Taxation & CCB for new Immigrants landing on June 2019

[cookie.monster]

Hello All,

I, along with my wife and 18 months daughter will land permanently in Vancouver, BC, in June 2019. My wife was a housewife back home while I was working as a Software Engineer. We don't have any jobs in Canada. I plan to search for a job while my wife intends to study once we land here.

My questions are:

1) I understand that once we land in June 2019, we can apply for child care benefits as soon as we get SIN. Is this understanding correct?

2) Since we are new immigrants, and as per the Canadian law, the last date of filing 2018 tax return was April 30, 2019, do we still need to file tax returns this year OR do we need to file them for the first time next year?

3) If we don't need to file tax returns, does it have any impact on CCB benefits or we will get them next year after we file our tax returns next year?

4) If we do need to file tax returns, do we need to report annual tax incomes in the home currency converted to CAD and show documentation or do we file them based on income in Canada which would be 0 for both of us in June 2019.

5) Is there an online software (possibly free) that can be used to file tax returns?

Any guidance in this regard would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canuck78]

1. Yes if you are PR.

2. You have to file next year.

3. You can get CCB this year but you have to provide proof of the international income you earned for the past 2 years.

4. Yes you will have to report international income for 2019. Will also depend on whether their is a tax treaty with the other country.

5. If you make more than a minimal income you will likely have to pay for the software but it isn’t very expensive.

 

[cookie.monster]

Thanks @canuck78 for the response.
Yes we are PR.

Clarification needed regarding point 4.
Since we don’t need to file tax returns this year, when we’re going to file tax returns in 2020, the tax year will be from Jan 2019 - December 2019.

Assuming that I get a job in Canada by June 2019, would i need to convert my salaries earned in home country from Jan 2019 - May 2019 and combine it with earnings obtained from June 2019 - December 2019 in Canada and pay taxes on it. I have already paid taxes from Jan to May in home country.

Combining both periods of international income from Jan - May and then canadian income from June - Dec may increase the tax slab.

My home country is Pakistan and it doesn’t have any tax treaty with Canada.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks @canuck78 for the response.
Yes we are PR.

Clarification needed regarding point 4.
Since we don’t need to file tax returns this year, when we’re going to file tax returns in 2020, the tax year will be from Jan 2019 - December 2019.

Assuming that I get a job in Canada by June 2019, would i need to convert my salaries earned in home country from Jan 2019 - May 2019 and combine it with earnings obtained from June 2019 - December 2019 in Canada and pay taxes on it. I have already paid taxes from Jan to May in home country.

Combining both periods of international income from Jan - May and then canadian income from June - Dec may increase the tax slab.

My home country is Pakistan and it doesn’t have any tax treaty with Canada.

No, you will not need to declare income earned before moving to Canada for tax purposes. You will just need to report it for benefit calculation purposes.

 

[cookie.monster]

@canuck78. Thank you for the responses.