Newcomer (Immigrant) - Spouse non-resident
You immigrated to Canada during the tax year, but your spouse
remained in their country.
To file your tax return, please follow the steps below:
1. On the "Left-side menu on the Interview tab", select
the "Interview setup" and on the right-hand side of the
screen, check the box "Immigrant, emigrant, nonresident
taxpayer, you are a Canadian resident and your spouse immigrated to
Canada in the year" and click "Next"at the bottom of the
page.
2. Go back to the "Left-side menu on the Interview tab",
select "Spouse interview type" if, on December 31 of the tax
year, your spouse did not live in Canada, and select "Net income
only" in the drop-down menu to your right.
3. Fill the page entitled "Spouse - basic information"
and make sure that you enter all the relevant information. However,
on the line "Was this person a Canadian resident in 2019",
you must answer "No" because your spouse had remained in
their country. Naturally, your spouse must report their income, but
cannot file any tax return in Canada. His or her income will simply
help determine the credits for which you may be eligible. Once you
have completed the page, click on "Next".
4. On the "Immigrant, emigrant or non-resident" screen,
choose the option that applies to your situation.
5. The following page will display "Immigration to
Canada" and you must provide an answer to all the
questions marked with a red asterisk, as they are
mandatory.
6. Complete the remainder of your tax return.
In the "Review" tab, go to the column on the left and
click on "Messages". Various "Electronic Filing
Errors" will be shown. You do not have to take these Errors
into account.
At the bottom of the page, in the ''Maxback notes and
analysis'' section, it will be indicated that you are
eligible to file your federal return using NETFILE. However,
keep in mind that Québec residents are NOT eligible to file their
return using NetFile. You must print and mail it to Revenu
Québec.
For more information, please visit the following links:
For the CRA:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada-immigrants.html
Revenu Québec:
https://www.revenuquebec.ca/en/citizens/your-situation/new-residents/
ID: 20200220092426DE.xml
Webpage: KPA360-20200220092426DE.htm
