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Importing Your Employee Tax Slip Information

You can import tax slip adjustments. You can also import external employees and create their tax slips using Avanti.

Important Information
Be sure to extract employee data before importing the adjustments. If you extract or re-extract after you’ve imported your tax slips, it will overwrite your imported information, and you’ll need to import them again.

To import employees without an Employee Profile in Avanti, go to the How To Import Employees for Tax Slip Creation section below.

Do you already know how to import tax slips and are just looking for the import file format? Go to Tax Slip Import File Format for more information.

If you don’t need to import employee tax slip information, skip to the next step in the tax slip checklist, Review, Modify, and Add Employee Tax Slips.

Amount of Import Files Required

If you’re importing information for employees in different tax slip groups, you must create a separate import file for each group. Additionally, you’ll need to create an additional import file to replace some tax information and update other information.

For example, you’ll need to create two import files for each tax slip group if you’re updating the information in Avanti for Box 20 and 52 but replacing the pension plan number in Box 50.

How to Setup the File

The columns at the beginning of the file contain the information to identify the employee, the tax slip, and the employee’s province of employment and can be found in the first three columns of the import file.

The remaining columns identify the tax slip boxes and box amount. You can include as many tax slip boxes as you wish for each employee by entering the tax slip box in the next column, then the tax slip amount in the column after that, etc.

When you import the tax slip information, you can include all tax slip boxes for an employee on a single row or have multiple rows for an employee. Just make sure the columns identifying the employee and tax slip form are on each row.

The box amounts imported will populate the employee’s tax slip data and adjust the related boxes on the tax slip. For example, if you’re importing box 40 for a T4, box 14 is also adjusted.

How to Identify the Employee and Tax Slip in the Import File

If you’re importing tax slips for employees with an Employee Profile in Avanti, this will identify the employee and the tax slip you’re importing.

If you’re importing tax slips for employees without an Employee Profile in Avanti, you’ll need to import the employees into Avanti, then complete this section. For more information on importing employees, go to the How To Import Employees for Tax Slip Creation section below.

Step 1: Open your tax slip import file or a new Excel file. If your import file isn’t a .xls or .xlsx file, please save it as an Excel file.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the tax slip type is in Column A. This identifies the type of tax slip you’re creating or adjusting. Enter one of the following:

  • T4

  • T4A

  • RL1

  • RL2

  • NR4

  • T4ARCA

Step 3: Adjust the file so Column B is the employee number.

Additional Information 
If you allow alphanumeric employee numbers, ensure the employee number is nine characters and includes all the leading zeros.

Step 4: Adjust the file so Column C features the two-character abbreviation of the province for the tax slip.

You can find the province abbreviation in the Provincial Codes section below.

Congratulations! You’re all done adjusting the file to identify your employees and are ready to add the tax slip boxes. Go to

How to Update the Import File for T4

Step 1: Adjust the file so the box number is in the next column.

Additional Information 
Your tax slip information should be on the same row as the employee information added in the How to Identify The Employee in the Import File section above.

If creating T4 tax slips, don’t include boxes 12, 10, 28, 29, or 54; these populate based on employee or T4 group information.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the amount to populate the box is in the next column.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for each box you want to import.

Additional Information
If a box is in the file more than once per employee, the total amount will import.

Step 4: If you’d like to import Dental Benefits, go to Step 5. If not, well done! You’ve finished creating your import file. Skip to the How to Import Your File section below.

Step 5: Adjust the file so the box number 45 is in the next column.

Step 6: Adjust the file so the next column is the one-digit abbreviation of the employer-offered dental benefits available to the employee.

  • 1 No Dental insurance or coverage of any kind

  • 2 Payee

  • 3 Payee, spouse and dependent children

  • 4 Payee and their spouse

  • 5 Payee and their dependent children

Additional Information
A sample file for importing employer-offered dental benefits is attached at the bottom of the article.

Congratulations! You’re all done creating the tax slip import file. Skip to the How to Import Your File section below.

How to Update the Import File For T4A Slips

Once you have the import file identifying your employees, it will guide you through adding the information for T4As.

Step 1: Adjust the file so the box number is in the next column.

Additional Information 
Your tax slip information should be on the same row as the employee information added in the How To Identify The Employee in the Import File section above.

Don’t include T4A boxes 12, 13, 14 or 61; these populate based on employee or T4A group information.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the amount is in the next column.

Additional Information 
The amount populates the tax slip box specified in the column to its left.

Step 3: Adjust the file so the T4A Footnote code is in the next column.

Additional Information 
Most T4A boxes don’t require a footnote. Leave this column blank if it isn’t needed.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1 to 3 for each tax slip box you want to import.

Additional Information
If a T4A box is in the import file more than once, the total amount will import.

Step 5: If you’d like to import Dental Benefits, go to Step 6. If not, well done! You’ve finished creating your import file. Skip to the How to Import Your File section below.

Step 6: Adjust the file so the box number 15 is in the next column.

Step 7: Adjust the file so the next column is the one-digit abbreviation of the payer-offered dental benefits available to the employee.

  • 1 No Dental insurance or coverage of any kind

  • 2 Payee

  • 3 Payee, spouse and dependent children

  • 4 Payee and their spouse

  • 5 Payee and their dependent children

Additional Information
A sample file for importing employer-offered dental benefits is attached at the bottom of the article.

Congratulations! You’re all done creating the tax slip import file. Skip to the How To Import Your File section below.

How to Update the Import File for RL-1 or T4A-RCA Slips

Step 1: Adjust the file so the box number is in the next column.

Additional Information 
Your tax slip information should be on the same row as the employee information added in the How to Identify The Employee in the Import File 
section above.

If creating T4 tax slips, don’t include boxes 12, 10, 28, 29, or 54; these populate based on employee or T4 group information.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the amount to populate the box is in the next column.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for each box you want to import.

Additional Information
If a box is in the file more than once per employee, the total amount will import.

Congratulations! You’re all done creating the tax slip import file. Skip to the How to Import Your File section below.

How to Update the Import File for RL-2 Slips

Once you have the import file identifying your employees, it will guide you through adding the information for RL-2.

Step 1: Adjust the file so the Income Source is in the next column.

Additional Information 
Your tax slip information should be on the same row as the employee information added in the How to Identify The Employee in the Import File 
section above.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the RL-2 Box is in the next column.

For example, enter C-4c if you’re importing Payments Received Under a Disability Pension.

Step 3: Adjust the file so the Box Amount is in the next column.

Additional Information 
The amount populates the tax slip box specified in the column to its left.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1 to 3 for each tax slip box you’d like to import.

Additional Information
If an RL-2 box is in the import file more than once, the total amount will import.

Congratulations! You’re all done creating the tax slip import file. Skip to the How to Import Your File section below.

How to Update the Import File for NR4 Slips

Step 1: Adjust the file so the next column is the Country Code (Box 12).

Additional Information 
Your tax slip information should be on the same row as the employee information added in the How to Identify the Employee in the Import File 
section above.

Step 2: Adjust the file so the next column is the Income (Box 14).

Step 3: Adjust the file so the next column is the Currency Code (Box 15).

Additional Information
Go to CRA guide T4061
 for valid currency codes.

Step 4: Adjust the file so:

  • The next column is the Gross Income (Box 16).

  • The following column is the NR Tax Withheld (Box 17).

  • The last column is the Exemption Code (Box 18).

Additional Information
Go to CRA guide T4061
 for valid exemption codes.

image-20240117-222235.png

Step 5: If you need to add line 2 for the employee’s NR4, repeat Steps 1 to 4.

Congratulations! You’re all done creating the tax slip import file.

How to Import Your File

You can import employee tax slip information or import employees not paid in Avanti by following the guidelines below.

Important Information
Be sure to extract your employee data before importing your adjustments. If you extract or re-extract after importing, it will overwrite the imported information, and you’ll need to import again.

Step 1: Open Import External Tax Slip Data in the Avanti Desktop Application.
By default, this can be found in Canadian Payroll >> Tax Slip Processing.

Step 2: Select 2023 in the Tax Year if it’s not already selected.

Step 3: Select the correct group in the Tax Slip Group.

Step 4: Select where you’ve saved the file, either My PC or OneDrive.

Step 5: Select the arrow to the right of the Import File.

Step 6: Navigate to the location of the file you created and select the file. Then select Open.

Additional information 
If you’re importing a CSV file, you’ll need to change the file type to CSV files (*.csv) for the file to be visible.

Step 7: Select either Replace or Add to existing.

  • Replace: Select to remove the amount from Avanti and replace it with the import file amount.

  • Add to existing: Select to add the amounts in the import file to the amounts in Avanti.

Additional Information 
Only the tax slip boxes included in the import will be affected by the import. The import won’t change any boxes that aren’t in the import file.

Step 8: Determine what should happen if the import file has zero for an amount and the employee has an amount for the box in Avanti.

  • To have the zero amount populate the employee’s tax slip, ensure Allow Zero Amount is selected.

  • To use the amount in Avanti, ensure Allow Zero Amount is deselected.

Additional Information 
Allow Zero Amount is only available if Replace
 is selected.

Step 9: If any rows at the top of your file contain information you don’t want to import, specify the number of rows the import should skip in Header Lines.

For example, the following file has 1 row that doesn’t contain employee information, so the Header Lines should be 1.

Step 10: Select OK.

Step 11: If the import file is valid, please confirm you’d like to import the file by selecting Yes.

  • If errors prevent the file from importing, the results display a message. Adjust the file, then import the file again. If you are still having issues, we’re here to help! Please contact Client Care for assistance.

Step 11: Once the import finishes, select Print to keep a copy of the results for reference. From here, you can either print or save it as a file.

Wonderful! You’re all done importing tax slips into this tax slip group. If you need to import into another tax slip group, go to the How to Identify the Employee and Tax Slip in the Import File section above.

If you’re all done importing your tax slips, go to the next step in the tax slip process, Import Tax Slip Pension Adjustments, if required.

How to Import Employees for Tax Slip Creation

This section will guide you through creating tax slips for employees who aren’t in the Avanti Company. The employees you import will not create an Employee Profile in Avanti; you’ll create the employee within Modify Employee Tax Slip Data.

To import employee's tax slips, you must:

  1. Create a tax slip group just for the imported employees, if required.

  2. Create the import file.

  3. Import the employees.

Once you’ve imported the employees, you can import their tax slip information or update it within Avanti.

How to Create Tax Slip Groups to Import Employees

Create a new tax slip group for the imported employees if not already added.

When creating the tax slip group, select Import Employee for Data Source. You may need more than one tax slip group if you’re creating multiple types of tax slips.

For more information on adding tax slip groups, go to Create, Update, and Review Tax Slip Groups.

How to Create the Employee Import File

This file will create new employees in Modify Employee Tax Slip Data. Required columns are specified; the rest are optional, and you don’t need to include them to import the employee.

Important Information
You can only create tax slips for these employees. This import won’t create an Employee Profile for these employees, and they cannot be paid from Avanti.

Step 1: Open your tax slip import file or a new Excel file. If your import file isn’t a .xls, .xlsx, or .csv file, please save it as an Excel file.

Step 2: Adjust the file so EMP is in Column A. This information is required.

Step 3: Adjust the file so Column B is the employee number. This information is required.

Additional Information 
The employee numbers must match your format for employee numbers in Avanti.

Step 4: Adjust the file so Column C features the two-character abbreviation of the province for the tax slip. This information is required.

You can find the province abbreviation in the Provincial Codes section below.

Step 4: Adjust the file with the employee’s SIN in Column D. This information is required.

Step 5: Adjust the file with the employee’s full name in Columns E through G.

  • Add the employee’s surname in Column E. This information is required.

  • Add the employee’s given name in Column F.

  • Add the employee’s initial in Column G.

image-20240117-220535.png

Step 6: Adjust the file with the employee’s home address in Columns H through L.

  • Add the employee’s address line in Column H.

  • Add the employee’s second address line in Column I.

  • Add the employee’s city in Column J.

  • Add the employee’s two-character province ID in Column K. This is required.
    You can find the province IDs in the Provincial Codes section below.

  • Add the employee’s postal code in Column L.

image-20240117-220458.png

Step 7: Adjust the file with the employee’s language in Column M.

Additional Information 
The language should be for English or F
 for French. If column M is left blank, the employee’s language will default to English.

Step 8: Adjust the file with the employee’s location code in Column N.

Congratulations! You’ve created the import file for your employees. You can now import the files into Avanti using Import External Tax Slip Data.

Provincial Codes

You can include the province in your import file by using the two-character abbreviation in the import file.

  • AB Alberta

  • BC British Columbia

  • MB Manitoba

  • NB New Brunswick

  • NL Newfoundland & Labrador

  • NS Nova Scotia

  • NT Northwest Territories

  • NU Nunavut

  • ON Ontario

  • PE Prince Edward Island

  • QC Quebec

  • SK Saskatchewan

  • YT Yukon Territory

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