Guide · Canada · Updated June 1, 2026 · Reviewed by the NorthOS team

Side Hustle Taxes in Canada When You Run More Than One Gig

Plenty of Canadians run more than one side hustle: a bit of Uber, a bit of Etsy, some freelance work on the side. The CRA does not look at each one in isolation. They combine into a single self-employment income figure, and that changes the math in ways people do not expect.

Many gigs, one number

The CRA taxes you as a person, not as a collection of side hustles. Whatever each gig nets after its own expenses gets added together into one self-employment income figure. That combined figure is what your CPP and income tax are calculated on.

This matters most for two things people assume reset per gig: the $3,500 CPP basic exemption and your tax brackets. You get one exemption on the combined total, and every dollar of side hustle profit stacks on top of your other income for bracket purposes.

Worked example: three gigs at $10,000 each

Say you net $10,000 from Uber, $10,000 from Etsy, and $10,000 from freelance design. It is tempting to think of three small, low-tax incomes. The CRA sees one $30,000 self-employment income.

  • Combined net self-employment income: $30,000
  • CPP basic exemption (once, not three times): $3,500
  • CPP: ($30,000 − $3,500) × 11.9% = $3,153.50

On top of that CPP, the full $30,000 stacks onto any other income you have (a day job, for example) when your income tax bracket is worked out. Three $10,000 gigs do not get three fresh sets of low brackets.

Your province still matters

Federal tax is the same across the country, but provincial rates are not, so the same stacked income keeps a different amount depending on where you live. The side hustle calculator applies your province’s 2026 brackets to the combined total.

Track each gig, report the total

Keep the books for each gig separate during the year so you can claim the right expenses against the right income. At tax time, the CRA generally wants a separate T2125 for each distinct business, but the net results are added together. For how to actually fill those out, see NorthOS’s line-by-line T2125 guide.

This guide is general information, not tax advice. CPP rates and brackets are 2026 figures. For T2125, GST/HST, and full bookkeeping, see NorthOS.

Frequently asked questions

Do I get a separate tax exemption for each side hustle?
No. All of your self-employment income combines into one net figure first. The $3,500 CPP basic exemption applies once to that combined total, not once per gig. The same goes for your income tax brackets: every dollar of side hustle profit stacks on top of your other income.
Do I file a separate T2125 for each gig?
Often yes. The CRA generally expects a separate T2125 (Statement of Business Activities) for each distinct business, but the resulting net incomes are added together on your return. The combined figure is what CPP and income tax are calculated on. NorthOS has a line-by-line T2125 guide.
Does adding a second gig push me into a higher tax bracket?
Only the income above each bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate, not all of your income. But yes, stacking gigs raises your total income, so the last dollars can land in a higher bracket and can also trigger CPP2 once you pass $74,600 of net income.
When do multiple gigs trigger GST/HST registration?
The $30,000 small-supplier threshold is based on your total revenue across all your businesses combined, not per gig. If your gigs together pass $30,000 over four consecutive quarters, you generally have to register. NorthOS covers the registration mechanics.

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