Your first Canadian tax return sets up everything that follows
- Filing rule
- Arrived by Dec 31
- Residency starts
- Day you arrive
- Typical newcomer benefit
- Around $2,000
Newcomers to Canada
What you need to know first
Your first tax return is doing far more work than calculating tax. It registers you with the CRA, starts your benefit entitlements, produces the Notice of Assessment you will be asked for by landlords and lenders, and begins building the RRSP room you will use for years.
This holds even if you arrived in December and earned nothing at all. Zero income is a valid return, and for a newcomer it is frequently a profitable one.
“I arrived in November and didn't work, so I have nothing to file.”
If you were in Canada on or before December 31, you file for that year. A nil return still triggers the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit), provincial credits and - if you have children - the Canada Child Benefit.
What we claim for you
The credits and deductions that apply here
Specific to your situation, not a generic checklist.
8 claims we check for you
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
A quarterly payment for lower-income residents, formerly the GST/HST credit. Filing is the application.
Provincial credits
Ontario's Trillium Benefit, BC's family benefit and their equivalents, paid to residents who have filed.
Canada Child Benefit
A monthly, tax-free payment per child. For newcomers this is often the largest single amount available.
Notice of Assessment
The document landlords, banks and immigration processes ask for. Filing is the only way to get one.
Refund of over-withheld tax
Starting a job mid-year often means too much tax was withheld across the year.
RRSP contribution room
Room accrues from earned income reported on a filed return. Skip a year and you skip the room.
A clean CRA record
Gaps are far harder and more expensive to fix later than they are to avoid now.
Spousal credit
If your spouse has little or no income, including a spouse still living abroad, this can meaningfully reduce your tax.
Before you message us
Have these ready
Not all of it is essential. Send what you have and we'll tell you what's missing.
- Your exact date of arrival in Canada
- SIN for you and your spouse, if you have one
- T4 slips from any Canadian employment
- Your spouse's income for the year, including income earned abroad
- Children's names, dates of birth and landing dates
- Rent receipts, if you rent
- Bank details for direct deposit
Questions
Newcomers to Canada: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask us most.
I just landed this year. Do I need to file?
Is it true newcomers can get around $2,000 back?
My spouse is still overseas. Do I include them?
Do I have to report income I earned before arriving?
How do I apply for the Canada Child Benefit?
Services
What you'll likely need
Let's get your taxes sorted
Message us on WhatsApp and one of our tax experts will walk you through exactly what we need. No obligation, no pressure.