All domestic and international students must file their tax return annually with the Canadian Government to receive eligible refunds and credits (GST, OST, tuition and education).
What are the benefits of filing my taxes? You may be eligible for:
- GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps offset part of the GST or HST that you pay
- Ontario Trillium Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment from the Ontario Government
- Tuition, Education & Textbook credits
Don’t know how to file your Canadian Income tax Return? No problem!
- The ISC brings Service Canada to UTSC so that you can get your Social Insurance Number (check CLNx for upcoming dates),
- The ISC holds workshops in January and February called the Benefits of Filing Income Tax (check CLNx for upcoming dates)
- The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) hosts FREE SCSU tax clinics to help you one-on-one with tax filing in March of every year.
ATTENTION: If you do not have a Social Insurance Number you must apply for an Individual Tax Number (ITN) in order to file!!
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How should I prepare to file my Canadian Income tax return?
STEP 1: Get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Make sure you have what you need, then come to a SIN Clinic on campus. Or you can go to Service Canada anytime.
STEP 1: Attend an info session
Attend a FREE information session offered in January and February of every year to prepare your documents and to learn:
• how to maximize your tax refund and credits from the Canadian Government
• what documents and receipts you will need to file your taxes
• when to file and how much FREE $$$ you can expect to receive
Info-session dates and times will be posted early in the Winter session. You only need to attend one (1) session and sign-up on CLN is required.
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STEP 2: Prepare, print and gather all of the relevant documents
In order to file your Canadian Income Tax Return, at the SCSU Tax Clinic, you need to gather the following (if applicable):
- University of Toronto student T-Card
- Passport *only required for International Students at UTSC
- Income Tax Number (ITN) letter or Social Insurance Number (SIN) card (NOTE: If you do not have a SIN card or ITN, please contact the ISC for assistance).
- Direct Deposit Information or VOID Cheque (information required from your financial institution: Account #, Branch #, & Institution #), necessary to set-up direct deposit of your tax refund
- A Canadian address where your tax letters can be mailed back to you during summer. (NOTE: If you will be leaving Canada during the summer for vacation, please make alternative arrangements to secure a local mailing address (examples: friend or family member’s address, Canada Post mail box rental, etc.)
- Rental receipts for any off-campus housing or a copy of cancelled/returned cheques/money orders/bank drafts you used to pay your landlord (NOTE: students living on-campus in UTSC’s Residence do not require any receipts)
- T2202A – Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate Form (can be printed from ROSI under “tax forms”)
- T5 Slips – Mailed in January - early March directly to you by your Canadian financial institution if you have a high interest bank account, GIC and/or investment (contact your financial institution for details)
- TTC Monthly Passes, TTC Weekly Passes, or Go Transit Monthly Passes, and receipts of purchase
- T4 Slip (if you were employed and paid in Canada)
- Any receipts of charitable donations you made
- Previous year’s CRA Notice of Assessment (if you filed your income tax return last year)
- Your CRA eService Access Code if you have previously filed your taxes before and are eligible to file your tax return electronically.
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STEP 3: Attend an SCSU tax clinic
The SCSU Tax Clinics are drop-in, first-come first-served appointments. Each tax year will take approximately 1-hour to file. Please be sure to bring all items listed in STEP 2 that are applicable to you. If you are a first-time filer or are planning to print and mail your tax return to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), you must also bring $ on your t-card to print your return on campus.
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STEP 4: Review, sign & file copies of your return
You are responsible for double checking the accuracy of your personal income tax return before submitting (by Netfile or mail) to CRA.
- If you are filing by paper copy and mail, be sure to sign your tax return on page 4 of the T1 General.
- Make a copy of your tax return and all receipts and forms for your own records.
NOTE: CRA expects you to retain copies of your tax return and supporting documents (from STEP 2) for up to six-years (6-years) in case CRA asks you to support your claims.
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STEP 5: Mail
- Be sure to mail your tax return and all required schedules and slips to the correct CRA location (depending on your situation).
- If you are an international student filing your taxes for the first-time, you must mail your complete and signed tax return to the International Tax Services Office of CRA
- If you have previously filed your taxes with the CRA, you may be eligible for NETFILE or you can complete your tax return, sign, print and mail a copy to CRA
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What if I have missed the free SCSU Income Tax Clinic?
- You can file your own Canadian income tax return using UFILE online software and instructions from Canada Revenue Agency.
- Alternatively, you can pay to have your Canadian Income Tax Return completed by a tax preparation company or licensed accountant (CGA or CPA). Note: Private tax filing companies are not affiliated with the International Student Centre.