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Janis (anonymous) MadanCA Team edited answer

1. Left Canada for my home country on January 21, 2021. Did not file an Emigrant return or inform CRA about my departure date.
2. I had no house, no RRSP, no TFSA, no stocks, no Mutual Funds, no pension, no OAS, no CPP, no Capital Gains when I left.
3. I only had a Savings Bank Account in Canada on which I was getting Bank interest and T5 interest slips. And I still have that account.
4. I did not inform the bank either about my Non Resident status.
5. I mistakenly thought that I was a factual resident of Canada, when I was not & for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, I filed a tax return as RESIDENT of Canada.
6. 2021 I was in Canada for only 21 days, I left on January 21. 2022, 2023 & 2024, I should not even have filed in the first place as I was a non resident and Emigrant.
7. So now in September, 2025 I called them and informed them about my departure date in January, 2021.
8. I don’t owe any taxes for the 4 years. But I got NIL tax owing resident NOA for 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 as I wrongly filed as Resident.
9. Also for 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 – I got T5 interest slips from my bank for my Savings Account instead of NR4 slips as I didn’t inform them about my departure. 10. But from 2008 onwards no withholding tax is held on bank interest. So even if they had issued NR4 slips instead of T5, there would not be any withholding tax.
11. So I asked the agent, How do I rectify this? Do I have to file a backdated Emigrant return for January,2021 with January 21 as departure date?
12. She said no need for that. As I have updated your departure date in the system. And since you Don’t owe any taxes for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 – you don’t have to file an Emigrant return, and letting us know of the departure date is enough.
13. She said only contact your bank and let them know about your non resident status since 2021. So they will mail you NR4 slips for 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 and cancel the wrongly issued T5 slips for 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024.
14. Then mail those 4 years of NR4 bank interest slips to NON RESIDENT WITHHOLDING SECTION, Sudbury ON .
15. After CRA receives those mailed NR4 slips from me they will automatically rectify the wrongly filed resident tax returns for 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024. And they will also change the wrongly issued NOA for these 4 years.

Is this the right advice from the agent? She was absolutely sure that is all I need to do and no need for Emigrant return.

Please note 2022, 2023 & 2924, I should not even have filed in the first place as I left in 2021. Even 2021, I was only there for 21 days till January 21, 2021.

And besides bank interest, I have NO other sources of income from Canada and don’t owe any taxes either as it’s below Basic Personal Exemption Limit.