I had worked a few months at a café before starting my current job. By tax time, the café had changed managers and my old email address no longer worked.
The missing T4 made me want to postpone the whole return. But the wages had still been paid, and I had records that could help.
Try the issuer and your CRA account
Ask the employer or payer for a copy and check the slips available in your CRA account. CRA cannot display a slip before the issuer sends it. An empty online list does not prove that the income did not exist. CRA's missing-slip instructions.
I gathered the final pay stub, earlier payroll statements and the employer's contact details. The bank deposits helped reconcile payments, but net pay alone could not reconstruct gross wages, income tax withheld, CPP and EI.
Make any estimate traceable
If a slip cannot be obtained in time, CRA permits an estimate using pay stubs or financial statements. Keep a note identifying the issuer, income type and efforts to obtain the slip. Electronic filers keep the supporting documents; paper filers attach the requested copies and explanation while retaining originals.
I recorded the figures used for each relevant box and how I reached them. I also checked whether tips or other amounts needed separate reporting rather than assuming the payroll total covered everything.
When the actual T4 arrives, I will compare it with the estimate and check the assessment before requesting any necessary correction. I won't enter the same wages again as a second job.
The missing envelope became a specific follow-up task instead of a reason to omit income or miss filing without a plan.
Checked October 20, 2026. If the return is already assessed, see how to request an adjustment.