Income Tax & Canada

[OttawaPC]

Does anyone know if the information above is still relevant for the 2011 tax year? I'm starting to get everything organized, and the resulting headache is lovely. lol

It is the same as last year (please see page 69 in the GIH), but if you need any last minute clarifications please send me an email. I would recommend including a copy of page 229 in the GIH which is the translated version of your statement of earnings (Gensen choshu hyo).

[cherylmeryl]

It is the same as last year (please see page 69 in the GIH), but if you need any last minute clarifications please send me an email. I would recommend including a copy of page 229 in the GIH which is the translated version of your statement of earnings (Gensen choshu hyo).

Thank you so much!

[cherylmeryl]

One more question, from reading the information in this forum again, I see that we are factual residents of canada... so since factual resident isn't an option in turbo tax, are we then deemed residents?? Also, since I need to mail in these taxes (why NETFILE... why can't I!! lol) I'll need to have all of my T4's and whatnot from home sent to me here in Japan so I can send it all in together? What have other people done? I don't have an accountant at home, I have Turbo Tax which I NETFILEd with last year and didn't need to send in all my T4's and school crap since I did the aforementioned NETFILE. My grandma has been collecting my mail at home but I have scanned copies of everything so I can do it all on my end here. Sorry if this sounds like a crazy rant.. I hate calling the CRA to ask questions, and I don't know why but I get lots of anxiety when I do my taxes. Any advice/help would be awesome

[Musashi]

Page 4 explains what to do when filling your taxes. http://www.deutsch-in-japan.de/dateien/taxinjapan.pdf

Seems pretty easy. All you really need to do is fill out lines 104 and 256 in relation to your JET Program income.

This is the 2011 tax package: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/t1gnrl/menu-eng.html
Just pick your province and then download the T1 General 2011 - Income Tax and Benefit Return - Ontario pdf.

Also, just a side note, you can't netfile your taxes, you actually have to print out and fill it in on paper. (Since you need to send in your JET Program statement of earning)

[Olivier]

Hey everyone,

This thread is pretty confusing and people are kinda shooting answers left and right, but I still don't understand some pretty basic stuff. I'm also a 1st year JET, so it seems a little more complicated with my T4s from Québec. Could answer these questions in simple Yes or No form, or with a short-and-sweet answer ? hehe Tax headaches ...

1 ) So the GIH informs us that we are "Factual Residents". But on the Tax Form, what are we ?
- Non-residents of Canada ?
- Deemed non-resident of Canada ?
- Deemed resident of Canada because we stayed in Canada for 183 days or more in 2011 ?
- Deemed reisdent of Canada for other reasons ?

2 ) Which Form do we file ? The "T1 General 2011 - Income Tax and Benefit Return for Non-residents and Deemed Residents of Canada" ? Or the one found here, where we click on our Provinces http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/t1gnrl/menu-eng.html ?

3 ) Do we have to send the original gensen choshuhyo copy or simply a photocopy ? Don't we have to save the original to be able to receive our Pension Plan Lump Sum after the Programme ?

4 ) I have 2 T4s from Québec since I worked there before coming to Japan. Do we also have to file a Provincial Form ? If so, where do we find it and is it anymore complicated since we are now "Factual Residents" ?

Thanks for all your help !

[mikesalvatore]

Every year I end up calling the CRA a few times when I get confused. The wait times aren't usually very long, and for the next few weeks we only have to stay up until 9:15pm to call. The "Individual income tax enquiries" phone number is: 1-800-959-8281. Some extra numbers are here: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.html

It's $3 for unlimited Skype calling to landlines for a month. If you don't have a long distance calling arrangement of some kind already, free income tax advice that comes from the highest authority is worth $3.

4 ) I have 2 T4s from Québec since I worked there before coming to Japan. Do we also have to file a Provincial Form ? If so, where do we find it and is it anymore complicated since we are now "Factual Residents" ?

You will most certainly have to fill out a provincial form as well, with or without T4s. We all do

[Musashi]

Hey everyone,

This thread is pretty confusing and people are kinda shooting answers left and right, but I still don't understand some pretty basic stuff. I'm also a 1st year JET, so it seems a little more complicated with my T4s from Québec. Could answer these questions in simple Yes or No form, or with a short-and-sweet answer ? hehe Tax headaches ...

1 ) So the GIH informs us that we are "Factual Residents". But on the Tax Form, what are we ?
- Non-residents of Canada ?
- Deemed non-resident of Canada ?
- Deemed resident of Canada because we stayed in Canada for 183 days or more in 2011 ?
- Deemed reisdent of Canada for other reasons ?

2 ) Which Form do we file ? The "T1 General 2011 - Income Tax and Benefit Return for Non-residents and Deemed Residents of Canada" ? Or the one found here, where we click on our Provinces http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/formspubs/t1gnrl/menu-eng.html ?

3 ) Do we have to send the original gensen choshuhyo copy or simply a photocopy ? Don't we have to save the original to be able to receive our Pension Plan Lump Sum after the Programme ?

4 ) I have 2 T4s from Québec since I worked there before coming to Japan. Do we also have to file a Provincial Form ? If so, where do we find it and is it anymore complicated since we are now "Factual Residents" ?

Thanks for all your help !

I think you fill out this one: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/5005-r/README.html

It asks you on the first page if you ceased to reside in canada in 2011, and asks you which date.

[BeeQC]

Just thought I'd revive this thread. Did you get the answers to your questions? Would you mind posting them online?

[Musashi]

I don't think there is a answer per-se. You fill out taxes like normal and make sure that you state that you are a Canadian resident. JET Program is special in the sense you are considered in a exchange program, and not the same as taking an out of country job.

All factual means from cra perspective is that you fall under the same as when you were still back in Canada.

This means that you can remain a factual resident, gain TFSA credits while out of the country and get a pass by CRA for your jet salary. One thing I noticed is that the cheapskates don't count jet salary to your rrsp contribution limits.

Anyhow Imo there is no need to do tax returns unless money. (or owed money). I actually did all my taxes after I finished jet. It took me all of 5mins to fill out the documents. (3 years worth)

[AVN]

I don't think there is a answer per-se. You fill out taxes like normal and make sure that you state that you are a Canadian resident. JET Program is special in the sense you are considered in a exchange program, and not the same as taking an out of country job.

All factual means from cra perspective is that you fall under the same as when you were still back in Canada.

This means that you can remain a factual resident, gain TFSA credits while out of the country and get a pass by CRA for your jet salary. One thing I noticed is that the cheapskates don't count jet salary to your rrsp contribution limits.

Anyhow Imo there is no need to do tax returns unless money. (or owed money). I actually did all my taxes after I finished jet. It took me all of 5mins to fill out the documents. (3 years worth)

But even if you were working not for JET you are still exempt from double taxation.

I do them every year.