📊 Line 31400 – Pension Income Amount

You may be able to claim a pension income amount of up to $2,000 on Line 31400 of your Canadian federal tax return if you reported certain eligible pension, superannuation or annuity payments on your return. This non-refundable tax credit reduces your federal tax payable.

🧾 Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for this amount if you reported any of the following on your tax return:

  • Eligible pension or annuity income on Line 11500 (other pensions and superannuation).
  • Eligible pension income on Line 11600 (elected split pension amount).
  • Annuity payments on Line 12900 (box 16 of your T4RSP slips) — if you were 65 or older on December 31 of the tax year, or if payments were received because of the death of your spouse or common-law partner.

📋 Types of income that qualify

Qualifying income includes certain pension and annuity amounts from T3, T4A, T4RIF, T4RSP and T5 slips reported on the appropriate lines of your return.

Some foreign pension income that is not deductible on Line 25600 may also be eligible, but foreign pension income that is tax-free in Canada or income from U.S. individual retirement arrangement (IRA) accounts is not eligible.

🚫 Income that does NOT qualify

  • Old Age Security (OAS) benefits, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) benefits.
  • Death benefits and retiring allowances.
  • Amounts from a RRIF that were transferred to an RRSP, another RRIF or an annuity.
  • Amounts shown in boxes 18, 20, 26, 28 or 34 of T4RSP slips.
  • Amounts from retirement compensation arrangement slips (T4A-RCA).

🔁 Pension income splitting

If you and your spouse or common-law partner elect to split eligible pension income, use Form T1032, Joint Election to Split Pension Income to calculate the amount to enter on Line 31400 for both returns. Splitting can affect how much pension income you each report and how much pension income amount you can claim.

📍 How to report

Complete the pension income amount section on the Federal Worksheet and enter the resulting amount on Line 31400 of your tax return. This amount is then used in calculating your federal non-refundable tax credits.

🧓 Special situations — someone who died

If you are preparing a final return for someone who died, you may be able to claim the pension income amount for the deceased if they received eligible pension or annuity income before their death. Follow the usual instructions for Line 31400 and the Federal Worksheet.

🔗 Helpful links