A calculator is only worth using if you can check its reasoning. This page sets out where our numbers come from, the assumptions baked into each tool, and the situations our tools are not built for. If you only read one section, read what we do not model — that is where estimates go wrong.
Where the numbers come from
We take every rate, bracket, threshold and limit from the authority that actually sets it, not from other calculators. Copying figures between calculator sites is how errors propagate for years, so we do not do it. For the 2026 tax year our inputs are:
| Figure | Source |
|---|---|
| Federal tax brackets and basic personal amount | Canada Revenue Agency annual indexation |
| CPP contribution rate, exemption, YMPE | CRA / Canada Pension Plan annual rate announcement |
| CPP2 rate and YAMPE (second earnings ceiling) | CRA / CPP enhancement schedule |
| EI premium rate and maximum insurable earnings | Canada Employment Insurance Commission |
| Provincial brackets, personal amounts, surtaxes | Each province's budget and tax legislation |
| QPP, QPIP, Quebec abatement | Revenu Québec and Retraite Québec |
| RRSP, TFSA and FHSA contribution limits | CRA published limits for the year |
| Capital gains inclusion rate | Income Tax Act, as administered by the CRA |
All Canadian tax parameters live in a single file in our codebase, so the same numbers drive every calculator on the site. There is no second set of figures that can quietly drift out of sync.
What our take-home pay calculators assume
The take-home pay tools model the most common case: a salaried employee with T4 employment income, resident in the province all year, claiming the basic personal amount and nothing else. Specifically:
- Income is treated as ordinary employment income taxed at full rates.
- Both the federal and provincial basic personal amounts are applied as non-refundable credits at the lowest bracket rate.
- CPP (or QPP) and EI (or the reduced Quebec EI rate plus QPIP) are calculated on the correct earnings bases, including the basic exemption and the annual maximums.
- CPP2 is applied on earnings between the first and second ceilings.
- Ontario's surtax and Health Premium are applied where relevant. Quebec's 16.5% federal abatement is applied where relevant.
- An RRSP contribution, if you enter one, is deducted from income before tax is computed — which is how an RRSP deduction actually works.
What we deliberately do not model
This is the honest part. Our calculators will be wrong for you if any of the following apply, because we do not attempt to model them:
- Credits and benefits beyond the basic personal amount — spousal amounts, the Canada caregiver credit, disability amounts, tuition, medical expenses, charitable donations, the Canada Workers Benefit, or refundable provincial credits.
- Benefit clawbacks — the Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST credit and OAS recovery tax all phase out with income and can dramatically change your true marginal rate. We do not include them.
- Self-employment — you pay both halves of CPP and can deduct business expenses. Our take-home tools model employees only.
- Non-salary income — bonuses taxed at source, stock options, dividends (which carry a gross-up and dividend tax credit), rental or investment income.
- Part-year residency or mid-year moves between provinces. Provincial tax is based on where you resided on 31 December.
- Union dues, pension adjustments and employer plan contributions, which reduce taxable income or RRSP room.
- What your employer actually withholds. Payroll withholding follows CRA payroll tables and your TD1 form; it is an approximation of your final tax that is trued up when you file. A gap between our number and your pay stub is normal and usually resolves at tax time.
Our US paycheck calculators carry the same caveat with a US-shaped list: they model federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax for a standard filer, and they do not model local or city taxes, pre-tax benefit deductions, or state-specific credits.
Rounding and precision
We calculate in full precision and round only for display. Annual figures are rounded to the nearest dollar; per-period figures to the cent. Because payroll systems round at each pay period rather than once at year end, your actual annual total may differ from ours by a small amount — typically a few dollars, not a few hundred. If a difference is larger than that, something in the assumptions above probably does not match your situation.
Your data never leaves your browser
Every calculator on Calcova runs entirely as JavaScript in your browser. Your salary, contributions, balances and results are not transmitted to us, not stored on a server, and not shared with anyone. There is no account, no login and no upload. The one tool that remembers anything between visits stores it in your own browser's local storage, on your own device. See our privacy policy for what is and is not collected.
When we update
Tax parameters are indexed annually and we refresh them for the new tax year once the CRA and the provinces have published final figures — typically in the late autumn for the following year, with provincial numbers sometimes arriving later with a provincial budget. Where a figure is announced but not yet in force, we say so on the page rather than quietly using it. Each calculator and guide shows the tax year it applies to.
Corrections
If a number looks wrong, tell us and we will check it. Email hello@calcova.org with the calculator, the inputs you used, and the result you expected. We verify reports against the primary source. If we were wrong, we fix it and update the page's "updated" date; if we were right, we will explain why, because a surprising-but-correct answer usually means an assumption above did not hold.
Independence
Calcova is built and maintained by Ando Studio, an independent web studio in Edmonton, Alberta. We do not sell financial products, we are not paid by banks, lenders or brokerages, and no calculator result or comparison on this site is influenced by any commercial relationship. The site carries contextual advertising, which is served independently of our content and has no bearing on what the calculators say.
Not advice
Calcova provides general information and estimates. We are not accountants, tax preparers or financial advisers, and nothing here is personal advice. For decisions that matter — filing, a large contribution, a property purchase — talk to a professional who can see your whole situation. See our full disclaimer.