Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about the site as a whole — where the figures come from, how they're kept current, and what's in scope. For a specific calculator's own mechanics, see the FAQ section on that calculator's page.
What calc-hq.ca is
Plain-language Canadian payroll, tax, and benefit calculators, built on published federal, provincial, and territorial figures for the 2026 tax year. What it isn't: tax, legal, or financial advice, or a substitute for the CRA, Revenu Québec, or Service Canada. Every calculator models a standard case and says so — for anything you're about to act on, confirm with the authority that administers it. Details on the disclaimer page.
Where the figures come from
Every constant — a bracket threshold, a rate, a basic personal amount, a contribution ceiling, a benefit maximum — is stored with the primary government source that publishes it and the date it was last confirmed against that source: the CRA's T4032 tables and rate pages, Revenu Québec and Retraite Québec for Quebec's brackets, QPP, and QPIP, Service Canada for benefit amounts and payment calendars, and each province's or territory's own finance ministry for its own brackets and credits. Not an aggregator, not another calculator, not last year's number carried forward unchecked.
How re-verification works
Each constant is checked on the schedule it actually follows, not one blanket date. Federal and provincial brackets, basic personal amounts, CPP/CPP2, EI, and contribution limits index every January. The Canada Child Benefit and Child Disability Benefit re-index every July on their benefit year. OAS and GIS move with the CPI and are re-checked quarterly. Figures set only by legislation are re-verified when the law changes — a provincial budget takes priority over a federal table that hasn't caught up. An automated script flags anything unsourced, unconfirmed, or overdue, running on every change to the site and, separately, on the 1st of every month, to catch a constant gone stale simply because a calendar boundary passed.
Why a result might not match the CRA's own calculator
Each calculator models a standard case — typical employment or self-employment income and the credits and contributions that apply broadly — using current published rates. The CRA's own tools and your actual return can go further: an RRSP deduction, medical expenses, donations, a provincial credit beyond the basic personal amount. A gap usually means something in your full situation sits outside the standard case, not that either tool is wrong. Where the two disagree, the CRA is the authority.
What's modelled, and what's deliberately excluded
In scope: federal tax plus all thirteen provincial and territorial bracket tables, CPP/CPP2, EI, QPP and QPIP for Quebec, and the benefit programs each calculator names — CCB, CDB, the RDSP grant and bond, the disability tax credit, GIS, OAS, and EI/QPIP maternity and parental benefits, among others. Deliberately excluded is anything needing a multi-year history or a full return to answer honestly: the RDSP calculator leaves out carry-forward, which depends on disability tax credit status, income, and contributions in each of up to ten earlier years. Where something is excluded, the page says so rather than approximating it.
What happens to what you type in
Nothing is sent anywhere or stored. There are no accounts and no forms — every number you enter is used only in your browser to produce a result, gone when you leave or refresh the page. The privacy policy covers what running the site itself involves, including the advertising cookies Google AdSense sets.
Finding the right calculator
The header and homepage group calculators into six categories — Payroll, Tax on Extra Income, Benefits, Employment Standards, Property, and Key Dates & Limits — plus a French-language section for Quebec take-home pay and income tax. Start from the category closest to your question.
Reporting an error
Use the contact page and include which calculator, the input you used, and the source you're comparing against — enough to re-check the constant behind it against its primary source.
Common questions
Where do calc-hq.ca's numbers come from?
The CRA's T4032 tables and rate pages, Revenu Québec and Retraite Québec for Quebec figures, Service Canada for benefit amounts and payment dates, and each province's or territory's own finance ministry — never an aggregator or another calculator.
How often are the figures re-verified?
January for brackets, CPP/EI, and contribution limits; July for the CCB and CDB; quarterly for OAS and GIS; on legislative change for anything statutory. An automated check runs on every push and on the 1st of each month.
Why doesn't my result match the CRA's own calculator?
Each page models a standard case using published rates. Your actual return can include credits, deductions, and details a general calculator doesn't ask about. Where the two disagree, the CRA is the authority.
What does calc-hq.ca deliberately not model?
Anything needing a multi-year history or a full return — RDSP carry-forward is the stated example. Each page says explicitly what it excludes rather than approximating it.
Does calc-hq.ca store what I enter?
No. No accounts, no forms, nothing sent off your browser. Your inputs are gone when you close or refresh the page.
How do I report a wrong number?
Through the contact page, with the calculator, your input, and the source you're checking against.