Why File a Personal Income Return?

Why fill out a tax return if you have no taxable income for 2015?

You might be eligible for the Federal GST/HST Credit and the BC Sales Tax Credit. An individual is required to apply for the GST / HST Credit annually by filing a personal income tax return. Low-income seniors can also re-apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement by filing an annual personal income tax return. In addition, you will be able to recover any money owing to you for the year, such as an overpayment of income taxes, Canada Pension Plan contributions (CPP), or Employment Insurance premiums.

Even if you have no taxable income, you might still be required to file a tax return and pay CPP if your net self-employed income is in excess of $3,500. You might also want to report your taxable income on a tax return in order to build your RRSP contribution room and become eligible for greater RRSP deductions in a future year.

If you are a student with excess tuition and education amounts in the year, you will want to file a tax return so that you can carry them forward to another year. Also, if you have a business loss, you must file a return in order to establish your right to claim the loss in other years.

Finally, if your tax return was filed more than three years after the end of a particular taxation year, the Canada Revenue Agency might not issue a tax refund related to that return.