You can start the process to claim the tax back from the previous year as soon as you receive your T4 from your employer, which is usually given to you in January or February. CRA are expected to open their online tax filing system and start accepting tax filings in the last week of February. It is also possible to claim back tax from any of the last several years

A T4 is a slip provided to you from your employer(s) which shows your total earnings and total tax paid over the financial year. You request this from your employer(s), who are required to provide it to you. You should receive you T4 for the prior financial year in January or February.

Most people who arrive in Canada and become Canadian tax residents typically receive a refund in the first year of filing. But that is a general rule of thumb. Eligibility to a refund purely depends on whether you employers were over or under taxing your pay cheques. We find employers typically over tax newcomers, thereby resulting in a refund. Some people are under taxed by their employers and unfortunately owe additional tax to CRA when filing their tax return.

Tax residency can be a bit of a grey area and in some cases can be open to interpretation. As a general rule if you arrive in Canada and spend (or plan on spending) longer than 6 months residing here you are considered a tax resident. If you arrive at the end of the tax year in November, but are planning on staying in Canada for a full 12 months then you can be considered a newcomer tax resident even though you would have spent only 2 months in the country. If you arrive in Canada in May and then leave for good in August you would be considered a non-resident as you were only residing in Canada for 4 months. If you are unsure of your tax residency we can provide a more in depth determination for you.

When people refer to the filing deadline they usually mean April 30. It is however possible to file after April 30. This date is the date by which people who owe funds to CRA are required to file to avoid late filing fees. If you are due a refund there are no penalties for filing after April 30

Filing your tax return on time will ensure those who qualify for the GST/HST credit will receive their first payment on time

The GST/HST credit is a non taxable payment made each quarter of the year to those who qualify. To qualify you must have income below a certain threshold. If you are a first time filer, we will provide guidance on how to apply.

The most common expenses that can be claimed are for individuals who are required to work from home, or required to drive their own vehicle for work, or have incurred medical expenses during the year. If you incurred expenses to earn your income and are unsure of whether they can be claimed on your tax return please let us know.

If you are a student then you will have a T2202A, which is a form provided to you from your educational institution. By declaring the T2202A on your tax return it may help you qualify to receive a larger tax return than normal.

However, if you have not paid a large sum of tax during the last financial year it may not help you receive a larger return. Not to worry, if it does not help you receive a larger return this year you can also use it the following year. Be sure to keep a copy safe in case you want to use it next year.

If applicable, a T2202A issued from your school may help you receive a larger tax return. However if you have not surpassed your tax free threshold by a large amount during the previous tax period period, you may already be entitled to the majority of your tax back.

We will help you decide whether or not to use the T2202A tax credits in order for you to get the best result, as you can save your it for a future year which may help you gain a much larger return in the future.

Unfortunately, the transit tax credit was abolished in 2017.

Signing up to direct deposit makes life easier. Rather than receiving a cheque you can have the funds quickly deposited directly into your account.

If you have already completed a tax return in the past you will be able to call CRA on 1-800-959-8281 and you will be able to set up your direct deposit over the phone, at the same time you may also want to update your address details over the phone as well. In years gone by, tax filers like us were able to update direct deposit details on behalf of our clients, unfortunately CRA no longer allow this.

Ask the team how to sign up to direct deposit if you are unsure.

After receiving all of your information we will file your return within 48 hours, and from there it is in CRA’s (Canadian Revenue Agency) hands. Their processing times can vary, but generally it can take 2 – 4 weeks from the date the return was efiled, but is often quicker.

Contact CRA directly and they will provide you with an update (+1 800-959-8281). We are unfortunately not able to do this on your behalf.

Once we have filed your return it is then down to the CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency) to process the claim. To check the status give them a call on (+1 800-959-8281). We are unfortunately not able to do this on your behalf.

Although CRA recommends filing by the end of April, there is no strictly enforced deadline unless you are self-employed, in which case the official deadline for filing your tax return is June 15.

After this date you can still file your self-employed return, but you will be subject to paying a late filing fee.

The reason you are encouraged to submit your tax return as early as possible is so that any tax credits or benefits you are entitled to are not delayed, so it is indeed good practice.

No! This is a rumour that seems to circulate a lot among foreign workers, perhaps because in other countries such as England the tax season runs from April – April, but it is certainly not correct here in Canada.

You are eligible to start working on your tax filing just as soon as you receive your T4 from your employer or employers.

Nope! You can submit your tax return up to 10 years prior.

Although this can sometimes be a little messy which could delay any potential refunds, you are able to file a return from a previous year.

Incorrect! Even after leaving Canada you are entitled to claim tax that you paid while you were here.

We often see overseas workers leave without knowing or bothering to claim their tax, which can amount to several hundred dollars, or even thousands of dollars in some cases. Crazy!

You are also not required to have a Canadian bank account, so don’t let that put you off filling in your return.

This is the most important point to make, as at JacksTaxBack.com our average tax return for the past few years was over $800, so you could be eligible for a reasonable refund amount!

Even if you only worked a short period of time you could still be eligible to a refund.