Filing your first Canadian tax return as a newcomer

Newcomers file a T1 for the year they become a resident. You report world income from the day you became a resident, not for the months you still lived abroad. Canadian-source income before that date, if you had any, can belong on a non-resident return instead.

What we need from you

Filing is also how the GST/HST credit and Canada Child Benefit get started. People who skip the first return because income was low often leave those benefits on the table. The personal tax form on this site is the checklist we use.

• Date you landed or otherwise became a resident, and your province on December 31.
• SIN, date of birth, address, and marital status. A spouse’s world income after landing affects credits even when it is not taxed in Canada the same way.
• Foreign employment income, converted to Canadian dollars, plus any foreign tax paid.
• T4s from Canadian work, and tuition or rent if you want those credits.