How to File Your First Canadian Tax Return as a Newcomer (2026 Step-by-Step)

Do newcomers have to file taxes in Canada?

Yes. If you were a Canadian resident for any part of the tax year, you must file a T1 General income tax return by April 30.

Even if you only arrived in November, you must file. More importantly: filing is how you trigger the GST/HST Credit (up to $519/year for a single person), the Canada Child Benefit (if you have children), and provincial credits like the Ontario Trillium Benefit. These are not deposited automatically — you must file to claim them.

Partial-year residency rules

The year you arrive, you are a part-year resident. On your T1 return you will enter your date of arrival in Canada. CRA taxes your Canadian income from that date forward. Pre-arrival income from your home country is generally not taxable in Canada.

If you had income from your home country after you became a Canadian resident, you report it and claim a Foreign Tax Credit to avoid double taxation.

Source: CRA — Newcomers to Canada

Documents you need before you start

• ✓
  T4 slip

  Your employer sends this by the last day of February. Box 14 = employment income. Box 22 = income tax deducted.
• ✓
  SIN (Social Insurance Number)

  Required to file. Get yours at any Service Canada office if you have not already.
• ✓
  Date you became a Canadian resident

  The date on your immigration document — PR card, COPR, or permit — when you arrived with intent to stay.
• ✓
  T5 slip (if any)

  Reports bank interest. Most newcomers in year one will not have one.

Filing step by step with Wealthsimple Tax

1. 1
   Create your CRA My Account

   Go to canada.ca/cra → 'My Account for Individuals.' Register using your SIN, date of birth, and prior year NOA (or 'first-time filer'). This is where your refund, GST credit, and CCB payments land.

   CRA My Account registration →
2. 2
   Set up direct deposit inside CRA My Account

   Navigate to 'Direct deposit' in CRA My Account and enter your bank account details. Refunds with direct deposit arrive in 2 weeks. Without it, you wait 6–8 weeks for a mailed cheque.
3. 3
   Open Wealthsimple Tax (free)

   Go to simpletax.ca and create a free account. Click 'Start your return' and select the tax year. Wealthsimple Tax is NETFILE-certified by CRA — you can submit directly from the app.

   Start your free Wealthsimple Tax return →
4. 4
   Enter your personal information

   Your full name, SIN, date of birth, province of residence as of December 31 of the tax year, marital status, and — critical for newcomers — your date of arrival in Canada. Wealthsimple will ask this specifically.
5. 5
   Enter your T4 income

   Add a T4 slip in the 'Income' section. Enter Box 14 (employment income) and Box 22 (income tax deducted). These are the two most important boxes for most newcomers.
6. 6
   Claim the GST/HST Credit — do not skip this

   In the 'Credits' section, answer yes to 'Do you want to claim the GST/HST credit?' This triggers CRA to assess your eligibility and start quarterly payments — up to $519/year for a single person.
7. 7
   Review and NETFILE

   Wealthsimple shows your estimated refund or balance owing before you submit. Review for accuracy. Click 'NETFILE to CRA.' You get a confirmation number in seconds — your return is officially filed.

After you file: what to expect

Common mistakes newcomers make

• ✗Not filing at all — you lose GST credit and CCB for the year
• ✗Not entering the correct arrival date — affects partial-year credits
• ✗Forgetting to claim the GST/HST Credit (it's a separate checkbox)
• ✗Not setting up direct deposit — waiting 8 weeks for a cheque
• ✗Missing the April 30 deadline when you owe taxes — triggers penalties
• ✗Not filing RC151 if you arrived mid-year with no T4 yet

Frequently asked questions