RRSP · Free calculator
A $10,000 RRSP withdrawal withholds 20%.
One question: how much tax is withheld when I take money out of my RRSP, and what lands in my account? Enter the amount and where you live.
How the withholding rate is set
Your financial institution withholds tax the moment you take money out of an RRSP, at a flat rate set by the withdrawal size: three brackets, higher on a bigger withdrawal. The table above (open it to see all three) comes from the CRA's Tax rates on withdrawals page, updated 2026-01-29.
Withholding is not your final tax
The withdrawal is added to your income for the year, and the tax withheld is only a down payment against what you actually owe. At filing, the CRA settles the difference: if your real rate on the withdrawal is higher than what was withheld, you pay the rest. The withheld amount can fall short of what you owe.
Quebec residents
The rates above for Quebec are the federal part only. Revenu Québec withholds provincial tax on top of it. Check the total with your financial institution or with Revenu Québec before you withdraw.
Home Buyers' Plan and Lifelong Learning Plan
A qualifying Home Buyers' Plan or Lifelong Learning Plan withdrawal follows its own repayment rules on canada.ca and is not withheld this way.
Splitting a withdrawal into smaller ones
Each withdrawal is rated on its own amount, so a smaller withdrawal can land in a lower bracket. An institution can refuse a pattern of withdrawals it treats as one transaction, and the CRA still settles the real tax owed at filing regardless of how it was withheld.
Written by Mo Kechout CRA figures verified