International Tax Services Office

1. International Tax Services Office Welcome to Canada International Students

2. Session objective • To give you important information on how to file an income tax return as a newcomer to Canada. • To tell you about Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) services that can help you and where you can get more information. • Brief overview of residency and how it affects tax.

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

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

5. 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.

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: www.cra.gc.ca/internationalstudents

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 should be for a province or territory. • Resident for the province where you normally resided on December 31st 2008

16. How to complete a return ?

17. Income tax return – “Identification” area No social insurance number (SIN)? • Contact a Social Development Canada (SDC) office for information about applying for a SIN. 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 Web site at www.cra.gc.ca, or by calling 1-800-959-2221.

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 2008, put in your date of entry

23. GST/HST Credit and Foreign Property Reporting

24. Total Income

25. 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: www.bankofcanada.ca

26. Information Slips • T4 Employment Income • T4A Other Income • T5 Statement of Investment Income • T2202A Tuition, Education and Textbook Amounts Certificate

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

28. T4 Information Slip 2008 L. 101 QC

29. 2008 310 00 10,391 58 ON 116 00

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

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

32. 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”

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

34. 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.

35. Scholarship Income (line 130)2005 and previous years • Report the total amount of the scholarship income minus $3,000 if you are entitled to the education amount (see line 323);otherwise • Report the total amount of the scholarship income minus $500.

36. Deductions • Deductions (e.g., child-care expenses, union dues) are deducted from your total income. • Some deductions may not apply to you for your first year in Canada. For example, a newcomer cannot deduct movingexpenses to move into Canada.

37. Net and Taxable Income

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 Are there exemptions under a tax treaty? • Call the International Tax Services Office at: 1-800-267-5177 • 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. Non-Refundable Tax Credits Personal amounts Tuition fees Education amount Medical expenses Refundable Tax Credits Provincial property tax credit Sales tax credit Credits

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, 2008. 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 $9,600.00 = $6,312.33 365 days in 2008 Jane will enter $6,312.33 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 amount 2006 and future years 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.