Calculators
RRSP contribution optimizer
The best RRSP contribution isn't the maximum — it's the one that deducts every dollar at your highest rate. This finds it for your income and province, prices the refund, and shows what the refund becomes in a TFSA.
Your situation
Your exact RRSP room is on your CRA notice of assessment. Your marginal rate right now is 43.4%%.
The sweet spot
Contributing $2,955.00 takes you to the top of the federal bracket below — every dollar of it deducted at your highest rate. That refunds about $1,220.76, so the contribution really costs you $1,734.24.
Put that refund straight into your TFSA and at 5% real it becomes $3,239.05 in 20 years — the classic move: deduct at your top rate, then never pay tax on the refund's growth.
Refund by contribution
Green is the government's share — the part of each contribution that comes back as a refund.
Every amount
| Contribution | Refund | Effective rate | Real cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop a federal bracket$2,955.00 | $1,220.76 | 41.3% | $1,734.24 |
| $5,000$5,000.00 | $1,994.51 | 39.9% | $3,005.49 |
| $10,000$10,000.00 | $3,689.11 | 36.9% | $6,310.89 |
| $15,000$15,000.00 | $5,289.36 | 35.3% | $9,710.64 |
| $20,000$20,000.00 | $6,863.36 | 34.3% | $13,136.64 |
| $25,000$25,000.00 | $8,371.65 | 33.5% | $16,628.35 |
| Contribute all your room$30,000.00 | $9,854.15 | 32.8% | $20,145.85 |
The effective rate falls as you contribute more — later dollars are deducted from lower brackets. That's the whole argument for spreading contributions across years instead of dumping everything into one. Estimates only; not tax advice.