Filing Tax
- Thread starter Shaneg788
- Start date
Irrespective of whether or not you lived in Canada, you'll have to let IRCC know if you filed taxes or not in the past 5 years. Your application would be considered incomplete if you skip any year in the past 5 years.
If you did not file taxes AND you were NOT REQUIRED to file taxes, there shouldn't be any issues - You can check "No" for both "Were you required to file taxes" and "Did you file taxes" for the year 2020. Check with your tax consultant to confirm if you had to file taxes or not.
Last edited:
For citizenship, you only have to file for a certain number of years in the preceding 5, not all years. That is a specific requirement and the only thing IRCC will look for. You have an obligation to file tax returns, but you do not have to report anything or any changes to the IRCC. Indeed, IRCC will require you permission to see if you have indeed filed returns as per the requirements for citizenship, which permission you would presumably give them anyway.
I don't want to presume any lack of awareness on you part, but I should note a confusion that many seem to run into---that filing tax returns in Canada is quite different from actually paying taxes in Canada. If the country has a tax agreement with Canada (and Ireland most likely has), then you can file as a "deemed resident" ... not easy to explain, but roughly, you pay taxes in that other country and also file in Canada ... but only for tax purposes (not immigration etc.) you are considered to be a resident of Canada. In short, you can file just to say "I an filing and I owe nothing".
As for "only tick the boxes that you lived and worked in Canada", I suggest you provide whatever information is required. For sure, if you "spent the entire year of 2020 living in Ireland", then it will have to show up somewhere in the information you provide, or you will be asked about it when the "residency" part of your application is examined.
Ok, I know that, but for 2020, would I just tick the NO box for taxes filed? I didn't file taxes as I did not live or work in Canada that year
See my answer. If n doubt check:
(1) Requirements for a PR to file tax returns.
(2) Tax agreements between Canada and Ireland.
(3) Filing taxes as a "deemed resident": What Is the Difference Between Factual and Deemed Residency? | 2021 TurboTax® Canada Tips (intuit.ca)
Are you bothering to read any response at all?
Last edited:
Whether you are a tax resident depends on more than how much time you spent in Canada. Also depends on your ties to Canada, like property, immediate family, investments, etc. CRA is the only one that can determine your tax residency status. Unless you have no ties to Canada then I'd suggest contacting CRA so they can determine your residency status.