Tips are Taxable Income

Remember Canadians who earn tips and gratuities are required to report this income on their annual income tax returns. Restaurant servers, hairdressers, valets, taxi drivers and others who earn tips may not have all of their income recorded by the employer and therefore not included on their T4 slips.

The Income Tax Act is clear regarding the treatment of income from tips and gratuities. All tips are taxable and it is your responsibility to report any you receive. The Canada Revenue Agency is committed to administering and enforcing the Income Tax Act in a fair and equitable manner, ensuring that the requirements under the law are met while respecting the rights of the individuals involved.

When people earn tips and do not report them, they are increasing the tax burden on their friends, family, and neighbours who have all of their income reported by their employers on their T4 slips. Even if you do not get a T4 slip to show your income from tips, you are still required to report all tips received in the course of your work and report the amount on line 104 of your return. In preparing to file your tax return, you may have to contact your employer to find out if any or all of your tips will be included on your T4 slip. It is your responsibility to keep track of all amounts received in the course of your employment. During a review or audit, CRA officers use the available records to confirm taxable income. If such records are not available, officers use other supporting information or documents available at the time of the review.