Line 312 - Employment Insurance premiums through employment

The Employment Insurance premiums you pay are based on your insurable earnings. Your insurable earnings are shown in box 24 of your T4, Statement of Remuneration Paid slips for 2011 (or box 14 if box 24 is blank).

For 2011, the maximum amount of premiums you are able to enter on line 312 of your Schedule 1, Federal Tax, is $786.76 if you were not a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2011, and $623.22 if you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2011, and work only in Quebec during the year.

For more information about how to report your Employment Insurance premiums, see Line 312 - Employment Insurance Premiums - Examples.

Completing your tax return

If you were not a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2011:

• Claim, in dollars and cents, on line 312 of Schedule 1, the total of the amount shown in box 18 of all your T4 slips. If you contributed to a provincial parental insurance plan (PPIP) in 2011, also include the total of the amount shown in box 55 of all your T4 slips on this line. Attach to your paper return a copy of your Relevé 1 slip. Do not enter more than $786.76.
  
  
• If you contributed more than $786.76, enter, in dollars and cents, the excess amount on line 450 of your return. We will refund this overpayment to you, or use it to reduce your balance owing.

If you were a resident of Quebec on December 31, 2011:

• Under proposed changes, if you worked only in Quebec during the year, claim, in dollars and cents, the total of the amount shown in box 18 of all your T4 slips. Do not enter more than $623.22. If you contributed more than $623.22, enter, in dollars and cents, the excess amount on line 450 of your return. We will refund this overpayment to you, or use it to reduce your balance.
  
  
• If, during the year, you worked outside Quebec and your employment income is $2,000 or more, you must complete Schedule 10, Employment Insurance (EI) and Provincial Parental Insurance Plan (PPIP) Premiums, and attach it to your paper return. Claim, on this line, in dollars and cents, the amount of your Employment Insurance premiums from line 18 or line 19 (whichever is less) of Schedule 10.

Remember to claim the corresponding provincial or territorial non-refundable tax credit on line 5832 of your provincial or territorial Form 428.

Insurable earnings

This is the total of all earnings on which you pay Employment Insurance premiums. These amounts are shown in box 24 of your T4 slips for 2011 (or box 14 if box 24 is blank).

You may have an overpayment of your premiums even if the total is $786.76 or less (if you were not a resident of Quebec) or $623.22 or less if you were a resident of Quebec. This can happen when your insurable earnings are less than the total of all amounts in box 14 of all your T4 slips. You can calculate your overpayment using Form T2204, Employee Overpayment of Canada Pension Plan Contributions and Employment Insurance Premiums. If you were a resident of Quebec and had to complete Schedule 10 because you worked outside Quebec, do not use Form T2204. Calculate the overpayment by completing Part C of Schedule 10.

If your insurable earnings are $2,000 or less, we will refund all of your premiums to you or use them to reduce your balance owing. In this case, do not enter any premiums on line 312. Instead, enter the total on line 450 of your return.

Forms and publications

• General Income Tax and Benefit Package - Guide, Returns, Schedules
• Form T2204, Employee Overpayment of Canada Pension Plan Contributions and Employment Insurance Premiums
• T4, Statement of Remuneration Paid

Related topics

• Line 450 - Employment Insurance overpayment