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Canadian nanny payroll for household employers

Nanny payroll in Canada, without the agency price tag

RoostPay works out your nanny's CPP, EI, and income tax on every pay run, so you know exactly what to pay and what to remit. It also keeps your nanny's schedule and tracks overtime, so approved hours flow straight into pay.

$24/month or $228/year

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Cancel anytime

After the free 30-day trial, the plan renews at $24/month or $228/year until you cancel.

A RoostPay pay run showing vacation pay, stat pay, CPP, EI and income tax, and net pay of $1,911.97 October remittance in progress: $1,244.69 owed, due November 15, 2026
A phone showing a RoostPay nanny payroll run with CPP, EI and income tax, next to the month's remittance amount and due date, in a bright family kitchen where a parent packs a lunch

How nanny payroll works in RoostPay

If your nanny works on your schedule in your home, you are the employer, and RoostPay is built for that. It works out nanny taxes, CPP, and EI on each pay run, prepares the paperwork, and gives you the exact amount so you can pay your nanny your usual way.

  1. Approve the hours

    You and your nanny share a schedule, and each shift waits for your approval before it lands in payroll.

  2. Review the pay run

    RoostPay works out CPP, EI, income tax, vacation pay, and stat holiday pay, and it includes room and board when your live-in nanny has it.

  3. Pay your nanny your usual way

    You pay your nanny however you normally do, and RoostPay gives you the exact amount and a pay stub for them. At year end, RoostPay prepares the T4 and T4 Summary, ready for you to file. If the job ends, it prepares the ROE for you to submit.

Three pending shifts for one nanny waiting for approval in RoostPay, in a front hallway with a stroller and a yellow rain jacket

What RoostPay works out each pay run

On every pay run, RoostPay works out CPP, EI, income tax, vacation pay, and stat holiday pay, and tells you exactly what to remit to the CRA and when.

RoostPay pay run showing income tax, CPP and EI withheld from the nanny's pay, the employer's share, and net pay of $1,911.97, beside an adult stacking toy blocks RoostPay remittance list showing the amount owed and due date for each month, on a sunny kitchen counter

At year end

At year end, RoostPay prepares your nanny's T4 and gives you the T4 and T4 Summary, ready for you to file at tax time. When the job ends, RoostPay prepares the ROE for you to submit to Service Canada.

When you want the longer version, here is how to file a nanny T4 slip and how a nanny record of employment works.

RoostPay year-end screen for preparing the T4 slip and T4 Summary, on a table by a frosty window

RoostPay vs payroll services and spreadsheets

Most families end up choosing between a payroll service, a spreadsheet, or an app. RoostPay is the app, with Canadian nanny payroll on one flat plan.

RoostPay compared with nanny payroll services and a spreadsheet
Feature RoostPay Payroll services Spreadsheet
Monthly price $24/month or $228/year, unlimited employees Often a higher monthly fee, sometimes per employee The time you spend on every pay run
CPP, EI, and income tax Worked out each pay run, with the amount to remit and the due date Usually calculated for you, and you confirm who sends the CRA payment Hours spent calculating each pay
T4 and ROE T4 and T4 Summary ready to file at year end, and the ROE prepared when the job ends Often prepared, sometimes for an extra fee You build them from your notes
Pay stubs On your nanny's own screen after each pay run Depends on the service A document you put together
Schedule and hours Shared schedule in the app, with each shift confirmed before payroll Often kept in a separate tool A separate timesheet
Where it runs iPhone, Android, and the web Often a desktop portal The file you already keep

On iPhone, Android and the web

You can run payroll on iPhone, Android, or the web, whichever is handy. Your nanny opens their own screen for pay stubs and their TD1, and the pay stub shows hours, stat holiday pay, vacation pay, deductions, and net pay.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
A nanny's earnings statement from RoostPay showing hours, stat holiday pay, vacation pay, deductions and net pay

One plan: $24/month or $228/year

It covers unlimited employees. See RoostPay pricing.

$24/month or $228/year

Start your free 30-day trial

Cancel anytime

After the free 30-day trial, the plan renews at $24/month or $228/year until you cancel.

Nanny payroll Canada: common questions

How do I legally pay a nanny in Canada?

When a nanny works on your schedule in your home, you are the employer. You register a CRA payroll program account, withhold income tax, and remit employee and employer CPP and EI on the CRA schedule, while following your province's rules for minimum wage, vacation pay, and stat holiday pay. A pay stub goes with each pay, a T4 goes out by the end of February, and some provinces also ask you to register for workers' compensation. RoostPay works out the amounts and gives you the exact net pay and a pay stub, so you can pay your nanny your usual way, and it prepares the T4 and T4 Summary so they are ready for you to file.

Do I have to pay employer CPP and EI for a nanny?

Yes, in almost every case. You withhold your nanny's CPP and EI and add the employer shares: the employer EI premium is 1.4 times the employee premium, you match CPP, and a second CPP contribution (CPP2) applies on earnings above the first yearly earnings limit. RoostPay works out these amounts on each pay run, along with exactly what to remit to the CRA and when it is due.

How much does nanny payroll software cost in Canada?

RoostPay is $24/month, or $228/year, with unlimited employees. After the free 30-day trial, the plan renews monthly or yearly until you cancel, and you can cancel anytime. Nanny payroll services are often priced higher, while a spreadsheet costs the hours you spend on it.

Can I deduct nanny payroll costs on my Canadian taxes?

Child care expenses paid to a nanny can be claimed on Form T778, line 21400, when the rules are met. RoostPay keeps the pay records you need to back up that claim.

How do I set up payroll for a nanny in Canada?

Start by opening a CRA payroll program account, agreeing on the wage and hours, and having your nanny complete a TD1. From there, RoostPay keeps a shared schedule, works out CPP, EI, and income tax on each pay run, and gives you the exact amount and a pay stub. At year end it prepares the T4 and T4 Summary, ready for you to file.

Is there a nanny payroll app for Canada?

Yes. RoostPay is a nanny payroll app for Canadian households on iPhone, Android, and the web. Your nanny has their own screen for pay stubs and their TD1, and you both use the shared schedule.

What does RoostPay prepare for me at tax time?

RoostPay prepares your nanny's T4 and gives you the T4 and T4 Summary, ready for you to file at tax time.

Guides for nanny employers

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I'm Nick, a parent who built RoostPay after I ran our nanny's payroll in a spreadsheet. I wanted the CPP, EI, and tax for each pay run in one place, so I could leave the spreadsheet behind.

$24/month or $228/year

Start your free 30-day trial

Cancel anytime

After the free 30-day trial, the plan renews at $24/month or $228/year until you cancel.