1. International Tax Services Office
Welcome to Canada
International Students
International Tax Services Office

2. Session objective
To give you important information on how to file an income tax return as a newcomer to Canada.
Brief overview of residency and how it affects tax.
To tell you about the tools and resources offered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that are available to help you file your tax returns.

3. Canada’s tax system Based on residency not on citizenship.
Self-assessment system means you are responsible for reporting your income and paying the correct amount of income tax.

4. Resident of Canada
Am I a resident of Canada for tax and credit purposes?
At the Canada Revenue Agency, we consider you to be a resident of Canada for tax and credit purposes when you establish residential ties in Canada.
You usually establish these ties on the date you arrive in Canada.

5. Residential Ties in Canada
Dwelling place available
Spouse and/or dependents
Personal property
Memberships
Economic ties

6. Residency Why is residency important?
A resident of Canada pays tax in Canada on his or her world income.
You must be a resident of Canada to be eligible for social benefits (GSTC and CCTB).
A resident of Canada can claim all deductions and credits that apply to them to reduce their tax.

7. Residency Status Resident Non-Resident Deemed Resident
Deemed Non-Resident

8. Resident of Canada
An individual who enters Canada and who has established significant residential ties with Canada.

9. Deemed Resident
A deemed resident is a resident of another country who has sojourned in Canada for 183 days or more in a calendar year and has not established significant residential ties with Canada.

10. Non-Resident
A non-resident is a resident of another country who has not established significant residential ties with Canada.

11. Deemed Non-Resident
A deemed non-resident is an individual who under a tax treaty is considered a resident of another country.

12. More information Where can I get more information?
Publication T4055, Newcomers to Canada
Publication T4133, Are you a Newcomer to Canada?
Form NR74, Determination of Residency Status (Entering Canada)
Interpretation Bulletin IT221R3, Determination of an Individual’s Residence Status
CRA Web site:

13. Do you have to file?
You owe taxes
We sent you a request to file

14. Should you file?
You want to claim a refund of tax that has been withheld
Tuition and education amounts
Goods & Services Tax Credit / Harmonized
Sales Tax Credit (if eligible)
Canada Child Tax Benefit (if eligible)

15. Tax Package
The Canadian tax return comes in two booklets – one is a Guide and the other a Forms booklet. The Forms booklet is for a province or territory.
Resident
File under the province where you normally resided on December 31st 2011

16. How to complete a return ?

17. Income tax return – “Identification” area
No social insurance number (SIN)?
Contact a Service Canada (SC) office for information about applying for a SIN or visit their website for more information.
Can I use my expired 900 SIN to file my income tax return?
Yes—you can use your expired 900 SIN to file your income tax return.

18. No Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
Not allowed to get a SIN?
File Form T1261,
Application for a Canada Revenue Agency Individual Tax Number (ITN)

19. Information about your residence
Date of entry
Newcomers—enter the date you arrived in Canada.
We need this information to calculate any benefits that you may be entitled to.

20. How long in Canada?
Did you become a resident of Canada before last year?
If you became a resident before last year, you should file an income tax return for each year you lived in Canada.
You should put your date of entry only on the tax return for your first year in Canada.
You can get tax returns for previous years on our website at or by calling

21. Be sure this is an address where you can be reached between May and August

22. If you are a resident who entered Canada for the first time in 2011, put in your date of entry

23. GST/HST Credit and Foreign Property Reporting

24. Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax Credit
As a newcomer, you should:
complete Form RC151, GST/HST Credit Application for Individuals Who Become Residents of Canada; and
send the completed Form RC151 to the tax centre that serves your area.

26. World Income This is taxable from your date of entry.
Report world income in Canadian dollars.
Exchange rates are available from the Bank of Canada at:

27. Information Slips T4 Employment Income T4A Other Income
T Statement of Investment Income
T2202A Tuition, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate

28. Teacher – Research Assistants
Report employment income at line 101
See your T4 slip

29. T4 Information Slip
2011
L. 101 QC

30. 2011
310 00
10,391 58 ON
116 00

31. You can always refer to the reverse side of a slip for more information

32. T4A Other Income research grants Footnote Code 04= Research Grant
Scholarships and
research grants
05= Scholarship

33. Research Grants (line 104)
Report your net research grant
Subtract your expenses from your grant;
Your expenses cannot be more than your grant;
Attach to your return a list of your expenses.
For more information see IT-75 “Scholarships, Fellowships, Bursaries, Prizes, and Research Grants”

34. Other Income (line 130) Scholarship Bursaries Fellowship
Artist Project Grant
Prize for Achievement in field of study

35. Scholarship Income 2006 and future years
The full amount of scholarships, fellowships, or bursaries that are received by you as a student if you are entitled to the education amount (see line 323) are no longer reported as income on your tax return.
If you are not eligible for the education amount, report on line 130 only the amount that is more than $500.

36. Deductions
You may be entitled to deductions which may reduce your taxable income, for example:
Moving expenses
Child Care expenses
Other expenses

38. International students and moving expenses
An international student can deduct moving expenses if he or she is:
Attending post-secondary courses in Canada as a full-time student and;
Receiving taxable-award income (e.g., scholarship) after the move. You cannot deduct moving expenses against non-taxable scholarship, fellowship, and bursary income.
See Form T1-M for more information.

39. Foreign income Call the International Tax Services Office at:
Are there exemptions under a tax treaty?
Call the International Tax Services Office at:
Do I have to pay tax in both countries?
See “Federal foreign tax credit,” line 405, on Schedule 1.

40. Tax Credits

41. Tax Credits Help Reduce the Amount of Tax You Pay –
Non-refundable tax credits can only be used to reduce the amount of tax you pay to zero and any excess cannot be refunded
Refundable tax credits can be used to reduce the amount of tax you pay to zero and any excess may be refunded

42. Credits Non-Refundable Tax Credits Personal amounts Tuition fees
Education amount
Medical expenses
Refundable
Tax Credits
Provincial property tax credit
Sales tax credit

43. Schedule 1

44. Calculating federal non-refundable tax credits
You may have to prorate your non-refundable tax credits based on the number of days you are resident in Canada.
The rules are the same for calculating provincial or territorial non-refundable tax credits.

45. Example Jane arrived in Canada from Australia on May 6, 2011.
She entered “05-06” in the Identification area of her return. She calculated that from May 6 to December 31 there were 240 days.
Jane claims the basic personal amount calculated as follows:
240 days in Canada x $10, = $6,921.86
365 days in 2011
Jane will enter $6, on line 300 of her Schedule 1.

46. Claim full non-refundable tax credits?
Yes—if you have no income for the part of the year that you were not a resident of Canada.
Yes—if you meet the 90% rule for the part of the year you were not resident in Canada.
You must attach a note to your return showing your world income for the part of the year you were not resident in Canada.

47. Tuition, education, and textbook amount
Use Schedule 11
Take the information from T2202A

48. T2202A
Months full-time
Months part-time
Tuition Fees

49. Schedule 11

50. Textbook Amounts
You are eligible to claim an amount for textbooks only if you are entitled to claim the education amount.
The amount is:
$65 for each month you qualify for the full-time education amount; and
$20 for each month you qualify for the part-time education amount.

51. Public Transit Passes Amount
You can claim the cost of monthly public transit passes if you had Canadian source income during the year.
Public transit includes transit by local bus, streetcar, subway, commuter train or bus, and local ferry.
Receipts – Keep all your receipts and passes in case we ask to see them.

52. Canada Employment Amount
All employees are eligible to claim an employment tax credit.
Claim the lesser of:
$1,065; and
the amount reported at lines 101 and 104 of your return.

54. Filing Date On or before April 30th
On or before June 15th for self-employed individual
In all cases, any outstanding balance is due on or before April 30th

55. Mailing Your Return Newcomers should send their tax return to:
International Tax Services Office
Post Office Box 9769, Station T
Ottawa ON K1G 3Y4

56. T1 Adjustments
Reassessment requests should be sent using form T1-ADJ or with a detailed letter
Do not send in an amended return
For the years you are required to send your tax return to the International Tax Services Office, you must also send your reassessment requests for those same years to the International Tax Services Office

57. Canada Child Tax Benefit
As a newcomer, you:
Need to complete Form RC66, Canada Child Tax Benefit Application; and
May have to complete Schedule RC66SCH, Status in Canada/Statement of Income
Send your completed forms to the tax centre that serves your area.

58. More information For more information, you can call toll
free , or go to our Web
site at

59. Thank you