About this calculator
A free, province-by-province tax calculator built for self-employed Canadian trades — not generic freelancers — with every number sourced and dated.
Who builds it
Trades Tax Calculator is built and run by Blue Crane Works, which makes job, receipt and paperwork software for Canadian contractors. We built this because the same tradespeople who use our tools kept asking the same question every spring: what do I actually owe, and how much should I set aside?
How the numbers are worked out
The calculator models a self-employed sole proprietor for the 2026 tax year. For your net income (revenue minus expenses) it computes:
- Federal income tax — 2026 brackets, the basic personal amount, at the reduced 14% first rate.
- Provincial or territorial income tax — that jurisdiction's own 2026 brackets and basic personal amount, plus Ontario's surtax and health premium where they apply.
- CPP — both halves (11.9% up to the maximum, plus CPP2), handled the way the CRA actually treats it for the self-employed: the enhanced portion and CPP2 fully deductible, and the base portion half a deduction and half a credit.
Where the figures come from
Every constant is sourced and carries a verification date. Federal brackets, the basic personal amount and CPP maximums come from the Canada Revenue Agency; each province's rates come from that province's published 2026 schedule, cross-checked against the third-party combined-rate tables (PwC, BDO). Nothing is estimated or remembered — if a figure can't be verified, it isn't shipped.
Quebec is not covered. It runs its own pension plan (QPP), a federal abatement, its own sales tax and a separate provincial return — a different system, not a data change, so we exclude it rather than show wrong numbers.
What it is and isn't
This is a planning estimate to help you set money aside and understand your position — not tax advice, and not a filing calculation. It assumes only the basic personal amount (no spousal, tuition or other credits) and doesn't model every low-income reduction. For your actual return, work with an accountant.
Related tools for contractors
- Blue Crane form makerBuild printable Ontario contractor forms — invoices, notices, safety logs.
- Ontario Trade RegistryThe compliance forms and rules behind WSIB, Notice of Project, and more.
- Blue Crane WorksReceipt capture, the document vault and the accountant export that make tax time easier.
Contact
Questions, a number that looks off, or a correction? Email [email protected]. We take accuracy seriously and fix confirmed issues quickly.