Death benefits are amounts you receive in respect to a person's employment service after that person has died.
Generally, amounts are shown on these slips:
You may not have to pay tax on up to $10,000 of the benefit you received. If you are the only one to receive a death benefit, report the amount you receive that is more than $10,000.
Even if you do not receive all of the death benefit in one year, the total tax-free amount for all years cannot be more than $10,000.
If you and several people (including the surviving spouse or common-law partner) are the beneficiaries of the death benefit, you will split the remaining amount of the $10,000 exemption that the surviving spouse or common-law partner did not use. You will share the exemption evenly based on the amount each beneficiary received.
However, if you are considered a spouse or common-law partner, and there is another spouse or common-law partner, you will split the $10,000 exemption between yourself and the other spouse(s) or common-law partner(s) based on the amount each of you received.
Attach a note to your return stating the amount of death benefits you received but did not include in your income.
My husband died in November and I received a death benefit of $15,000 from his employer. Do I have to report this on my return?
A death benefit is an amount you receive after a person's death for that person's employment service. It is shown in box 28 of your T4A slips or box 26 of your T3 slips. There is an exemption for tax on the first $10,000 received.
If you are the only one to receive a death benefit, report the amount you received that is more than $10,000 at line 130. Attach a note stating the amount of death benefits you received but did not include in your income.
On line 130, enter the amount from box 28 of your T4A slips less any exemption.
On line 130, enter the amount from box 26 of your T3 slips less any exemption.