xianjw

Am a Canadian PR since sept 2017 and have no interest in working in Canada or getting money off the canadian state - do I still need a PR? (I read I don't need a SIN to file taxes - but no, for the record, I'm not that keen on filing taxes in Canada either!) Thanks for any useful responses.
Xian.

Former Lancastrian

Why did you become a PR then?

Novocastrian

Thanks for the incoherent question.

xianjw

sorry for typo: A SIN, do I really need a SIN gentlemen? Thanks

Novocastrian

Yes. Why is this an issue? Why did you bother getting PR?

Aviator

A SIN is required for bank accounts, any agency reporting to CRA.

If you have any assets overseas with a cost of $100,000 CAD or more, a T1135 is required to be filed with a T1 tax return.

Presumably you have some income from somewhere to live off? If you have income from anywhere in the world, investment, interest, capital gains etc. A tax resident is required to file taxes. For a PR a SIN is required to file taxes. For visitors a TIN is required. Keen or not, filing taxes is not optional, even as a visitor if you meet the criteria you must file a tax return.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...-a-return.html

If taxes are due there are penalties for not filing a tax return
Also, the penalties for not filing a T1135 are pretty stiff too.

If you don't keep PR, you are then a visitor and will have to return from where you came at some point. Visitors cannot stay in Canada indefinitely. As a PR you also need to fulfill the residency requirement to keep PR.

Living in Canada, if you use the medical services, roads, any public service from any level of government, you are getting benefit from the government (tax payers of Canada).

xianjw

"For a PR a SIN is required to file taxes."

Thanks Aviator: the above seems key (I have everything else: banks, health cards etc) and clearly the info I had to the contrary re filing is wrong, since I've failed to find it again on the web... and as a PR I can't get an ITN.

So I'd better get an SIN and then get filing taxes... oh joy!

Aviator

Not sure how a bank opened accounts without a SIN, as they cannot issue and submit T5s' to CRA without it. As stated in other thread, I would suggest getting an accountant for professional advice.

If you file taxes and miss off income, or miss reporting T5 income that has been submitted to CRA by the institution, there are significant penalties now.

plasticcanuck

Anyone not paying taxes in Canada and legally should, is IMO, nothing but a blood-sucking parasite, willing to take and use everything Canada has to offer on the backs of millions of honest tax paying PRs/citizens.

dgagitw

I opened an HSBC account without a SIN before moving to Canada. Banks are able to report income to CRA without one too.

Aviator

A non resident account, the OP is a tax resident by the seems of it.

Payers use a recipient number in box 22 of a T5, either the SIN, TIN or a corporation # so CRA can attribute income paid to an individual and follow it.

dgagitw

I also opened an RBC account after I landed but before I got my SIN (and gave a Canadian address). As you point point out, the bank will happily take a TIN instead of a SIN although they didn’t ask me for either when I told them my situation. On the back end it is my understanding that the field is nullable as I assume the CRA would like to get whatever it can from banks regardless of the status of the account holder.

Gozit

I've lived here all my life and they didn't take my SIN when I first opened a (youth) bank account with RBC or CIBC, they took a copy of my driver's license and passport.