Does the T5008 show my capital gain?

No. The T5008 only shows proceeds (what you sold for) and sometimes cost. You must calculate the capital gain yourself by subtracting your adjusted cost base. The CRA cannot calculate your ACB for you.

Why is the cost blank on my T5008?

Brokerages are not required to report your cost basis. Many leave it blank or report a value that does not include all purchases. You must track your own adjusted cost base (ACB) for accurate capital gains calculations.

Do I need to report a T5008 if I had a loss?

Yes. Reporting capital losses allows you to offset gains in the current year or carry losses back 3 years or forward indefinitely. Always report T5008 transactions.

T5008 Slip Explained: Securities Transactions in Canada (2026)

Q: What is a T5008 slip?

A T5008 reports the proceeds from selling securities like stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds in a non-registered account. Your brokerage sends it to you and the CRA. You use it to calculate your capital gains or losses.

What Is a T5008 Slip?

The T5008 Statement of Securities Transactions reports the proceeds from selling investments in taxable accounts.

Feature	Details
Full name	Statement of Securities Transactions
Issued by	Brokerages, mutual fund companies
Reports	Proceeds of disposition (sale amount)
Does NOT report	Your actual capital gain
Threshold	All transactions over $25

T5008 Box Guide

Box	Description	Notes
13	Year	Tax year of the transaction
14	Recipient type	Individual, corporation, trust
15	Account type	Non-registered, TFSA, etc.
16	Security description	Name of stock, ETF, mutual fund
17	CUSIP number	Unique security identifier
20	Proceeds of disposition	Sale price × quantity
21	Cost or book value	Often blank or inaccurate

The ACB Problem

Why Cost (Box 21) Is Often Wrong

Issue	Explanation
Blank	Brokerage not required to provide
Only one purchase	Doesn’t reflect average if you bought multiple times
Transfer-in	Brokerage doesn’t know your original cost
Reinvested distributions	Not included in cost basis

You must calculate your own adjusted cost base (ACB).

What Affects Your ACB

Action	Effect on ACB
Buy shares	Increases ACB
Sell shares	Decreases ACB (proportionally)
Reinvested dividends	Increases ACB
Return of capital	Decreases ACB
Stock split	No change to total ACB
Transfer between brokerages	No change

How to Calculate Capital Gains

Basic Formula

Capital Gain = Proceeds (Box 20) − Adjusted Cost Base − Selling Costs

Example: Single Purchase and Sale

Transaction	Amount
Bought 100 shares at $50	$5,000 ACB
Commission on purchase	+$10
Total ACB	$5,010
Sold 100 shares at $75	$7,500 proceeds
Commission on sale	-$10
Net proceeds	$7,490
Capital gain	$7,490 - $5,010 = $2,480

Example: Multiple Purchases (Average Cost)

Date	Transaction	Shares	Price	Total
Jan	Buy	100	$40	$4,000
Jun	Buy	50	$60	$3,000
Total		150	—	$7,000
ACB per share				$46.67

When you sell 100 shares at $70:

Proceeds: 100 × $70 = $7,000
ACB used: 100 × $46.67 = $4,667
Capital gain: $7,000 - $4,667 = $2,333

Remaining ACB: 50 shares × $46.67 = $2,333

Reporting T5008 on Schedule 3

What to Report

Schedule 3 Column	What to Enter
Description	Security name
Proceeds	Box 20 from T5008
ACB	Your calculated ACB
Outlays/expenses	Selling commissions
Gain or loss	Proceeds - ACB - expenses

Taxable Capital Gain

Amount	Calculation
Total capital gain	From Schedule 3
Inclusion rate	50% (first $250,000)
Taxable capital gain	Report on Line 12700

For 2026, capital gains above $250,000 are included at 66.67%.

Common T5008 Situations

ETF Sale with DRIP Reinvestments

If you used a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP):

Transaction	ACB Impact
Initial purchase	Add to ACB
Each DRIP reinvestment	Add to ACB
Distribution (T3)	Already taxed, add to ACB
Sale	Use total ACB

Track every DRIP purchase to avoid double taxation.

Mutual Fund Switch

Scenario	Tax Impact
Switch between funds	Deemed disposition, triggers gain/loss
Same series, different currency	Usually not a disposition

Switching mutual funds typically triggers a capital gain or loss.

Transfer to Another Brokerage

Type	Tax Impact
In-kind transfer	No disposition, no gain/loss
Sell and re-buy	Capital gain/loss realized

When you transfer “in-kind,” no T5008 is issued and no tax is owed.

Stock Split or Consolidation

Event	ACB Impact
2-for-1 split	Same total ACB, half per share
10-for-1 consolidation	Same total ACB, 10× per share

Stock splits don’t change your total ACB, just the ACB per share.

Return of Capital Distributions

Event	Impact
ROC distribution	Reduces ACB
ACB goes negative	Triggers capital gain

Track return of capital from T3 slips to adjust your ACB.

Superficial Loss Rules

You cannot claim a capital loss if you buy back the same security within 30 days before or after the sale.

Rule	Details
Denied loss	Can’t claim immediately
ACB adjustment	Lost amount added to new shares’ ACB
Period	30 days before and after
Applies to	You, spouse, corporation you control

Example

Date	Transaction
Dec 1	Sell at $5,000 loss
Dec 15	Buy back same stock
Result	Loss denied, added to new ACB

Missing T5008 Information

Finding Your Proceeds

If Box 20 seems wrong:

Check trade confirmations
Review brokerage statements
Calculate: shares sold × price per share

Tracking Your ACB

Use one of these methods:

Spreadsheet: Track every buy, sell, and distribution
ACB tracking software: AdjustedCostBase.ca, Wealthica
CRA’s method: They do not track ACB for you

Multiple Brokerages

If you hold the same security at different brokerages:

Rule	You Must
Same security = one ACB	Combine purchases across all accounts
Calculate average	Total cost ÷ total shares
Each sale	Uses the combined ACB

T5008 vs Other Slips

Slip	Reports	Triggers
T5008	Proceeds from sales	You calculate gain
T5	Dividends, interest	Investment income
T3	Trust distributions	May include cap gains

What If You Don’t Receive a T5008?

Situation	Action
Under $25 threshold	Still report on Schedule 3
Transfer to another brokerage	No T5008 needed
In RRSP/TFSA	No T5008 issued (registered)

Always report all securities sales, even without a slip.

Key Deadlines

Deadline	Description
February 28	Brokerages issue T5008s
April 30	Tax filing deadline
3 years back	Carry-back capital losses
Indefinitely	Carry-forward capital losses

Tips for T5008 Filing

Track ACB throughout the year, not just at tax time
Keep trade confirmations for all purchases
Don’t trust Box 21 — calculate your own ACB
Watch for superficial losses near year-end
Report losses even if you had no gains this year

→ Back to: Complete Canadian Tax Guide