CPP calculator for self-employed Canadians, 2026 (CPP and CPP2)
How much Canada Pension Plan will you pay on your 2026 self-employment income? Self-employed people pay both the employee and the employer share, so the rates double: 11.9% between $3,500 and $74,600, then 8% CPP2 up to $85,000. Enter your net self-employment income to see the CPP, CPP2, the total, and how it splits into a tax credit and a deduction. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Fill in the form and press Calculate.
Not tax advice; estimates only; QPP residents excluded. Figures checked 2026-11-10.
2026 figures this calculator uses
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Year's maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE) | $74,600 |
| Basic exemption | $3,500 |
| Maximum contributory earnings | $71,100 |
| CPP rate, each share (base 4.95% + first additional 1%) | 5.95% |
| Maximum self-employed CPP (both shares) | $8,460.90 |
| Year's additional maximum pensionable earnings (YAMPE) | $85,000 |
| CPP2 rate, each share | 4% |
| Maximum self-employed CPP2 (both shares) | $832.00 |
Worked examples (self-employment only)
| Net self-employment income | CPP | CPP2 | Total | Credit (line 31000) | Deduction (line 22200) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| $50,000 | $5,533.50 | $0.00 | $5,533.50 | $2,301.75 | $3,231.75 |
| $80,000 | $8,460.90 | $432.00 | $8,892.90 | $3,519.45 | $5,373.45 |
| $90,000 | $8,460.90 | $832.00 | $9,292.90 | $3,519.45 | $5,773.45 |
Example with a job: $40,000 of T4 pensionable earnings (CPP withheld correctly) plus $30,000 of net self-employment income. The job already covers the first $40,000 of the band, so the self-employed part is $30,000 × 11.9% = $3,570.00, with no CPP2. That uses the simplified method below, not a line-by-line Schedule 8 Part 5.
How it is calculated
- Self-employed people pay both the employer and employee portions, on Schedule 8 with the T1 return. Contributions are based on net business income only, not investment income.
- Base and first additional CPP: 9.9% plus 2% (11.9% in all) of earnings between the $3,500 basic exemption and the $74,600 YMPE. If you earn $3,500 or less, you pay nothing.
- CPP2: 8% of earnings between $74,600 and $85,000.
- Half of the base amount is a non-refundable tax credit (line 31000). The other half of the base, plus all of the first additional and CPP2 amounts, is a deduction (line 22200). The whole amount is payable on line 42100.
- With employment income, the calculator gives the self-employed part only the band your job did not already use: it starts where your T4 pensionable earnings end (or at $3,500 if they were lower). Your Schedule 8 Part 5 may differ (multiple employers, over- or under-withholding).
- The 2026 Schedule 8 is not published yet; the line structure comes from the 2025 form, with the 2026 rates and thresholds from the CRA pages below. 2027 is not offered until its figures are verified.
Not covered by this calculator
- Quebec residents on December 31 (they pay QPP, at different rates, not CPP), and mixed CPP and QPP cases (Form RC381).
- Anyone whose contributions must be prorated: you turned 18 or 70 in 2026, received a CPP disability pension, or started CPP retirement benefits.
- People aged 65 to 70 who elected to stop contributing (Form CPT30), and partnership-loss cases.
Sources
Canada Revenue Agency (canada.ca). Figures checked 2026-11-10.
- CPP contribution rates, maximums and exemptions
- Second additional CPP contribution (CPP2) rates and maximums
- Schedule 8 (5000-S8), CPP contributions on self-employment and other earnings
Setting the money aside
CPP on self-employment income is not withheld from client payments; it comes due with your return, so it helps to set money aside during the year. A paid spreadsheet by Kyle Falk (Quarterly Tax Set-Aside Planner) tracks what you set aside from each payment, at a rate you choose, against the quarterly due dates. It applies no tax rules itself and costs US$9. The freelancer bundle (US$22, seven workbooks) includes it with the invoice tracker and expense log. This calculator stays free either way.