You must pay taxes if you live and work in Canada. You should be aware that if you pay taxes in Canada, maintain your Canadian tax documents for some time after the tax year ends. It is applicable even if you are on a working holiday in Canada and return to your home country after your visa expires.

In general, you must maintain all required records and supporting documentation for six years after the end of the most recent tax year to which they pertain. Each year, the Canadian tax year begins on January 1 and concludes on December 31. Whether or whether you used your supporting documents for your Canadian tax return, you must save them all.

In some cases, you’ll need to keep your records for a long time. The following is a list of these instances, and also the applicable retention periods:

• When it comes to long-term property acquisitions and disposals, the share registry, or other historical information that could affect the sale, liquidation, or winding up of a business, you must retain records and supporting documentation permanently.
• If the CRA requires you to maintain records for more than six years, a CRA employee will tell you how long you must keep them in person or via registered mail.
• If you file a late income tax return, you must retain your records for six years from the filing date.
• If you issue a GST/HST tax adjustment note to a pension entity, you must retain the records up to six years from the date the tax adjustment note got issued.
• When a non-incorporated business or other organization ceases to exist, it is required to retain its records for six years from the end of the tax year in which it ceased to exist.
• You must preserve duplicate donation receipts for two years after the end of the calendar year in which you received the donations if you are a registered qualified done.

What are Canadian tax records?

A copy of your Canadian tax return(s), the corresponding notice of assessment, and any notices of reassessment are all included in your Canadian tax records. It could involve the following:

• T-slips
• Receipts for medical and moving expenditures and other expenses for which you claimed a tax deduction or credit.

Reason to keep Canadian tax for six years

Because the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) may choose to review your Canadian tax return within this timeframe, you must retain your Canadian tax documents for six years. You will have this information to back up any documents or information you have supplied to the CRA if you keep your tax records.

Where to keep tax records?

If you live or work in Canada, you must retain your tax records at your home or place of business. When a person relocates, they must bring all of their personal belongings with them. Notify CRA when the address got changes.

When it comes to business records, approval is essential when moving out of Canada. You can do this by seeking authorization from Tax Services in writing. If the CRA approves your request, you must make your tax records available when the CRA requests them.