Filing Taxes during 1st year in Canada

[AkkiV]

Hello everyone,
hope you all are keeping safe.
I landed in Canada this February and have been working remotely for my company abroad.
Wanted to check if I can file taxes (for year 2020 I guess)?
I believe I won't have to pay any taxes as I was not even in Canada last year and no income was being generated here.
Want to file them as they will count towards my citizenship later.

I realize I have missed the April 30 deadline, is there something I can do now?

 

[YVR123]

Hello everyone,
hope you all are keeping safe.
I landed in Canada this February and have been working remotely for my company abroad.
Wanted to check if I can file taxes (for year 2020 I guess)?
I believe I won't have to pay any taxes as I was not even in Canada last year and no income was being generated here.
Want to file them as they will count towards my citizenship later.

I realize I have missed the April 30 deadline, is there something I can do now?

If you just landed on Feb 2021, you do not need to file tax for 2020.

 

[AkkiV]

If you just landed on Feb 2021, you do not need to file tax for 2020.

@YVR123 thanks for replying. I can't do so even if I wish to? Was thinking it would help later towards getting citizenship.

 

[YVR123]

@YVR123 thanks for replying. I can't do so even if I wish to? Was thinking it would help later towards getting citizenship.

If you were not here in 2020, there is nothing about citizenship you can "proof" in that period of time. Only physical days in Canada counts towards citizenship application requirement.

File your 2021 tax next year.

 

[AkkiV]

If you were not here in 2020, there is nothing about citizenship you can "proof" in that period of time. Only physical days in Canada counts towards citizenship application requirement.

File your 2021 tax next year.

Thanks again. Got it! Someone told me you need to make at least 3 income-tax returns apart from the physical residency requirements so thought about availing this opportunity to file one.

 

[YVR123]

Thanks again. Got it! Someone told me you need to make at least 3 income-tax returns apart from the physical residency requirements so thought about availing this opportunity to file one.

That's not accurate. You need to be in Canada for 3 years before you can apply (not exact days but roughtly 3 years), so the actual wording is closer to have you been filing tax in the previous (3) years when you are required to. So it's not useful to file for a tax year that you are not really here.

Count your days and record all travel in and out of Canada in case you do frequent travel (prob not during COVID but we learn it the hard way when we did all the gas filling/grocery shopping trips back then) .