PF1 Sample Questions Answers

In ROE administration, the key concept is whether the employment relationship is still “active” (that is, whether there is an ongoing expectation the employee will work again). Service Canada’s ROE guidance ties ROE issuance to an interruption of earnings and specifically identifies situations where an employee is no longer on the employer’s active employment list (for example, no expectation of future work) as a trigger for issuing an ROE.

Options A and B describe circumstances that can still align with an ongoing employment relationship. For example, employees may remain eligible for certain benefits after a last day worked, and a right to recall means the employer may still consider the employee attached to the workplace (often still “active” depending on the arrangement). In contrast, when there is no expectation of work to be performed, the relationship is effectively ended for ROE purposes, and the employer generally proceeds with separation reporting and ROE completion based on the interruption of earnings rules.

Even though the question uses the word “reimbursed,” the key fact isno receipts. In CRA terms, when an employee is paid a set amount or is not required to substantiate the expense, the payment functions like anallowance, not an accountable reimbursement. CRA’s guidance on uniforms/special or protective clothing states these amounts aregenerally taxable, and only in specific circumstances under CRA administrative policy would they be non-taxable.

CRA interpretations also reinforce that where employeesdo not have to provide receipts, a clothing allowance is generally ataxable employment benefit; non-taxable treatment is linked to substantiation and meeting strict conditions (for example, safety footwear with receipts).

So, because Helen’s payment isnot supported by receipts, it is best classified as ataxable allowance(option A). Payroll should include the amount in taxable income, apply required withholdings as applicable, and ensure policy/records support whatever treatment is used.

A strong hire-authorization/onboarding checklist ensures payroll and HR collect documents needed to pay the employee accurately and enroll them in required programs. Abenefit enrollment formis a practical, common checklist item because many employers offer benefit plans that require employee elections (for example, health/dental coverage levels, beneficiary information, dependent details, etc.). Indeed’s Canadian onboarding guidance explicitly notes employers often collectbenefits enrollmentpaperwork as part of essential new employee forms and onboarding checklists.

By contrast, aT1213(Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source) is not routinely required for all hires; it is only used when an employee applies for CRA authorization to reduce tax withheld. A “clearance certificate” is not a standard Canada-wide payroll onboarding requirement for typical employment relationships. Therefore, “All of the above” is not correct.

Selectingbenefit enrollment formbest matches the purpose of a hiring authorization checklist: ensuring all employment setup steps are completed (pay setup, statutory forms, and benefits enrollment where offered) so payroll deductions and coverage are handled correctly from the start.

Salary continuance means the employee continues to receive regular pay (and often benefits) for a period after their job ends. In this arrangement, the payments are treated like regular employment income for payroll purposes, so the usual payroll deductions apply. A Government of Canada guidance page explains that when severance is paid as salary continuance, the employee pays income tax like regular employment income and that the usual deductions apply, including CPP (or QPP), EI premiums, and RPP contributions (where applicable).

This aligns with standard payroll obligations in CRA’s payroll remittance framework: employers deduct and remit CPP contributions, EI premiums, and income tax on employment income unless a specific exemption applies.

Therefore, the correct option is B (All deductions)—and in Quebec, that “all deductions” concept includes Quebec-specific programs (for example QPP/QPIP where applicable) based on the employee’s province of employment and insurability rules.

A fixed amount paid to an employee for meals each pay period is typically a meal allowance. CRA guidance distinguishes an allowance from a reimbursement: an allowance is usually a set amount paid without the employee having to submit receipts for actual costs, while a reimbursement repays specific expenses and is generally supported by receipts or an expense claim.

Because Charlene “receives $50.00 each pay for her meals,” it is a flat amount, which aligns with an allowance rather than a reimbursement. Whether the allowance is taxable or non-taxable depends on the facts (for example, whether it is reasonable and paid under conditions CRA recognizes as non-taxable for certain travel situations). If it’s not a reasonable travel allowance under CRA’s exceptions, it is generally a taxable allowance and must be included in income with appropriate deductions.

So the correct classification is A (an allowance).

The CRA’s wage garnishment tool is commonly issued as a Requirement to Pay (RTP) (and related instruments such as ERTP/DTP), which directs a third party (often the employer) to redirect amounts that would otherwise be paid to the employee, and send them to the government instead. CRA guidance explains that when an employee owes money, the CRA can send the employer a requirement to pay notice, and the employer must remit the amounts as instructed (or the employer can become liable).

The legal authority for the CRA to issue a Requirement to Pay is found in the Income Tax Act, including section 224, which sets out the mechanism and consequences for non-compliance.

In payroll operations, this is a communication-and-compliance issue: payroll must correctly interpret the notice, apply the withholding/remittance as directed, and communicate impacts to internal stakeholders (HR/finance) and, where appropriate, the affected employee—while ensuring the remittance is made exactly as the CRA notice requires.

QPIP premiums are calculated on an employee’s insurable earnings in Quebec (up to the annual maximum insurable earnings). For 2026, Revenu Québec shows the employee QPIP premium rate is 0.430% (0.00430) and the maximum insurable earnings are $103,000.

Step 1: Determine Evangeline’s weekly insurable earnings (assuming all earnings are QPIP-insurable and the annual maximum will not be exceeded, as the question implies):

Regular earnings $1,075.00 + overtime $154.00 = $1,229.00.

Step 2: Apply the employee QPIP rate:

$1,229.00 × 0.430% = $1,229.00 × 0.00430 = $5.2847.

Step 3: Round to cents (standard payroll practice): $5.28.

Payroll would deduct $5.28 from Evangeline’s pay for QPIP for that week and remit it along with other source deductions as required. The deduction continues until the employee reaches the annual QPIP maximum premium (based on the annual insurable earnings limit).

In Quebec, employees must complete a Quebec-specific source deductions form so the employer can calculate Québec income tax to withhold. Revenu Québec identifies Form TP-1015.3-V (Source Deductions Return) as the form employees complete and provide to their employer/payer for this purpose. It is part of the onboarding/payroll setup process in Quebec and is used to determine personal tax credits and any additional withholding instructions for Québec provincial income tax.

The other options are not the standard Quebec source deductions return for new employees: T1213 is a CRA form used to request a reduction in tax deductions at source (federal), TD1-AB is a provincial TD1 for Alberta (not Quebec), and T2222 is not the Quebec source deductions return. From a payroll communication standpoint, the employer should request both the applicable federal TD1 and the Quebec TP-1015.3-V, then retain them on file to support accurate withholding calculations.

A defined benefit (DB) pension plan promises a future pension benefit based on a formula (for example, service and earnings). Because the benefit is defined, the plan must ensure it is adequately funded to meet future liabilities. That requires actuarial valuations—professional studies that forecast future obligations and determine required contributions. Regulators describe DB plan funding as being based on actuarial calculations and require administrators to file actuarial valuation reports to establish funding and contribution requirements.

A defined contribution (DC) plan does not promise a specific future pension amount; contributions are defined, and the retirement outcome depends on investment performance—so it does not require the same ongoing actuarial funding valuations for promised liabilities. An RRSP is an individual savings plan, not an employer DB plan requiring actuarial funding reports.

Therefore, the correct answer is Defined benefit pension plan (option A).

A retiring allowance is treated as a lump-sum payment for payroll withholding purposes. When part of a retiring allowance is transferred directly to an RRSP/RPP, CRA guidance indicates you do not withhold income tax on the transferred amount (up to the employee’s available limit), because it is not paid to the employee in cash.

Step 1: Determine the portion paid directly to the employee (non-eligible portion):

$25,000 − $15,000 transferred to RRSP = $10,000 paid/remaining.

Step 2: Apply CRA lump-sum withholding rates (outside Quebec):

For total lump-sum payments $5,001 to $15,000, the withholding rate is 20%.

Step 3: Calculate tax to withhold on $10,000:

$10,000 × 20% = $2,000.00.

So the correct option is B ($2,000.00).

A “Third Party Demand” in payroll collections commonly refers to the CRA’s Demand on a Third Party (DTP)—a legal garnishment tool used to collect a person’s debt to the government by requiring a third party (such as an employer or financial institution) to redirect funds that would otherwise be paid to the debtor. CRA guidance explains that garnishments may be issued as a Requirement to Pay (RTP), Enhanced Requirement to Pay (ERTP), or Demand on a Third Party (DTP), and that these documents apply when money normally payable to someone who owes a debt to the government must instead be paid to the CRA (or other listed federal bodies).

This aligns with option B: unpaid income tax or unpaid statutory deductions (such as payroll source deductions) can lead to CRA collection action using these legal instruments.

Child support is generally enforced under provincial/territorial family support programs, not via CRA DTP as described here. Overpaid EI benefits are typically handled through EI/Service Canada recovery processes, and “third-party creditor debt” is not a CRA-administered debt.

For payroll withholding, income tax is calculated on taxable income for the pay period, so only deductions that are income-tax deductible (or otherwise reduce taxable income at source) will reduce the employee’s taxable base for withholding. Employee contributions to an RRSP are generally deductible for the employee, which is why payroll-deducted RRSP contributions (such as contributions to a group RRSP taken off the paycheque) reduce the amount of income tax withheld when the payroll system is set up to treat them as deductible contributions. The CRA confirms that deductible RRSP contributions can be used to reduce your tax.

By contrast, paying provincial health care premiums (where applicable) and paying an employee share of group benefit plan premiums are not automatic “reduce taxable income at source” deductions in the same way for payroll withholding; they may be personal expenses and, depending on the plan/premium type, may only affect the employee’s personal tax situation through credits/deductions when filing, not the standard payroll withholding base. Therefore, the only correct choice is A.

Block 11 on the ROE is the “Last day for which paid,” meaning the last day the employee received insurable earnings. In most terminations, this is the employee’s last day of work. Service Canada notes Block 11 only moves beyond the last day worked when the employee continues to receive insurable earnings after the last day of work due to paid leave (such as vacation leave or sick leave) or salary continuance.

In this question, Charmaine’s employment ended April 13, and she received a lump-sum final pay that included wages in lieu of notice and vacation pay. These amounts are typically reported as special payments (for example, pay in lieu of notice is reported as such), but they do not automatically change Block 11 unless they are paid as an actual paid-leave period or as salary continuance (where regular pay continues and the ROE is not issued until the continuance ends).

Bonuses and incentives are treated as taxable remuneration, so they are generally subject to the same core statutory deductions as regular earnings: CPP/QPP, EI, and income tax (and in Quebec, QPIP also applies when the remuneration is subject to EI). The CRA specifically notes that you must deduct EI premiums from bonuses/retroactive pay (up to the annual maximum), and the CRA’s guidance for bonuses/irregular amounts uses tools (PDOC/formulas) that calculate CPP contributions, EI premiums, and income tax on these payments.

In Quebec payroll, remuneration that is subject to EI premiums is generally also subject to QPIP premiums, so bonuses/incentives that are EI-insurable are typically QPIP-insurable as well.

In the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, there is also a statutory territorial payroll tax that employers must withhold/remit where applicable, and the NWT guidance explicitly lists bonuses as part of employment income subject to payroll tax.

An expense reimbursement is paid to repay an employee for actual business expenses the employee incurred while performing their job (for example, meals while travelling on business, supplies purchased for work, etc.). CRA’s taxable benefits guidance distinguishes reimbursements from allowances: an allowance is usually a predetermined amount paid without the employee having to support the expense with receipts, while a reimbursement is tied to actual costs.

That distinction matters because reimbursements are generally not compensation for work performed (so they are not “earnings”), and they are not “benefits” in the sense of a good or service provided by the employer (though CRA notes that benefits can include reimbursements of personal expenses—so payroll must still ensure the reimbursement is for business use and properly supported).

Option A correctly describes reimbursements. Option B is typically an allowance (for example, a vehicle allowance for using personal property). Option C describes earnings (wages/salary). Option D describes benefits (value of something provided or paid for on the employee’s behalf).

In payroll, deductions are applied in a priority order so employers satisfy mandatory legal obligations first. CRA collection tools such as a Requirement to Pay (RTP) and a Demand on a Third Party (DTP) are legal/garnishment-type deductions. CRA explains that a Requirement to Pay directs a third party (often the employer) to send amounts otherwise payable to the employee to the CRA, and the employer must comply.

Company pension contributions (where participation is required as a condition of employment or under a plan/collective agreement) are generally company-compulsory deductions—important, but they come after statutory and legal deductions. Voluntary insurance coverage is a classic voluntary deduction (the employee chooses it; it is not legally required). Voluntary deductions are normally taken last because they must not interfere with statutory/legal withholding obligations.

So among the options, voluntary insurance coverage is the one that would be withheld last in the order of priority.

The payment type most clearly not subject to all statutory deductions is directors’ fees. CRA guidance on directors’ fees shows they are treated as a special payment with distinct deduction rules, and (depending on the situation) they may not have CPP, EI, and income tax all apply in the same way as normal employment earnings.

By contrast, retroactive adjustments and performance bonuses are treated as taxable remuneration where CRA’s tools (like PDOC) calculate CPP contributions, EI premiums, and income tax on those payments (up to annual maximums).

“Vacation pay when no time was taken” is also treated as a non-periodic payment and is included in CRA payroll deduction formulas as a type of amount on which statutory deductions are calculated (again, subject to annual maximums for CPP/EI).

So, among the options listed, directors’ fees are the one that would not necessarily be subject to all statutory deductions in the standard way.

Piecework (also called piece-rate pay) is a pay method where an employee’s earnings are determined by output—they are paid a set amount per unit produced or completed, rather than by hours worked or a fixed salary. This aligns directly with option C. A time-based hourly/daily wage (option A) is a different earnings method, and a fixed pay-per-period arrangement (option B) describes salary. Therefore, “all of the above” is incorrect because these are three distinct compensation structures.

In payroll calculations, piecework earnings are typically calculated as: piece rate × number of units produced in the pay period. Employers still have to ensure compliance with employment standards, such as minimum wage and overtime rules, even where piecework is used. A Canadian payroll educational reference defines piecework as payment for each unit produced “regardless of the amount of time taken.”