Canada GST Cheque

[Piefre 15]

I kind of saw this one coming. I got a GST cheque in the mail after having moved to the US. What address should I send the cheque and my explanation letter back to? And should I void the cheque before I send it back?

It's kind of funny because called them twice. Once to tell them to stop my payments, the second time to make sure they canceled it. Here's hoping 2012 will be the year Canada GST listens when someone tells them to cancel their payments.

[Inky 1,110]

Canada Revenue Agency

Schawinigan-Sud, Quebec,

G9N 7S6, Canada

I dealt with them for 6 months about this and they were horrible. Don't do anything to the check just send it with its original envelope (if you still have it) back to them, include a letter stating not to send them anymore that you called them already etc.

Edited January 14, 2012 by Inky

[Udella&Wiz 325]

There;'s a contact number on the brown envelope usually...if it's not the address Inky already provided. I too found them stubborn as I'll get out. It's funny that they just can't get t through their heads that you DON'T want $$ from the government

[GnBnL 50]

I was just going through random Canadian forum stuff and saw this....um, why do you (why would one,) not want a GST cheque? for tax reasons? Am I missing something? thanks!

[Inky 1,110]

I was just going through random Canadian forum stuff and saw this....um, why do you (why would one,) not want a GST cheque? for tax reasons? Am I missing something? thanks!

Your not allowed to have them, when you move to the USA your no longer eligible for them. You will be charged with interest if you cash them and keep them. You have to send back all GST checks.

I had a bill from CRA for over 1,000$ of GST checks + interest that i had supposedly cashed when they were sitting returned in their mail room.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

And I received a bill for all the GST and CTC they kept direct depositing into my account after I moved. Even after I contacted them to advise them that I was no longer a Cdn resident. I ended up owing >$1000 for the CTC (Child tax cred) and a separate amount in the $100's for GST. Initially I thought oh, this is kind of nice, a little extra $$$ while I'm doing AOS. BIG MISTAKE!

Let's make this clear for everyone - once you are no longer a Cdn resident (ie: the day you physically leave) you are no longer entitled to the nice little credits that Provincial and Federal government hands out (I believe there was 1 exception for someone here whose child received some sort of other credit...does someone remember?).

You will have to pay it back, it will bite you in the butt eventually - you'll be filing your taxes with your American address, eventually that will filter down to the other departments and they will send you a letter indicating what you owe. Your eligibility is dependent on whether you're a current resident, the amounts are based on last year's taxes...don't make the mistake some of us have thinking it was 'owed' to us based on last year's taxes.

Not the cheeriest Sunday morning post

[Penny Lane 8,159]

I called and informed them the day I moved to not deposit any more checks into my account. Now, I get a letter in the mail every time the checks go out to tell me that I don't qualify for them because I don't meet the residency requirements.

I seem to have been lucky and gotten someone on the phone who knew what they were doing and haven't received a check since.

[Piefre 15]

Thanks everyone, you've all been very helpful. I'm going to send their money back on Tuesday. Makes me nervous that I'm sending something like this to a PO Box. But hey, we just play the game we don't make the rules, aye?

[Marilyn. 340]

I moved to the US right around tax time so I just didn't apply for the GST that year...

[pocheros 101]

Argh, I just got a GST cheque this morning! I called them in SEPTEMBER and asked them not to send them to me anymore... I even updated my information on the CRA website. I thought I was safe because it had been four months, but nope, looks like they didn't get it either.

[pocheros 101]

By the way, if anyone wants a contact number here's a list: http://www.taxes.ca/info/info-cra.php There's a GST/HST help line on that list.

They're closed today of course. You can talk to someone between 8:15am-5pm Mon-Fri.

[GnBnL 50]

It's so funny to me that this seems like it should be common knowledge...so much you need to know to move countries...

[pocheros 101]

I just got off the phone with the CRA. Apparently the GST/HST line cannot change your residency- for that you have to contact the international office at 1-800-267-5177. Have your social insurance number ready.

They moved the international tax office from Quebec to Ottawa: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/international-eng.html

Here is the new address, and the one the lady told me to mail my cheques back to:

International Tax Services Office

Post Office Box 9769, Station T

Ottawa ON K1G 3Y4

CANADA

I hope talking to that lady helped. She had a thick accent so I had some trouble understanding her :S I think she said they would update my information and that I should receive a letter in a few weeks stating that I am no longer eligible for the credits. Sigh... let's hope it works.

Going through my mail I found something from the CRA saying that I was no longer eligible for the Ontario sales tax credit, which makes sense because I called the provincial line so it wouldn't affect the GST credit. So I urge anyone who hasn't called the international office yet to do so.

[canada_socks 97]

I just got off the phone with the CRA. Apparently the GST/HST line cannot change your residency- for that you have to contact the international office at 1-800-267-5177. Have your social insurance number ready.

Do you need your notice of assessment that comes with your GST/HST cheque? When I called a few months ago to tell them I moved and to not send them to me anymore, I needed to have that info, which I did not. I just found it last week and haven't had a chance to call back. The girl told me I had to verify some more information...I know I probably have another cheque on the way (but I lived with my parents before I moved so I am not too worried about that, as I know it will get to them).

[pocheros 101]

Do you need your notice of assessment that comes with your GST/HST cheque? When I called a few months ago to tell them I moved and to not send them to me anymore, I needed to have that info, which I did not. I just found it last week and haven't had a chance to call back. The girl told me I had to verify some more information...I know I probably have another cheque on the way (but I lived with my parents before I moved so I am not too worried about that, as I know it will get to them).

The first time I called the GST/HST line in September they asked me for some info from my tax return (how much my return was and how I filed it.) Today they just asked me for SIN, birthdate, mailing address, and how I filed my taxes last year.