer to work it out rather than read about it? The [calculators](https://tax-services.ca/calculators) are 118 free tools in 12 topic hubs, covering pay, income tax, sales tax, mortgages and savings for every province. ## Who publishes these guides, and can you rely on them? We're an independent publisher. We don't prepare or file tax returns, and we can't advise on your own situation because we've never seen it. The figures come from the CRA, Revenu Québec and provincial pages, and the [how we check rates](https://tax-services.ca/how-we-check-rates) page describes the routine. Where a page here and an official source differ, the official source is the reference. Tax rules change and rates get indexed, so a page that was right in January can be a little off by autumn. That is why every page shows the date it was last checked and the source behind each figure. The [editorial team page](https://tax-services.ca/editorial-team) explains who writes and checks all of this. ## Prefer to start with a topic? - [Hiring help and paying staff in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/hiring-and-paying-staff)Nannies, payroll deductions, remittances, vacation and holiday pay in one place. - [Buying a home in Canada: the taxes and costs](https://tax-services.ca/buying-a-home-costs-and-taxes)Down payment, mortgage insurance, closing costs, transfer tax and the first-time buyer programs. - [Retirement income and benefits in Canada](https://tax-services.ca/retirement-income-and-benefits)CPP, OAS, RRSP, TFSA and how each is taxed when you stop working. ## Quick lookup tools - [Is it taxable?](https://tax-services.ca/is-it-taxable) Quick answers for common income and payments. - [Tax slips decoder](https://tax-services.ca/tax-slips-decoder) What each T-slip reports and who sends it. - [CRA letters decoder](https://tax-services.ca/cra-letters-decoder) What a CRA letter means and what to do. - [What changed in 2026](https://tax-services.ca/whats-new-2026) The short list. [CRA scams: how to spot a fake call, text or email](https://tax-services.ca/cra-scams) ## More quick answers - [Canadian tax brackets for 2026](https://tax-services.ca/canada-tax-brackets) - [How often to file GST/HST](https://tax-services.ca/gst-hst-filing-frequency) - [When will I get my tax refund?](https://tax-services.ca/when-will-i-get-my-tax-refund) - [Canada Child Benefit payment dates](https://tax-services.ca/canada-child-benefit-payment-dates) - [Groceries and Essentials Benefit dates](https://tax-services.ca/canada-groceries-essentials-benefit-payment-dates) - [Lost or missing tax slip](https://tax-services.ca/lost-tax-slip-what-to-do) - [Got a letter from the CRA](https://tax-services.ca/received-cra-letter-what-to-do) - [Missed the filing deadline](https://tax-services.ca/missed-tax-filing-deadline) - [Mistake on your return](https://tax-services.ca/mistake-on-tax-return-how-to-fix) - [Which calculator do I need?](https://tax-services.ca/which-calculator-do-i-need) ## First return, take-home pay and Quebec - [Filing your first tax return](https://tax-services.ca/first-time-tax-return-canada) - [Take-home pay by province and salary](https://tax-services.ca/take-home-pay-by-province) - [Quebec taxes explained](https://tax-services.ca/quebec-taxes) ## Planning and money questions - [Year-end tax planning: the 2026 checklist](https://tax-services.ca/year-end-tax-planning-canada) - [FHSA or RRSP: which one for your first home?](https://tax-services.ca/fhsa-vs-rrsp-canada) - [Which benefits might you qualify for?](https://tax-services.ca/benefits-finder) - [Where are taxes lowest in Canada?](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/where-are-taxes-lowest) --- Source: https://tax-services.ca/guides Last updated: 2026-10-07 Independent information site. Not affiliated with the CRA. No services, no guarantee of accuracy. See https://tax-services.ca/disclaimer