Can I claim the Tuition Tax Credit as a non-resident international student in Canada?
(Last updated: 11 Mar 2024)
Every year over 642,000 international students come to Canada to begin their exciting adventure studying abroad.
It is no surprise why so many students choose Canada as their destination to study abroad. After all, Canada has a lot to offer international students including affordable tuition fees, state-of-the-art universities and a high-quality education.
Studying abroad is a very exciting opportunity to spend some time living in another country, embracing a new culture and making lot’s of new friends!
However, as an international student in Canada, it is important that you come to terms with the Canadian tax system so that you are aware of what tax you need to pay and the certain tax credits you can claim to reduce your tax bill.
When you pay your tuition fees for university in Canada, along with getting a high-quality education you also get a tax credit which can reduce your tax bill, the Tuition Tax Credit.
With that in mind, we have prepared this useful guide to the Canadian tuition tax credit for non-residents studying in Canada.
So…let’s get started!
What is the Tuition Tax Credit?
The Tuition Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit which reduces the amount of tax you have to pay on your tax bill.
This tax credit offsets part of the expense of going to university by reducing the tax that students have to pay.
As this tax credit is non-refundable, if the amount of tuition a student has paid is greater than the tax that the student owes, the credit can only be used to reduce the amount that the student owes instead of providing them with a tax refund.
If a student is not able to use the full amount of the tax credit, any unused tax credits can be either transferred to another person like their parent/spouse etc. or carried forward to a tax year in the future.
Can international students claim the tuition tax credit?
If you’re an international student in Canada, the tax credits you can claim depend on your residency status for tax purposes.
Any international student who has earned income in Canada or is deemed a resident for tax purposes, can claim the Tuition Tax Credit.
How to claim the tuition tax credit?
You can claim the Tuition Tax Credit by filing your Canadian tax return and attaching the completed Schedule 11. Schedule 11 is the tax form required when a student claims back tax on money spent on education like tuition fees.
Filing a tax return can be a complicated task especially as an international student when you have assignments and exams to prepare for.
Why not seek the assistance of a professional like Sprintax Canada to help you file your tax return and claim your tax credits?
Sprintax Canada offers a fully guided Canadian tax preparation software for non-residents in Canada.
Our software allows non-residents in Canada to prepare their federal and provincial tax forms.
We will guide you through the process from start-to-finish and will guarantee that you will be fully tax compliant with the CRA.
Sprintax Canada will help you to claim all of the tax credits, deductions and allowances that you are entitled to, maximizing your Canadian tax refund!
Claim your maximum Canadian tax refund online with Sprintax Canada!
Prepare your Canadian non-resident tax return here.
How does Sprintax Canada work?
To sign up with Sprintax Canada all you have to do is create an account. And when you answer a few questions on our online questionnaire, we will check the deductions, credits and expenses that apply to you and prepare your tax forms for you.
Then all you have to do is print the forms and send them to the Canadian tax authorities. And that’s it!
It’s as simple as that!
Claim your maximum Canadian tax refund online with Sprintax!
Why Sprintax Canada?
- Maximum legal Canadian tax refund guaranteed
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