The best time to collect T4A-related information from contractors isn’t at year-end—it’s at the very start of the relationship.
If you wait until January or February to ask for names, addresses, and tax IDs, you’re almost guaranteed to be chasing people, dealing with delays, and stressing over incomplete slips.
This toolkit shows you what to ask contractors upfront so your T4A process is smoother later.
Why upfront collection matters
Collecting information at onboarding:
• Avoids last-minute scrambles for SINs and addresses
• Makes your organization look organized and professional
• Reduces the risk of errors and missing slips
• Gives the CRA a clearer picture if they ever review your filings
It also sets the tone: “We take compliance seriously, and we’ll handle this correctly.”
Core data to collect from every contractor
At a minimum, your onboarding form should ask for:
1. Legal name or business name
• The name that should appear on invoices and tax slips.
• If they operate under a trade name, collect that too—but keep a separate field for the legal name.
2. Mailing address
• Street, city, province, postal code, and country.
• Ask them to notify you if this changes during the year.
3. Email address and phone number
• For delivering slips (if you use email) and clarifying questions.
4. Tax identification
• Social Insurance Number (SIN) for individuals, where appropriate.
• Business number for corporations, where relevant.
• A brief note about why you’re collecting this and how it will be used and protected.
5. Residency status
• A simple question like: “Are you a resident of Canada for tax purposes?”
• If no, flag for possible T4A-NR and withholding discussions with your accountant.
6. Type of services provided
• Short description (for example, “refereeing,” “graphic design,” “consulting”).
• This helps classify payments correctly and understand risk areas.
Optional but useful data points
Depending on your size and industry, you might also collect:
• Preferred payment method (e-transfer, direct deposit, cheque)
• Banking details (securely stored, if paying by deposit)
• Whether they operate as a sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation
• Their primary contact person if the contractor is a company
This information can streamline not just T4A work, but your day-to-day operations too.
Example onboarding form structure
Your “Contractor Information Form” might include sections like:
1) Contact details
• Legal name / business name
• Trade name (if applicable)
• Mailing address
• Email
• Phone
2) Tax details
• SIN (if individual)
• Business number (if corporation)
• Are you a resident of Canada for tax purposes? (Yes/No)
3) Services
• Description of services you provide
• Expected start date and (optionally) end date
4) Consent and privacy
• A short statement explaining that the information will be used for payment and tax reporting purposes, including T4A slips, and securely stored.
• Signature or checkbox for consent.
How to implement this in practice
You don’t need a fancy system to start:
• A fillable PDF or online form (for example, through your website or a form tool)
• A template embedded in your contract or engagement letter
• A simple workflow: no contractor is paid until the form is completed
As you grow, tools like T4ASlip can become the system of record receiving this data directly or via import, so you’re not manually entering everything from scratch.
Common contractor concerns (and how to respond)
“Why do you need my SIN?”
• Explain that certain payments must be reported to the CRA and that SINs are required to prepare accurate T4A slips where applicable.
“Is my information secure?”
• Outline how you store and protect their data (for example, encrypted systems, limited access).
• Reassure them you only use the information for legitimate business and tax purposes.
“Does this mean I’m an employee?”
• Clarify that collecting information doesn’t change their status; it simply helps you comply with reporting obligations for contractor payments.
Keeping data up to date
Collecting information once is great—keeping it current is even better. Build in checkpoints such as:
• Annual reminder email: “Please let us know if your address or tax details have changed.”
• Review during major contract renewals or changes.
• A quick verification step each year before T4A season.
If you use T4ASlip, you can update records in one place and rely on that data when generating slips.
T4ASlip and your data collection toolkit
T4ASlip complements this toolkit by:
• Providing a structured home for all contractor data
• Making it easier to see which fields are missing or out of date
• Linking contractor profiles to payment histories
• Using the data you collect to generate T4A slips with far less manual effort
Think of your data collection form as the front door, and T4ASlip as the organized house behind it.
Bottom line
If you want easier T4A seasons in the future, start with better data today. Ask contractors upfront for:
• Clear contact details
• Accurate tax identifiers
• Simple service descriptions
• Confirmation of residency
Combine that with a system like T4ASlip, and you’ll shift T4A work from a messy hunt for missing details into a straightforward step in your year-end process.