Guide: Year-end Roadmap

In this article, you’ll find an overview of the year-end process including:

how to get your data in order now and avoid stress later
how to use the Year-end checklist tool to identify missing SINs and home addresses
tips for staying on top of bonus runs
how to create and file year-end forms using Wagepoint

Your roadmap for a smooth year-end can be divided into 2 phases:

Review and wrap-up 2025 payroll data
Plan to complete these steps between November 1 - December 31 2025.
Prepare and send forms (T4s and T4As)
Plan to complete these steps between January 1 - February 27 2026.

We've outlined our recommendations for both phases below.

You are responsible for reviewing, editing, and submitting your forms to the CRA. Wagepoint will guide you through these steps, but you must complete the entire year-end workflow and select electronic submission if you would like Wagepoint to submit forms on your behalf.

More resources: Wagepoint 2.0 Year-end K.I.T. (Keep It Together)!

Keep It Together this year-end with these handy tips and resources for Wagepoint 2.0 users:

Phase 1: Review and wrap-up 2025 payroll data

November 1 to the end of December

Use the Year-to-date report and Year-end checklist to get ahead by managing your payroll data now and save yourself stress later. You’ll find the Year-end checklist under Payroll > Year-end.

Review the Year-to-date report

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Review the Year-to-date report for your employees and contractors.
Edit or adjust any discrepancies found. Depending on the discrepancy, you might want to run an extra payroll or use the Adjustment tool.

Ensure employee and contractor information is complete

Verify that all your employees and contractors have accurate SIN and home addresses using the Year-end checklist.
Check that your team has access to the employee portal and send them the Employee's guide so they know how to access their year-end forms.

Know your last chance 2025 payroll

Your last chance payroll is the last payroll you’ll run with a pay date in 2025. This is your last chance to use the payroll workflow to address discrepancies or add a bonus.

You can find the dates in your pay group details:

Navigate to Payroll > Pay groups
Locate the relevant pay group and click View

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Plan your bonuses.

If you’d like your 2025 bonuses to pay in 2025 and be included in year-end tax forms, you’ll want to ensure you’re including bonuses in a regular or extra payroll with a pay date in 2025.

We've put together a helpful guide for running payrolls arounds the 2025-2026 winter holidays here.

Phase 2: Prepare and send forms

January 5 - February 28

In Phase 2, you’ll create, package, and submit year-end forms for your employees and/or contractors.

Before you move forward with this phase, you'll need to decide how you'll submit your year-end forms:

Submit forms electronically via Wagepoint, or
Submit forms manually (outside of Wagepoint)

Option 1: Submit forms electronically via Wagepoint

For electronic submission, you'll use the Year-End Workflow to create and submit your forms.

Aim to have your forms submitted in Wagepoint before February 26th to ensure timely electronic transmission to the CRA (and no late fees).

If you have both employees and contractors, you’ll complete two workflows — one for T4s and another for T4As. Each follows the same three steps outlined above, but you’ll manage and submit them separately.

Gather details to customize your workflow

To begin the workflow, you’ll need to indicate the following:

Your primary contact is the individual who should be contacted by the CRA to discuss any issues with your year-end forms. You'll need to have your primary contact's name and phone number on hand.
You'll choose a default option, but you can also adjust on a person-by-person case if needed.
If you will be creating T4s and T4As for some, but not all, of the individuals at your company, be ready to indicate who should be included or not. You'll need to indicate who you'd like to create forms for in the beginning of the workflow.

Complete the year-end workflow and submit your forms

The year-end workflow will guide you through creating your year-end forms and electronically submitting the forms to Service Canada. If you choose manual submission, you'll be responsible for ensuring forms are submitted outside of Wagepoint.

You'll find a step-by-step guide to the year-end workflow here.

Option 2: Submit forms manually to the CRA

Prefer to submit your forms manually? No problem!
If you choose to submit your forms manually, you are responsible for submitting your own forms to the CRA, outside of Wagepoint. We recommend that you utilize the Year-to-date report to gather the information needed to manually file your forms.

FAQs: Year-end forms (T4s and T4As)

Visit this article for step-by-step instructions.
Contact the CRA or check out this link. You might also review this resource from the CRA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/completing-filing-information-returns/t4-information-employers/t4-slip.html
The primary contact should be the individual listed with the CRA as the authorized person to speak about this account. This is often the person who opened the CRA account. If you aren’t sure, contact the CRA.
Contact the CRA directly or your benefits provider if they are unsure what to select. You might also review this resource from the CRA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/completing-filing-information-returns/t4-information-employers/t4-slip.html
You cannot leave out the tax form for an individual employee. However, you can use the manual submission method and then choose not to submit a form. Please keep in mind that if you select manual submission, you are responsible for submitting your forms to CRA.
Yes. On the first step of the year-end workflow, you are asked to indicate if you'd like to create T4As for some or all of your contractors. If you opt to create for some contractors, then you are prompted to indicate which individuals you would like to create T4As for. If you change your mind at a later date, you'll need to contact CS to reset this option.
Check out our adjustment tool!
If you have either run payroll for at least one individual or have added an individual with year-to-date information, you qualify for tax-form generation in Wagepoint.
You must still complete the year-end workflow and choose electronic submission, if you would like Wagepoint to submit forms to the CRA on your behalf.
The CRA offers some helpful resources:
- Filing the T4 Slip and Summary
- Deducting Income Tax on Pension and Other Income, and Filing the T4A Slip and Summary
Important: If you choose to manually file your tax forms outside of Wagepoint, it is your responsibility to send the appropriate forms to the CRA and to the employee/contractors that you employ.
You can review and edit your tax forms beginning on January 5th, 2026.
To avoid late penalties, we recommend that you complete any electronic submissions in Wagepoint by February 26 so you have enough time to ensure that everything is filed with the government and your employees. If your forms are filed late, you are responsible for any fees.
You can edit your T4 and T4A forms within the Year-End Forms workflow. Be mindful that any changes made here will not be reflected elsewhere in your Wagepoint account.
You can enter Box 45 information for your employees and contractors during the Year-End Forms workflow.
When you begin the workflow, you will be prompted to select a default option for Box 45. However, you are still able to change this on an individual basis. If you try to continue the workflow without completing Box 45, you will receive an error message.

For further information on Box 45(T4) and Box 015(T4A) please see the Canada Revenue Agency's article about T4 Slips.
At this time, Wagepoint 2.0 can not apply a reduced EI rate or an employee tax reduction at source.
Any changes you make to an employee's profile before you begin the Year-End Forms workflow will be reflected on the tax forms.

If you have already created a draft of your year-end forms, any changes you make outside the year-end workflow will not be reflected in the forms. You must make any necessary changes directly within the year-end workflow.
The data can only be viewed in individual forms. There is no spreadsheet compatibility at this time.
Yes, as long as you either run payroll or enter year to date amounts for the individual before the end of the year. Please add the employee before December 30th, 2025.
No, we do not. Employees will find their tax forms in their employee portals.
No, we will not. In order to generate T4s or T4As, your account must be active and you must complete the year-end workflow.
To access your year-end forms from before you upgraded to 2.0, you'll need to log into your 1.0 account.