Canadian Residency Changed Twice in a Year

[Abu Hassaan]

Dear Forum Members,

I became non-resident in May 2019 and declared non-residency by calling CRA. Later, I had to come back to Canada and became resident again in November 2019 and declared residency again by calling CRA.

Now I am filing my tax returns for 2019 using desktop version of TurboTax. I checked "Did your residency changed in 2019" and tried to entered both dates, when I left Canada and when I returned Canada but software considered me non-resident and didn't allow me to NETFILE. Upon further investigations, I came to know that the CRA forms ask question as "OR" that enter date when you became resident or ceased residency. It looks like CRA forms as well as TurboTax software doesn't address my situation in which I first became non-resident and then resident in 2019.

I wonder if anyone else had come across to similar situation? Wat should I do? Should I just declare the residency date because that is the latest and current situation in my case or I have to provide on non-residency date because it may be linked to calculation of taxes as I have income in Canada? Kindly guide me if someone can.

 

[steaky]

First of all, you don't change tax residency just by calling CRA. You need file the declaration.

 

[Abu Hassaan]

First of all, you don't change tax residency just by calling CRA. You need file the declaration.

When I called CRA to ask for the same; they confirmed that they can update my file for residency and they did. We declared non-residency as family and CCB were stopped. When we came back to Canada, I called again and they did confirm that it can be done over phone and we started receiving CCB again. My wife spoke for two representatives; one for CCB and one for tax purposes.

 

[steaky]

When I called CRA to ask for the same; they confirmed that they can update my file for residency and they did. We declared non-residency as family and CCB were stopped. When we came back to Canada, I called again and they did confirm that it can be done over phone and we started receiving CCB again. My wife spoke for two representatives; one for CCB and one for tax purposes.

What is the benefit to become non resident for such short period (6months)? Did you file an exit return when you talked to them in May?

 

[canuck78]

You would be considered a tax resident for the whole year since you were gone for less than 6 months.