2026 Contribution Limits
The current 2026 numbers for every registered account and payroll maximum — checked against the CRA, with the one rule per line that actually trips people up. Start with the table, then read down for the detail.
| Account / limit | 2026 figure | The rule to remember |
|---|---|---|
| TFSA — annual | $7,000 | $109,000 total room if eligible since 2009 |
| RRSP — dollar limit | $33,810 | Or 18% of prior-year income; deadline March 2, 2026 |
| FHSA — annual | $8,000 | $40,000 lifetime; carry-forward capped at $8,000 |
| RESP — lifetime | $50,000 | No annual cap; per beneficiary |
| CESG grant | 20% · $500/yr | $2,500/yr captures it; $7,200 lifetime per child |
| CPP — YMPE | $74,600 | Max employee contribution $4,230.45 (+$416 CPP2) |
| EI — max insurable | $68,900 | Max employee premium $1,123.07 (outside Quebec) |
TFSA — $7,000 for 2026
The Tax-Free Savings Account annual limit is $7,000 for 2026 — the same as 2024 and 2025, because the CRA indexes it to inflation and then rounds to the nearest $500, and the increase hasn't yet crossed that step. Room builds up from the year you turned 18 and became a resident, so someone who has been eligible since the TFSA began in 2009 and never contributed carries $109,000 of room into 2026.
Two rules cause almost all the trouble. Unused room carries forward indefinitely, so a low-contribution year is never lost. But when you withdraw, that room only comes back the following calendar year — re-depositing it in the same year is the classic over-contribution, and the CRA charges 1% a month on the excess.
RRSP — $33,810 limit, March 2 deadline
The RRSP has two numbers that get mixed up. The 2026 dollar limit is $33,810, up from $32,490 in 2025. That's the ceiling; your own deduction limit is the lesser of 18% of your prior-year earned income or that cap, minus any pension adjustment from a workplace plan — so you need roughly $187,833 of 2025 earned income to reach the maximum. Your exact figure is on your latest notice of assessment.
The date that matters is the deadline to contribute for the 2025 tax year: March 2, 2026. Contributions in the first 60 days of the year can be deducted on your 2025 return (or carried forward). The 60th day is March 1, which falls on a Sunday in 2026, so the CRA moves the deadline to the Monday. The exact dates are on the 2026 tax deadlines page.
FHSA — $8,000 a year, $40,000 for life
The First Home Savings Account is the newest of these accounts, and its limits are set in legislation rather than indexed — so they're unchanged for 2026: $8,000 per year up to a $40,000 lifetime maximum. It's the rare account that works like an RRSP on the way in (contributions are tax-deductible) and a TFSA on the way out (a qualifying withdrawal to buy a first home is tax-free).
The carry-forward has a twist worth knowing: unused annual room accumulates, but only up to $8,000 at a time. So if you open an FHSA and skip a year, you can put in at most $16,000 the next year — not the full unused total. Opening the account early, even with a small deposit, is what starts the carry-forward clock.
RESP and the CESG grant — the $2,500 number
A Registered Education Savings Plan has no annual contribution limit, but a $50,000 lifetime limit per beneficiary. What actually sets the pace is the grant, not the limit. The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) pays 20% of what you contribute, to a maximum of $500 a year — which means $2,500 of contributions a year captures the full basic grant. Over a child's lifetime the CESG tops out at $7,200.
That's why steady beats lumpy: contribute far more than $2,500 in one year and the excess earns no basic grant, while spreading contributions across years collects the grant each time (and unused grant room from earlier years can be caught up, but only one extra year's worth at a time). Lower-income families may also qualify for additional CESG and the Canada Learning Bond on top.
CPP — $74,600 ceiling, $4,230.45 maximum
For 2026 the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) is $74,600, and an employee's maximum base CPP contribution is $4,230.45 — 5.95% of earnings between the $3,500 basic exemption and the $74,600 ceiling. Since 2024 a second tier, CPP2, adds 4% on earnings between $74,600 and $85,000, worth up to $416 more, so the combined employee maximum is $4,646.45. Your employer matches it, and the self-employed pay both halves.
Want to see it on your own income rather than at the maximum? The CPP calculator builds the contribution from the exemption up, and the take-home pay calculator shows it alongside tax and EI.
EI — $68,900 maximum insurable earnings
Employment Insurance premiums stop once your income passes the maximum insurable earnings of $68,900 for 2026. At the $1.63 per $100 rate, the maximum employee premium is $1,123.07 outside Quebec. Quebec residents pay a reduced rate that caps at $895.70, because the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) covers parental benefits there instead of EI.
The EI calculator shows the premium and what a regular benefit looks like, and the take-home calculator folds it into your net pay.
Common questions
What is the TFSA contribution limit for 2026?
$7,000 — unchanged from 2024 and 2025. Someone eligible since 2009 who never contributed has $109,000 of total room in 2026. Unused room carries forward, and withdrawals are added back to your room the following calendar year (not the same year).
What is the RRSP dollar limit for 2026 and the deadline?
The 2026 dollar limit is $33,810 (up from $32,490). Your deduction limit is the lesser of 18% of prior-year earned income or that cap, minus any pension adjustment. The deadline to contribute for the 2025 tax year is March 2, 2026.
How much can I put in an FHSA in 2026?
$8,000 a year, up to $40,000 over your lifetime. Both are legislated and don't index. Unused room carries forward but only up to $8,000, so the most you can contribute in one year is $16,000.
What is the maximum CPP contribution in 2026?
$4,230.45 in base CPP (5.95% between $3,500 and $74,600), plus up to $416 of CPP2 (4% from $74,600 to $85,000) — a combined $4,646.45 for an employee. Employers match it; the self-employed pay both halves.