Tax tip: Taxes made simple for newcomers to Canada Français

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Canada Revenue Agency

Mar 10, 2026, 09:30 ET

OTTAWA, ON, March 10, 2026 /CNW/ - Many newcomers qualify for benefit and credit payments based on their income and family situation. You could qualify to get these payments as soon as you arrive in Canada, even before you file your income tax and benefit return for the first time.

To keep getting these payments, you must file a tax return every year, even if you had little or no income. Your spouse or common-law partner, if you have one, also needs to file every year.

As a newcomer to Canada, you are required to file your tax return for the year you become a resident for tax purposes. For example:

  • If you arrived in 2025, you must file your 2025 tax return by April 30, 2026.
  • If you arrived in 2026, you must file your 2026 tax return by April 30, 2027.

Why you should file a tax return

You need to file a tax return every year to:

  • Get a refund (if owed)
  • Keep getting benefits and credits, such as:
    • Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit): A payment every three months, which may include provincial or territorial program amounts, to help with the tax you pay on goods and services.
    • Canada child benefit: A payment every month, which may include provincial or territorial amounts, to help with the cost of raising children.
  • Pay any tax you owe

In most cases, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) automatically considers you for benefit and credit payments when you file your tax return. But, in certain cases involving the Canada child benefit, you may need to complete additional forms as part of the application process. For more information, review the eligibility requirements for the Canada child benefit.

Deadline to file

The due date is April 30, 2026. Make sure to file your tax return and pay any amounts you owe on time!

If you're self-employed
If you or your spouse or common-law partner were self-employed in 2025, you have until June 15, 2026, to file. But, any amounts you owe must still be paid by April 30, 2026.

What you need to file

Social Insurance Number

  • Your Social Insurance Number is a 9-digit number required to access government programs and benefits and it needs to be provided on your tax return.
  • If you do not have one yet, you can apply for a Social Insurance Number from Service Canada. 
  • If Service Canada cannot issue you a Social Insurance Number, you may get a temporary tax number from the CRA.

Income information

  • You will receive tax slips (such as a T4, T4A, T5, or T5007), if, for example, you worked in Canada or earned investment income during the year.
  • These slips are normally provided by your employer or financial institution by the end of February.
  • Use these tax slips to accurately report all Canadian income on your tax return.
  • Important: On your tax return, you must also report any income earned outside of Canada for the part of the year that you were considered a resident of Canada.

Other documents and receipts

  • Keep receipts for eligible expenses to be claimed on your tax return, including:
    • childcare expenses
    • moving expenses
    • medical expenses
    • charitable donations
  • If you are self-employed, keep all your business receipts to accurately claim business expenses and report your income.
  • If at any time in 2025 you owned foreign property costing more than $100,000, please visit our web page on the Foreign income verification statement to determine whether you are required to report it to the CRA.

How to file 

File online

Online filing is one of the fastest and easiest ways to submit your tax return. Most taxpayers, including first-time filers, who have one of the following can use certified tax software to complete and send their tax return to the CRA:

  • A Social Insurance Number
  • A temporary tax number starting with a 01 or 03

Many software options are available, and some are free to use: Find certified tax software.

Tip: If you sign up for direct deposit and filed your tax return online, you can receive any refund in as little as eight business days after your tax return is processed.

You do not need a CRA account to file your tax return online. Visit the "After you file" section of this tax tip to learn when and how you can register for a CRA account after filing your first tax return.

If you can't file online, you will need to file a paper return. Don't worry! This is still considered a normal and accepted way to file your taxes.

File by paper

To file by paper, you will need to get a T1 income tax package for the province or territory where you resided on December 31, 2025.

File with a tax preparer

For a fee, you can have a registered tax preparer complete your tax return and send it to the CRA.

Some tax preparers, known as discounters, will calculate your expected tax refund and give you an up-front payment before filing your tax return. They will take their fee from your refund first, but these fees are regulated. When you hire a discounter to file your taxes, make sure that you provide them with your address. This is important so that they can mail you any outstanding refunds. Find out more about discounter information for individuals.

Get help with your taxes

You can get help with your taxes:

  • If you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, you can receive assistance at a free tax clinic hosted by a community organization.
  • If you are self-employed, have rental income, or own a small business, you can get support from CRA liaison officers.

You can also get the answers you need online, without having to call the CRA.

  • GenAI chatbot is available 24/7 on Canada.ca to help with your questions
  • Learn about your taxes is an online learning tool that can help you understand what taxes are, how to file them, and what's in it for you.
  • Your CRA account lets you access secure, personalized portals, including My Account, where you can check your refund or return status, view or update your personal information, access your tax documents, and more.
  • Online chat in My Account lets you chat directly with a live agent Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET, about general and account-specific questions.

After you file

After you file, you will get a notice of assessment either in your CRA account or by mail. This tells you:

  • how much you owe or how much you will get back
  • the contribution room for your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (if this applies to you)

Tip: If you owe money, the CRA accepts many ways to make a payment, including online options. You can select the one that works best for you. Find more information on our Make a payment web page.

Your notice of assessment can be useful when completing citizenship or sponsorship applications, or when applying for a mortgage or loan. You should keep it for at least six years.

If you used a discounter to file, confirm that you received the correct refund amount. The correct amount will be the refund on your notice of assessment, minus any money you owe to the CRA, minus the discounter fee. If you receive your notice of assessment and you think the discounter owes you more money, you can go back to them and ask them to check.

If you were filing for the first time, once you have your notice of assessment, you can register for a CRA account to easily view and manage your tax information online.

Mistakes happen! If you forgot to include something on your tax return or see a mistake after filing, you can submit a request to change a tax return. 

Protect yourself from scams and fraud

Stay up-to-date on the latest benefit and tax-related scams affecting Canadians by visiting the Recognize a scam page.

When contacting taxpayers, the CRA will not:

  • Demand or pressure you for immediate payment by Interac® e-transfer, cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), prepaid credit cards, or gift cards from any type of retailer
  • Threaten to deport or arrest you, or put you in prison
  • Use aggressive or threatening language
  • Set up an in-person meeting in a public location to collect a payment
  • Charge a fee to speak with a contact centre service representative
  • Ask for personal or financial information in a voicemail or email

If you receive a call saying you owe money to the CRA, you can verify what you owe by checking your notice of assessment or your CRA account.

More newcomer resources

Contacts:

Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
[email protected]

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency

Organization Profile

Canada Revenue Agency

Related Organization(s)

Government of Canada