🍁 Built for Canadian payroll — every province
Understand your Canadian pay stub before you question your pay
Upload your pay statement and get a plain-English explanation of your gross pay, net pay, tax, CPP, EI, benefits, vacation pay and possible payroll questions.
Private, plain-English guidance. PayStub IQ Canada explains payroll information — it does not replace the CRA, Revenu Québec, an accountant, lawyer or employment standards office.
What you get back
Representative example
The pay stub checker
Check your pay stub in minutes
Select your document type and province, upload your stub, and see a representative breakdown of the explanation you receive.
Before you upload — a quick privacy note
- Your pay stub can contain sensitive personal information. Remove or cover anything you do not want checked (for example your SIN or full address).
- Only upload documents you are authorised to use.
- You stay in control of your document. This is educational guidance — it highlights possible questions, not guaranteed errors.
Drag & drop your pay stub or PDF here
PNG, JPG or PDF. You can also take a clear photo.
Your document is read in memory only and is never stored. It is processed in the United States — see where your document is processed. If live reading is unavailable you will see a clearly-labelled example instead.
The anatomy of a Canadian pay stub
Every stub carries the same eight things
Employers lay them out differently and name them differently. Underneath, they are all the same document.
- Employer, employee and — critically — your province of employment. The province here decides which provincial tax table is applied, not where you live.
- The pay period, the pay date and the frequency. A first cheque often looks over-taxed because tax is worked out as though every period of the year looked like this one.
- Gross earnings, broken into the things that make them up. A taxable benefit sits here and inflates gross pay without adding a cent to your bank transfer.
- The year-to-date column. This is the column that catches errors: the sum of every pay period must reconcile to it.
- Statutory and voluntary deductions. CPP, EI and income tax are legislated; pension and union dues follow your plan or collective agreement.
- Employer-paid contributions. These are shown for transparency and are never subtracted from your pay.
- Net pay — gross minus total deductions. This is the figure that reaches your account.
- Accruals. Vacation accrued at 4% or 6% is money you are owed and have not yet been paid.
What PayStub IQ Canada checks
Every line on your pay stub, in plain English
Short answer
PayStub IQ Canada explains the parts of a Canadian pay stub: gross pay, net pay, federal and provincial income tax, CPP or QPP, EI or QPIP, pension and benefit deductions, union dues, vacation pay, overtime, taxable benefits and year-to-date totals. It highlights lines that may be worth checking and suggests questions for payroll.
Common payroll worries
If you are asking any of these, you are in the right place
“Why is my net pay lower than I expected?”
A tax change, a new deduction, fewer hours, or a recovered overpayment can all reduce take-home pay.
“What is this deduction I do not recognise?”
Pay stubs use short codes. We translate CPP, EI, QPP, QPIP, RPP, union dues and more into plain English.
“Is my overtime or vacation pay right?”
These rules vary by province. We show what to check and what to ask payroll.
“My bonus was taxed heavily — is that normal?”
Bonuses are often withheld at a higher rate and reconciled when you file. We explain why.
“My final pay looks wrong.”
Final pay should usually include outstanding wages and vacation pay, but timing varies by province.
“Did my employer deduct too much?”
We help you compare, understand each line, and prepare a calm question for payroll.
Province-aware guidance
Canada is not one set of rules
Overtime, vacation pay, statutory holiday pay and final-pay timing are set by each province and territory. Pick yours for relevant guidance.
A note on Quebec
Quebec runs a separate system: QPP instead of CPP, QPIP instead of full EI, Revenu Québec alongside the CRA, and an RL-1 slip alongside the T4. Quebec pay stubs usually show a separate Quebec tax line.
Documents we explain
T4, ROE, TD1, RL-1 and final pay
How it works
Three steps to a clear answer
Pick your document & province
Tell us what you are looking at and where you work — Canadian rules vary by province.
Upload your pay stub
Drag in a photo or PDF. Remove anything sensitive you do not want checked first.
Get a plain-English read
See each line explained, possible things worth checking, and questions to ask payroll.
Private by design
Your pay stub can contain sensitive information. We ask you to remove or cover anything you do not want checked before uploading, and to only upload documents you are authorised to use. You stay in control of your document. This is educational guidance — it highlights possible questions, not guaranteed errors.
Who it helps
Built for the way Canadians actually get paid
Newcomer to Canada
Reading your first Canadian pay stub and unsure what is normal.
Read the guide →Student or part-time
Checking CPP, EI and tax on a part-time or summer job.
Read the guide →Hourly worker
Confirming hours, overtime and premiums are paid correctly.
Read the guide →Salaried employee
Understanding deductions and taxable benefits on a steady salary.
Read the guide →FAQs
Common questions
What is PayStub IQ Canada?
It is an educational tool that explains a Canadian pay stub or payroll document in plain English. Upload your document and it breaks down your gross pay, net pay, tax, CPP or QPP, EI or QPIP, benefits, vacation pay and year-to-date totals, then suggests questions to ask payroll. It is not a pay-stub generator and not a salary estimator — it explains your real document.
Is this CRA or Revenu Québec advice?
No. PayStub IQ Canada is not affiliated with the CRA or Revenu Québec and does not provide legal, tax, accounting or payroll advice. It helps you understand the information visible in your document so you know what to ask.
Will it tell me if my employer made a mistake?
It highlights lines that may be worth checking and gives you questions to ask. It does not guarantee that an error exists. If something still looks wrong after payroll explains it, your provincial employment standards office, the CRA or Revenu Québec may be able to help.
Does it cover Quebec?
Yes. Quebec is handled separately because it uses QPP instead of CPP, QPIP instead of full EI, Revenu Québec alongside the CRA, and an RL-1 slip alongside the T4.
Is my document private?
You stay in control of your document. We ask you to remove or cover details you do not want checked before uploading, and to only upload documents you are authorised to use.
Official sources for this page
Every figure here is derived from these. Where a number matters to you, read it at the source — PayStub IQ Canada explains the rules, it does not set them.
- Payroll deductions and contributions — Canada Revenue Agency
- CPP contribution rates, maximums and exemptions — Canada Revenue Agency
- EI premium rates and maximums — Canada Revenue Agency
- Guide T4127, Payroll Deductions Formulas — Canada Revenue Agency
Get told when Canadian payroll rates change
Seven provinces and territories have already published a minimum wage increase for the next few weeks, and every federal and provincial figure is re-indexed each January. One short email when a rate actually changes. Nothing else, ever.
Check your pay before you question it
Get a calm, plain-English explanation of your gross pay, net pay, tax, CPP, EI, benefits, vacation pay and possible payroll questions — in minutes.