(NC)-Many newcomers to Canada miss out on benefits that could be putting money in their pockets. How? They don't file an income tax return! This tax season, the Canada Revenue Agency is encouraging all newcomers to file a return. This includes permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, and foreign students.
Even if you have no income to report or tax to pay, you may be eligible for certain payments or credits such as:
• the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit;
• Canada Child Tax Benefit payments; and
• provincial or territorial tax credits and benefits (such as the Ontario Child Benefit, the Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit, and the B.C. Low Income Climate Action Tax Credit, to name a few).
To receive these payments, you have to file a tax return. Don't forget that if you are a resident of Canada for part or all of a year, you have to file a tax return if you owe tax, or if you want to receive a refund because you paid too much tax in the year. The CRA has help available at www.cra.gc.ca or at 1-800-959-8281 (individual returns) or 1-800-387-1193 (child and family benefits).
April 30, 2009, is the deadline for most people to file their tax returns. Even if you don't owe money, file your return by April 30th to avoid delays in getting money from benefits or credits. The CRA can help if you're having a difficult time filing your tax return. The CRA's Community Volunteer Income Tax Program offers tax help for individuals who have a simple tax-filing situation, are unable to complete their returns themselves, and are unable to pay for assistance. To find out if you're eligible, go to www.cra.gc.ca/volunteer, or call the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program at 1-800-959-8281.
- News Canada