EI premium calculator 2026
Enter your insurable earnings to see the EI premiums that come off your pay in 2026 and what your employer pays on top.
Quebec has a lower EI rate and its own parental insurance plan (QPIP).
How it's calculated
- EI is charged on insurable earnings up to $68,900 a year.
- The employee rate is 1.63% outside Quebec and 1.3% in Quebec.
- The employer pays 2.282% outside Quebec and 1.82% in Quebec, on the same earnings.
An example
On $50,000 outside Quebec you pay $815 of EI premiums and your employer pays $1,141.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum EI premium in 2026?
$1,123.07 for an employee outside Quebec and $895.70 in Quebec, reached at $68,900 of insurable earnings.
Why does my employer pay more than I do?
The employer rate is 1.4 times the employee rate: 2.282% against 1.63%.
Do EI premiums lower my income tax?
Yes. Your EI premiums give you a non-refundable federal and provincial tax credit.
Key terms
- Insurable earnings
- The pay on which EI premiums are charged, up to $68,900 a year in 2026.
- QPIP
- Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, which pays parental benefits in Quebec instead of EI.
Up-to-date official data
Data checked against the official source on .
We check the official sources automatically, every day.
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