Using T4A forms in QuickBooks Desktop

The T4A form is a record of what you paid to a subcontractor during the previous calendar year.

T4As need to be filed with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on or before the last day of February after the calendar year the information return applies to. You'll also need to provide copies of the T4A to your suppliers.

If you're not sure which subcontractors should receive T4A forms, consult your accountant or the CRA.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Verify that T4A suppliers are set up correctly
• Verify that T4A transactions are set up correctly
• Create the T4A Detail report to verify information on the T4As
• Remove PST from the amounts in the T4A Detail report for subcontractor payments
• Review T4As
• EFILE T4As
• Print T4As

Verify that T4A suppliers are set up correctly

To confirm that all your T4A suppliers are properly set up, you can check the profile of each supplier you know should receive a T4A form to see if it's set up properly.

You can also use QuickBooks to identify any missing T4A suppliers:

1. From the Reports menu, select Suppliers & Payables, then select T4A Detail. This report shows you the suppliers you've already set up in QuickBooks to receive a T4A form.
2. Open a second T4A Detail report, keeping the first one open for comparison.
3. From the T4A Options drop-down, select All Suppliers.
4. Compare the two reports, looking for any suppliers you know should receive a T4A form who are missing from the only T4A suppliers version of the report.

You can turn an existing supplier into a T4A supplier at any time. The T4A report will include money paid to the supplier before you selected the T4A option for them:

1. From the Suppliers menu, select Supplier Centre.
2. Double-click the supplier you want to edit.
3. From the Sales Tax Settings tab, select the Supplier is eligible for T4A checkbox and enter the supplier's Business Number or SIN.
4. Click OK.

Verify that T4A transactions are set up correctly

1. From the Reports menu, select Suppliers & Payables, then select Transaction List by Supplier.
2. Choose Customize Report.
3. From the Filters tab, under the Filter list, select Transaction Type, then choose one of the following from the Transaction Type drop-down list:
   • Bill Payment: Select to show only the transactions that you've paid.
   • Cheque: Select to show only the transactions that you've paid by cheque.
4. From the Display tab, edit the report dates to cover the time period you need.
5. Review the transactions for each subcontractor who'll receive a T4A form to see if any are missing.
   Note: If the amounts paid include transactions with Provincial Sales Tax (PST), you will need to remove the PST amount from the total before issuing their T4A form.
6. Close the report.
7. Add any missing transactions.

Create the T4A Detail report to verify information on the T4As

1. From the Reports menu, select Suppliers & Payables, then select T4A Detail.
2. From the T4A Options drop-down, select to include all suppliers or show only T4A suppliers. To go directly to one of the transactions, double-click the transaction.
3. For each supplier, the report lists the individual transactions that contribute to the supplier's T4A total.
4. The T4A Detail report includes PST only if the PST is tracked as part of the item's cost, but excludes GST/QST/HST. You must remove the PST if it is included in the amount for subcontractor payments.

Remove PST from the amounts in the T4A Detail report for subcontractor payments

If PST is tracked as part of the item's cost (default setting)

The PST is included on the T4A Detail report. To remove the PST:

1. Export the T4A Detail report to Excel.
2. Take the Paid Amount column total and divide it by the variable PST rate amount.
3. Complete this for each supplier.

Note: GST/HST/QST are not included in the T4A Detail report.

If PST is tracked to its own expense account

• The PST is not included on the T4A Detail report.
• Use these amounts to fill out the supplier's T4A form.
• You don't need to take any further steps.

Review T4As

1. From the Suppliers menu, select Supplier Forms, then select Process T4As.
2. Make sure the correct year is selected.
3. Select the suppliers whose T4A slips you plan to review now.
4. Click Review T4A.
5. In the Supplier T4A preview window, you'll need to select whether supplier is an Individual, a Corporation, or a Partnership.
   • If the supplier is an Individual, you'll need to enter their SIN number in the Review screen directly, as there is no SIN field in the Supplier profile.
   • If the supplier is a Corporation or Partnership, you'll need to add the RP code of their Business Number. Verify the accuracy of the other displayed information. You can do so by comparing the T4A to the T4A Detail Report.
6. In the rare event that you need to adjust information on a T4A slip, do one of the following:
   • To increase an amount in a box, double-click the amount. Then enter an adjustment in the Adjustments window. Enter all dollar values with no comma separating thousands from hundreds, but with a decimal point and cents (e.g. 12500.00 rather than $12,500).
   • To correct the supplier’s name or address, click Cancel. Then open the supplier’s profile in the Supplier List and make the change.
   • To correct the employer's name, address, or Business Number, click Cancel. Then open the Company Information window (Company > My Company > edit icon at top-right) and make the change.
7. Choose Next to approve the supplier's T4A slip with changes, if any.
8. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 to review the T4A slips for the other suppliers you marked.
9. On the last T4A slip, select OK.
10. QuickBooks Desktop returns to the Process End of Year Forms window and confirms that you verified all supplier T4As by placing a checkmark in the Reviewed column.

EFILE T4As

Note: If you are filing more than 50 T4A slips, the CRA requires you to file electronically. You can file electronically directly through QuickBooks Desktop or on the CRA website.

To EFILE your T4A forms from QuickBooks Desktop, you must  have a Business Number and a Web Access Code. You can find these at the top of your personalized T4 summary from the CRA.

If you didn’t receive or have misplaced your Web Access Code or Business Number, contact the CRA to obtain or replace either of them.

Your Business Number must be entered in the Company Information window.

If this is your first time electronically filing tax slips with the CRA, enter 555555 in the Transmitter Number field. Once they have processed your return the CRA will send you documentation including the unique EFILE transmitter number you'll use in the future.

EFILE your T4A forms

1. From the Process End of Year Forms window, select the suppliers you would like to EFILE slips for.
2. After you've reviewed each slip, click EFILE.
3. Fill in the EFILE window:
   • Enter your Transmitter Number in the Transmitter Number field.
   • If your company is a sole proprietorship or partnership, enter your and your partner's Social Insurance Numbers in the SIN fields.
4. Select Send. QuickBooks compiles an .xml file containing your T4A data. This file has the name T4ASlips.xml, and by default is stored in your QuickBooks Desktop directory until it is sent, or until you close QuickBooks Desktop, when it's deleted.
5. QuickBooks Desktop opens the CRA website. You'll need to enter the path to T4ASlips.xml, your Business Number, and your Web Access Code.

Have questions about the EFILE process? Visit the CRA for more information and support options.

Print T4As

You can now print T4A slips directly from QuickBooks Desktop. They can be printed on plain paper.

1. From the Process End Of Year Forms window, make sure that the correct suppliers are selected and that the correct tax year is showing.
2. If you haven't already reviewed the slips, you must review the T4A slips before you can print them.
3. Select Print.
4. In the Print T4As window, indicate which forms you're printing.
5. Distribute the printed slips.
6. Once again, QuickBooks Desktop returns to the Process End of Year Forms window and indicates that all T4As have been reviewed and are printed.
7. Select Done to close the window.

Create the T4A Summary report

If you EFILED your suppliers' T4A slips to the CRA using QuickBooks, you don't need to create a T4A Summary form.

If you haven't EFILED your T4A slips, once all T4As are printed, you must prepare a T4A Summary. To complete the T4A Summary, either take the Total amount of the Paid Amount column from the T4A Detail report (remove the PST amount first) or take the aggregated amounts from all the T4A slips.