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Left Canada permanently in the year 2025.
Stayed for less than 183 days in the tax year 2025, and have no significant residential ties in Canada. Did not earn any income in the year 2025. And donot have any other forms of income like RRSP/employment/rental/business etc. I donot owe any tax so far - until the last tax return filed for the tax year 2024.
The only income for this year (2025) being the interest income from savings account in banks which totaled to less than $50. Hence I believe T5 might not get issued by the bank.
My questions are:
Do I need to file an emigrant return during March/April 2026. If so, how should I reflect this small interest income and pay non resident tax to this?
I am planning to close my bank account shortly (in the next couple of weeks). Do I still need to keep the account active until I file my emigrant return around April 2026?
Dear Sandy,
Thank you for reaching out. Based on the details you shared, here’s some guidance regarding your Canadian tax obligations after leaving Canada:
- Departure (Emigrant) Return for 2025
Since you permanently left Canada in 2025, you are required to file a final Canadian tax return (emigrant return) for the year of departure — even if your Canadian income is minimal. On this return, you would:
- Report your worldwide income up to your departure date, and
- Report only Canadian-source income (if any) earned after that date.
- Interest Income After Departure
The small amount of interest (less than $50) earned after you became a non-resident does not need to be reported on your Canadian tax return.
- Such interest is fully exempt from Canadian tax under paragraph 212(1)(b) of the Income Tax Act, provided it’s paid by a Canadian bank, credit union, or trust company and is not related to a business or real estate in Canada.
- Therefore, you do not need to pay non-resident tax or report this interest on your 2025 return.
- Bank Account Closure
- Next Steps
- File your 2025 return as an emigrant in March/April 2026.
- Use your departure date in 2025 as the date you became a non-resident.
- No further Canadian returns will be needed in future years unless you earn Canadian-source income (e.g., rent, pension, dividends).
Although there is no requirement to keep your bank account open, it is best to wait until your 2025 return is filed and assessed before closing it. This ensures you can easily receive any potential refund or CRA deposit directly into your account.
If you’d like, our firm can assist with your 2025 emigrant return filing. The fee for a basic emigrant return (no T5, T4, or rental income) is $270 + disbursements.