What it generally represents
A T4A can report pension, retirement, annuity, lump-sum, self-employed commission, scholarship, and other income. The box and underlying arrangement matter.
Not shorthand for self-employment
Some contractors receive T4A information, but a T4A can also contain income unrelated to a business. Employment status depends on the real working relationship and applicable rules.
Why withholding matters
Some T4A income may have little or no tax deducted. Beaver Ledger’s current refund estimator does not model business expenses, self-employed CPP, instalments, GST/HST remittances, or T2125 results.
Official references