A retired employee, who had a right to receive a bonus payment (a restricted share unit) in 2017 and in 2018, died in 2017 which, under the terms of the plan, resulted in all entitlements becoming payable immediately. However, the employer did not make the payment to the deceased’s estate until 2018, when it became aware of the death.
Guide T4001 provided:
Employment income and retroactive pay adjustments that you pay to a deceased employee, or to the employee’s estate, have to be reported on a T4 slip in the year in which the amounts are paid even if they were earned by or owed to the employee in a different tax year.
However, Guide 4011 appeared to contemplate recognition of employment income in the year of death. CRA indicated that both statements are correct:
The T4 prepared by the employer would reflect the year of payment, which in your example occurred in 2018 and the amounts received by the estate should be reported on the final return of the deceased in 2017, the year of death.