Is tax filing required for PR renewal and/or citizenship application even for non resident years

[ustocanada49]

Hi Everyone,
I landed in Dec 2018 but only visited Canada for below days each year
2018 - 3 days
2019 - 6 days
2020 - 61 days
2021 - 10 days
I did not file taxes for above years as tax consultants had said I need not since I didn't live for me than 6 months in any of the years and had $0 income from Canadian sources.
However, a friend of mine said I should because from an immigration perspective, IRCC can ask me for them for PR renewal and citizenship applications.

I , how ever, did file for 2022 since I moved to Canada in that year and been living here since.

I wanted to check if anyone here has faced issue if they did not file taxes for the years they did not live.

Thanks very much in advance

 

[steaky]

Hi Everyone,
I landed in Dec 2018 but only visited Canada for below days each year
2018 - 3 days
2019 - 6 days
2020 - 61 days
2021 - 10 days
I did not file taxes for above years as tax consultants had said I need not since I didn't live for me than 6 months in any of the years and had $0 income from Canadian sources.
However, a friend of mine said I should because from an immigration perspective, IRCC can ask me for them for PR renewal and citizenship applications.

I , how ever, did file for 2022 since I moved to Canada in that year and been living here since.

I wanted to check if anyone here has faced issue if they did not file taxes for the years they did not live.

Thanks very much in advance

You will face issue if you apply either of them when you don't meet the required days of residency.

 

[canuck78]

Hi Everyone,
I landed in Dec 2018 but only visited Canada for below days each year
2018 - 3 days
2019 - 6 days
2020 - 61 days
2021 - 10 days
I did not file taxes for above years as tax consultants had said I need not since I didn't live for me than 6 months in any of the years and had $0 income from Canadian sources.
However, a friend of mine said I should because from an immigration perspective, IRCC can ask me for them for PR renewal and citizenship applications.

I , how ever, did file for 2022 since I moved to Canada in that year and been living here since.

I wanted to check if anyone here has faced issue if they did not file taxes for the years they did not live.

Thanks very much in advance

Tax residency status depends on more than days in Canada. It is days in Canada or ties to Canada. Had you contacted CRA to inform them you were out of the country from 2018 to 2022?

 

[ustocanada49]

Tax residency status depends on more than days in Canada. It is days in Canada or ties to Canada. Had you contacted CRA to inform them you were out of the country from 2018 to 2022?

Yes, in 2020, I had contacted a CPA who said I don't need to since I didn't live more than 6 months and hence don't meet the requirement to file. I only was visiting. I did have a credit card and bank account that I had opened right after landing and used for emergency funds transfer during visits. My wife and kids did not come with me to Canada until last year.

I even spoke to another tax consultant this month about past years and she said why do you want to file when you are not required to. She said immigration requirements might be different but from a Tax perspective, I don't need to.Since she was also an immigrant, she said she doesn't think there is any such requirement to file if you didn't live here and that I am thinking too much. Still, I wanted to know from others experience if they faced any difficulties if they didn't file in case like mine. Better to be safe than sorry when it's time to file for immigration benefits.

 

[IndianBos]

If you were not a tax resident for Canada, you don't need to file returns. I became a PR in 2015, and spent only 5-6 days each year in Canada till I finally moved in 2018.
I started filing taxes from 2018 when I established a residence here and moved here for good.

 

[ustocanada49]

If you were not a tax resident for Canada, you don't need to file returns. I became a PR in 2015, and spent only 5-6 days each year in Canada till I finally moved in 2018.
I started filing taxes from 2018 when I established a residence here and moved here for good.

Oh, have you filed for PR renewal or Citizenship yet? Everything went smooth?

 

[IndianBos]

Oh, have you filed for PR renewal or Citizenship yet? Everything went smooth?

PR renewal was smooth, I renewed after spending 800 days on PR. Citizenship is in progress, test complete.

 

[canuck78]

Yes, in 2020, I had contacted a CPA who said I don't need to since I didn't live more than 6 months and hence don't meet the requirement to file. I only was visiting. I did have a credit card and bank account that I had opened right after landing and used for emergency funds transfer during visits. My wife and kids did not come with me to Canada until last year.

I even spoke to another tax consultant this month about past years and she said why do you want to file when you are not required to. She said immigration requirements might be different but from a Tax perspective, I don't need to.Since she was also an immigrant, she said she doesn't think there is any such requirement to file if you didn't live here and that I am thinking too much. Still, I wanted to know from others experience if they faced any difficulties if they didn't file in case like mine. Better to be safe than sorry when it's time to file for immigration benefits.

Important for others reading to contact CRA if you have a SIN# bit are leaving Canada for an extended amount of time. CRA can also determine if you are a tax resident or not. Some are under the false impression that is only based on days within Canada. Some do chose to file a tax return as a non-resident and some confuse mailing address and residential address (assume this may be on purpose some time) but it is important that CRA knows that you are not a resident so you aren’t receiving benefits you aren’t entitled to and committing tax fraud. People receiving benefits incorrectly will have to pay them back with a penalty so not receiving the benefits in the first place is the best idea. Reporting that you are abroad also can prevent identity fraud.