Student AffairsCompleting a tax return can qualify you to receive immediate and future benefits.
Most students will not earn enough Canadian income while they are studying to have to pay income tax. Instead, you may qualify for tax credits/refunds simply by being a student in Canada. Preparing a tax return will determine if you need to pay taxes or if you will receive a refund. Income tax returns are filed annually and are due by April 30 of every year.
- If you have no Canadian income, you do not need to submit a tax return. In this case, there is no penalty for not filing your taxes every year
- If you have no Canadian income but decide at a later date to submit previous tax years, you are allowed to do so and can still access the tax refunds and benefits
The QUIC offers tax workshops during March and April to assist international students, staff, and faculty with the process of preparing their taxes.
If you have questions regarding your tax situation, contact the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) directly to get help.
UFile – Tax Filing Software
- UFile workshops will be hosted by our International Student Advisors during tax season (March–April). Upcoming session dates will be available on the Events Calendar
- You can use the sample student tax profile (pdf, 2.7 MB) on UFile as a reference for your own tax filing
Additional Tax Info
- Other free tax clinics in the region can be found on the CRA Free Tax Clinics website
- You can find tax information for international students on the CRA website
- Work from home tax credit information
- Information for non-residents for income tax purposes
Documents for Tax Season
Everyone should have the following documents for each year of tax forms that they are planning to complete:
- A record of the rent paid (unless you only lived in a Queen’s Residence during the tax year)
- A Social Insurance Number (SIN) or Individual Tax Number (ITN). If you don’t have a SIN, we can help you apply for an ITN at a tax workshop
More information about taxes for international students is available on the CRA website.
All students should have the following documents for each year of tax forms that they are planning to complete:
If you Received Scholarships or Bursaries
If you received funding from Canadian sources, you should have:
- T4A – Scholarship and Bursary Income (issued by Queen’s to the mailing address you have in SOLUS by the end of February)
Scholarships and bursaries for students are non-taxable for students.
If you need a T4A from a previous year, you can request it by sending an email to the Financial Aid and Awards Office from your Queen’s email account. More information is available on the Registrar and Financial Aid Services website.
You should also have:
- T4 – Employment Income (issued by your employer by the end of February)
- T3 or T5 – Investment or Interest Income (issued by your bank by the end of February)