What the T5 is

A T5 slip documents investment income paid to an individual (or partnership) during the calendar year and is used by recipients to report that income on their personal tax return. Typical items reported on a T5 include eligible and non‑eligible dividends, interest from Canadian sources, capital gains dividends, and certain types of royalties and annuities.

Who must issue a T5

Payers (corporations, financial institutions, trustees, or any entity that pays investment income) must prepare a T5 slip when they pay $50 or more in investment income to a recipient in a calendar year; small amounts under $50 are generally not required to be reported on a T5. If your corporation paid dividends to shareholders, paid interest on private loans to individuals, or made other reportable investment payments, you likely must file T5 slips for those recipients.

Key boxes and what to report

Boxes for dividends: the T5 separates eligible dividends (higher gross‑up and dividend tax credit) and non‑eligible dividends; the taxable amount and associated dividend tax credit values are shown in specific boxes that feed into individual tax lines.

Interest and other investment income: interest from Canadian sources, certain royalties, and capital gains dividends each have their own boxes and instructions for where recipients report the amounts on their tax return.

Other information: the T5 also includes payer and recipient identification (names, addresses, SIN for recipients when required) and the payer’s account numbers to help both parties and CRA match the slip to the correct tax records.

Deadlines and filing

T5 slips must be issued to recipients and filed with the CRA by the last day of February following the calendar year in which the payments were made (for example, slips for payments made in 2025 are generally due to recipients and CRA by the end of February 2026). Payers who file late may face penalties, so year‑end planning and timely preparation are important.